A question about Gibson 50s wiring

[_tom_]

I have my SG wired up with the 50s style wiring setup which I like. It makes the volume and tone knobs roll off a lot more natural and gradual and the guitar doesn't get so dull when you roll off the volume, yet is less harsh than a "normal" treble bleed. However I'm still finding a bit dull and wondering if you can still put a treble bleed cap across the volume lugs 1-2? I don't want it to change much, just a bit brighter/thinner when the vol is rolled would be nice :)

And if so what would be a good value for this? I've forgotten what kind of value capacitors are needed.

[HTH AMPS]

you can still use the treble bleed mod - try the PRS values, they seem universally loved.

180pF is their default value I think.

EDIT:  here's a schematic...  http://www.prsguitars.com/csc/schematics/schem08/mccarty2.pdf

also just tried the 180pF value in my Les Paul on both volumes, works nice - I'm leaving them in and will get a chance to turn the amp up a bit more tomorrow (its midnight here now, so not really able to test the different with my amp on whisper quiet volumes).

[_tom_]

Cheers :) When I've done it in the past I've just added the cap between lugs 1+2. What does adding the 022 cap + 500k resistor between lug 2 and ground do?

[Twinfan]

I think the resistor helps with the tapering of the pot now yo're got the bypass cap on?

Try just the cap first as this is the most common mod and what PRS do  :)

[darkbluemurder]

What does adding the 022 cap + 500k resistor between lug 2 and ground do?

This simulates a tone pot in the circuit which is fully turned up.

Cheers Stephan

[darkbluemurder]

180pF is their default value I think.

EDIT:  here's a schematic...  http://www.prsguitars.com/csc/schematics/schem08/mccarty2.pdf

That is the value that is in my PRS Custom. Works well with the HD/CS combination, even though it becomes quite glassy at low settings.

On my alder bodied strat with the Miracle Man I used a 500kA pot with a 150pf styroflex cap in parallel with a 1 Meg resistor between the input and output lugs. This makes the very low settings a little less bright. However, the taper of the pot is slightly altered by the 1M resistor, and I need to turn the pot down more to clean up. I had a 150pf/220k combination before that but that did not seem to clean up well at all.

Cheers Stephan

[HTH AMPS]

You could play with a series resistance between the cap on the two lugs on the volume pot to limit the effect of the bright cap.  to find tune it, you could use a trim pot to find the optimal setting then replace it with a fixed resistor of the corresponding value.

I gigged with the bright caps in last night and like the change, though it IS perhaps a 'little' too glassy around 2-3 on the guitar volume.