Username: Password:

Author Topic: Pots and Caps Review  (Read 13656 times)

Slartibartfarst42

  • Welterweight
  • ****
  • Posts: 2125
  • Random Solution
Pots and Caps Review
« on: August 31, 2012, 09:23:46 PM »
I wasn't going to bother reviewing these but the difference is so astonishing I really feel I must.

My two guitars are a Jackson SL3 and PRS SE Custom 24 and I've put BKP 550k pots in both with Jensen BKP 0.022 caps. The first thing you notice is the size of the caps; they're HUGE. Compared to the tiny caps that you usually get, this was like trying to install a can of Coke in the guitar but whatever it is that's in those things, it sure works. I also found the pots were a bit wider than the stock items on both guitars so I had to carefully file the holes a little larger so they'd fit.

What's Good?

I've heard this said before but I'll say it again here because it's absolutely accurate. It's like having a thick blanket taken off your rig when you fit these. Everything is so much clearer and more cutting than before, to the extent that I'm having to adjust all of my settings to accommodate the effect. Notes that may struggle before now really sing and for the first time I use the tone pot!! In the past, turning the tone down has always made some aspects of my tone a bit too muffled and 'dead' but now that simply isn't the case. Now I can solo on the neck pickup with the tone at zero and it's as clear as a bell anywhere on the neck. Awesome! Fitting this lot has also released a hell of a lot more volume. Because of the extra clarity, it really cuts through now and all of the controls are super-responsive. Before fitting these I always had my boost channel maxed out for solos to give me the extra volume I needed but the first time I hit the boost tonight, it damn near blew my head off!! I've had to almost half the amount of boost I'm getting.

What's Not?

The pots could be a bit smoother in their operation and it was a pain that I had to get a file out to my beautiful guitars so they'd fit but other than that I can't think of a thing.

Summary

Bare Knuckle pickups will drastically improve your guitars but honestly, until you install these pots and caps you're only hearing half what they're capable of. I swear to you, they're worth the expense and I really didn't expect to be this enthusiastic about them. Buy Bare Knuckle pickups and you'll wonder why you ever wasted time on Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio and EMG but install BKP pots and caps with your new pickups and your jaw will hit the floor in astonishment at just how good they sound.

Hope this helps and if you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them.
BKP owned:

Bridge - Emerald; Cold Sweat; Crawler; A-Bomb; Holydiver; Miracle Man; Sinner; Trilogy Suite

Neck - Emerald; Cold Sweat; Crawler; Holydiver; Sinner; Trilogy Suite

Stranger

  • Junior Flyweight
  • *
  • Posts: 30
Re: Pots and Caps Review
« Reply #1 on: August 31, 2012, 10:12:13 PM »
Where could someone purchase BKP pots?

metale

  • Featherweight
  • ***
  • Posts: 336
Black Dog (b), Abraxas (b), The Mule (n), Mississippi Queen (n), Trilogy Suite (m)

Had: Riff Raff 7 (b), Painkiller 8 (b)

GuitarIv

  • Welterweight
  • ****
  • Posts: 1052
  • Tempus fugit ergo carpe diem
Re: Pots and Caps Review
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2012, 12:10:04 AM »
Well, I have a question. I recently got myself Bareknuckle Electronics, meaning a new 5 way switch, a input jack, 2 Jensen 0.022 Caps, and 3 500k Jensen Pots. I'm going to rewire my Strat completely (has a Holydiver in the Bridge and two Slowhands), should I get the 550k BKP Pots or will the 500k do just fine?

Cheers and thanks for the review!

Slartibartfarst42

  • Welterweight
  • ****
  • Posts: 2125
  • Random Solution
Re: Pots and Caps Review
« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2012, 12:16:46 AM »
That's a difficult one because although my previous pots were 500k, they weren't BKP 500k pots. I'm sure your 500k pots will be an improvement over the stock items. All I can tell you for sure is that the 550k pots are a significant improvement over the 500k units in my Jackson SL3, which is hardly a cheap guitar, and a colossal improvement over the 500k pots that came standard in the PRS SE.
BKP owned:

Bridge - Emerald; Cold Sweat; Crawler; A-Bomb; Holydiver; Miracle Man; Sinner; Trilogy Suite

Neck - Emerald; Cold Sweat; Crawler; Holydiver; Sinner; Trilogy Suite

GuitarIv

  • Welterweight
  • ****
  • Posts: 1052
  • Tempus fugit ergo carpe diem
Re: Pots and Caps Review
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2012, 12:28:41 AM »
Well, I'll have to work a little bit more then to afford those :P

itamar101

  • Lightweight
  • ***
  • Posts: 680
Re: Pots and Caps Review
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2012, 12:49:06 AM »
Well, I'll have to work a little bit more then to afford those :P

I'm REALLY, REALLY sorry about this but I've got to say this...
GuitarIV, I really don't like your avatar. That guys face annoys the heck out of me. Ok, I just had to let that out :)

Now I shall allow the thread back on track.
I don't have enough good stuff to say about BKP electronics. Really excellent quality.

Toe-Knee

  • Welterweight
  • ****
  • Posts: 1162
    • DIY Audio
Re: Pots and Caps Review
« Reply #7 on: September 01, 2012, 01:02:29 AM »
I haven't tried the bkp pots or caps. But that's more personal preference.

