cr@ppy pots, or...

[Mr. Air]

I just gotten around to installing a nailbomb bridge in my LP copy and when I plugged it in I found that it was impossible to clean up the tone by turning down the volume. I still got the old pots that came with the guitar in and I wonder if they're just so cr@ppy that they're not able to clean up the tone. Am I guessing right?

[blue]

i've just had the same problem into my Vintage/Modern with Mississippi Queens in an Epiphone.  it does kinda clean up, but it turns to a dull mud.  i got the same thing with the Miracle Man in my epi 7 string, but i figured that was just the Miracle Man.  the ceramic pickups in my Gibson MIII clean up nicely with the volume pot though.  looks like we're going to have to do some pot shopping! ;)

does anyone reckon a treble bleed capacitor would be a good idea? 

[Afghan Dave]

A Treble Bleed Kit can't hurt and at £2 it's worth a go. I'm gonna add these myself.

http://www.axesrus.com/axeElectronicsCaps.htm

Be careful choosing your new pots - I think you want metric and long shaft for all asian LP copies.

Good luck.

[blue]

actually, when i got my Miracle Man/Mule set way back when, Tim sent me a couple of long shaft pots, and they don't fit in the Epi.  i used short shafts instead.  not to say all far eastern Les Pauls are the same, best to check your own.

Thanks for the link Dave, i think i'll get a handful of those myself :)

[Afghan Dave]

Yup, best to check and check again... I always get the wrong size everything.  :(

[Mr. Air]

Here's a rookie question. How many sizes do pots come in? And while I'm at it. How do you install the treble bleed capacitor?

[Philly Q]

Regarding pot "size", it depends which dimensions you're talking about:

Shaft diameter is either approx 10mm (US pots) or 8mm (metric pots - Japanese, Korean).

Shaft length varies a bit, but the ones used in Strats, Teles, SGs etc are pretty much a standard length - the threaded part is roughly 3/8", at a guess.  You'll also see pots described as "long shaft" (about 3/4") which are really only needed for Les Pauls because of their thick, arched tops.  Some LPs have multi-depth control cavities so standard pots will fit - take your old ones out to check!

The size of the main body of the pot doesn't really matter as long as there's room in the control cavity, but a standard pot (US or metric) is about an inch wide.  You also see miniature pots, mostly in import guitars, EMG use them too.

Here's a diagram for a treble bleed cap:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=treble_bleed

The resistor is optional, and you can experiment with cap values.  I think Fender use 0.001.

[murraymurray]

So do you use the treble bleed when you just have a volume pot and no tone? or is it also useful for with a tone pot?
I normally get long pots for my LP, but generally they seem a bit too long, i just put a washer on the inside too so i can adjust the height accordingly.

[Mr. Air]

Thanks for the answers, but I think my main question is still unanswered  :). Can low quality pots cause lack of cleaning up when the volume is rolled back? And JUST yet another question. Which sort of capacitor should be used. The cheap ceramic ones or the more expensives like paper in oil?

[Afghan Dave]

For a treble bleed the audiophile quality of capacitor doesn't matter, use a ceramic.

A treble bleed is just as useful (maybe more so) in a guitar without tone controls.   

The resistor is there to preserve the bass spectrum as you roll down the volume. (according to Steve Blucher @ Dimarzio)

[Philly Q]

So do you use the treble bleed when you just have a volume pot and no tone? or is it also useful for with a tone pot?

It'll work either way.  The only reason the tone pot isn't shown in that diagram is that the tone control wiring is exactly the same with or without a treble bleed.

Thanks for the answers, but I think my main question is still unanswered  :). Can low quality pots cause lack of cleaning up when the volume is rolled back? And JUST yet another question. Which sort of capacitor should be used. The cheap ceramic ones or the more expensives like paper in oil?

I personally don't think a low quality pot will affect the guitar's ability to clean up.  The main difference between a "good" pot and a "bad" one is the smoothness of the taper - with a good pot, the volume changes smoothly from 0 to 10.  With cheap pots, everything happens between 0 and 3, or between 9 and 10.  If your pot controls the volume well enough, then it should also clean up the sound.... if it's going to.

I think the ability to clean up the sound by "riding" the volume control is much more to do with the amp settings and the properties of the pickups.  I'm no expert on this... but it seems to me it works best with single-coils and lower-output humbuckers.

Capacitors are a whole different discussion!  Some think expensive caps are worth every penny, most will agree that cheap ceramic caps are inconsistent.  Sprague Orange Drops do the job well and aren't expensive.

[Mr. Air]

Sprague Orange Drops do the job well and aren't expensive

What voltage? 400 or 100? (those are the options I've found. Don't know if they come in other voltages?)

And once more thanks for the replies.

[Afghan Dave]

Sprague Orange Drops do the job well and aren't expensive

What voltage? 400 or 100? (those are the options I've found. Don't know if they come in other voltages?)

And once more thanks for the replies.

Only Eric Johnson might be able to help...

Go for 400 you shouldn't be able to notice any difference anyway!

[Mr. Air]

It'll work either way.  The only reason the tone pot isn't shown in that diagram is that the tone control wiring is exactly the same with or without a treble bleed.

So you still "need" a capacitor for the tone pot, right?

[Twinfan]

Yep, otherwise it's another volume pot  ;)