I prefer to either have no pots and just an on/off toggle or a 1M pot with no tone control as I like to keep my tone as pure as possible and I find 500k pots neuter things too much. Even the 1M is pushing it quite often which is why I generally leave it out.

I really hope BKP add some ~1M pots in the future.

It's great to be hearing positive feedback regarding the smaller components as I imagine if demand rises the range may be expanded at some point.
Please visit and share my guitar gear & DIY Blog
http://WWW.BACKLINE.TK
Non Biased Guitar Forum
http://fret.boards.net

GuitarIv

  • Welterweight
  • ****
  • Posts: 1052
  • Tempus fugit ergo carpe diem
Re: Pots and Caps Review
« Reply #8 on: September 01, 2012, 01:06:34 AM »
Well, I'll have to work a little bit more then to afford those :P

I'm REALLY, REALLY sorry about this but I've got to say this...
GuitarIV, I really don't like your avatar. That guys face annoys the heck out of me. Ok, I just had to let that out :)

Now I shall allow the thread back on track.
I don't have enough good stuff to say about BKP electronics. Really excellent quality.

Hahaha, that guy is Devin Townsend, a musical genius. He's a little bit crazy so that picture of him was taken like this on purpose :P

FELINEGUITARS

  • Middleweight
  • *****
  • Posts: 6609
  • London & Southeast's Number 1 BKP stockist
    • http://www.felineguitars.com
Re: Pots and Caps Review
« Reply #9 on: September 01, 2012, 01:33:11 AM »
I keep BKP pots and Jensen caps in stock at all times - so anyone coming to me can get both BKP pickups and the pots and caps direct from me.

Often when a customer is seeking new pickups I will suggest the pot and cap change first.
This seems to be a real eye opener - especially on Gibson SGs with their 300k pots
That way the player can actually hear what the stock pickups sound like , and can make slightly better and more informed decisions on what BKPs would be good for them based on what they hear after the pot/cap change.

A few times the "lifting of the blanket" effect is so great that the player is totally happy with the existing pickups for the time being - although they may well come back for BKPs later.

We can even wire up harnesses if you want something to drop into a LP or suchlike
The one below has a 0.022uF on the bridge tone and a 0.015uF on the neck tone

www.felineguitars.com - repairs & custom built
Great fretwork!
Buy your BKPs & Earvana from ME!

Stranger

  • Junior Flyweight
  • *
  • Posts: 30
Re: Pots and Caps Review
« Reply #10 on: September 01, 2012, 01:39:02 AM »
wow those capacitors are huge!

Toe-Knee

  • Welterweight
  • ****
  • Posts: 1162
    • DIY Audio
Re: Pots and Caps Review
« Reply #11 on: September 01, 2012, 01:44:06 AM »
I keep BKP pots and Jensen caps in stock at all times - so anyone coming to me can get both BKP pickups and the pots and caps direct from me.

Often when a customer is seeking new pickups I will suggest the pot and cap change first.
This seems to be a real eye opener - especially on Gibson SGs with their 300k pots
That way the player can actually hear what the stock pickups sound like , and can make slightly better and more informed decisions on what BKPs would be good for them based on what they hear after the pot/cap change.

A few times the "lifting of the blanket" effect is so great that the player is totally happy with the existing pickups for the time being - although they may well come back for BKPs later.

We can even wire up harnesses if you want something to drop into a LP or suchlike
The one below has a 0.022uF on the bridge tone and a 0.015uF on the neck tone



Hey Jonathan.

Do you know if Earvana do a R10 Floyd nut? I keep checking back on their site but they haven't seemed to have updated it since the first time that I looked.
Please visit and share my guitar gear & DIY Blog
http://WWW.BACKLINE.TK
Non Biased Guitar Forum
http://fret.boards.net

Slartibartfarst42

  • Welterweight
  • ****
  • Posts: 2125
  • Random Solution
Re: Pots and Caps Review
« Reply #12 on: September 01, 2012, 01:51:52 AM »
wow those capacitors are huge!

Yes, they are but fortunately my guitars had plenty room inside to fit them, though it might have been a bit more of a struggle in a Telecaster. Still, the bottom line is the tone and they certainly work. I can well believe that having changed the pots and caps, some people don't bother changing the pickups.
BKP owned:

Bridge - Emerald; Cold Sweat; Crawler; A-Bomb; Holydiver; Miracle Man; Sinner; Trilogy Suite

Neck - Emerald; Cold Sweat; Crawler; Holydiver; Sinner; Trilogy Suite

Nez

  • Junior Flyweight
  • *
  • Posts: 37
Re: Pots and Caps Review
« Reply #13 on: September 01, 2012, 08:47:18 AM »
Will these pots and caps fit in an Ibanez S? Hope so as just bought them haha.

FELINEGUITARS

  • Middleweight
  • *****
  • Posts: 6609
  • London & Southeast's Number 1 BKP stockist
    • http://www.felineguitars.com
Re: Pots and Caps Review
« Reply #14 on: September 01, 2012, 09:58:03 AM »
the pots will fit in an S series - the cap may be a problem - might have to use an orange drop instead
www.felineguitars.com - repairs & custom built
Great fretwork!
Buy your BKPs & Earvana from ME!