Author Topic: 1k pots vs. 500k (Read 18623 times)

rain_dog · « **on:** January 04, 2007, 12:40:03 PM »

I have a set of miracle man pickups. And I just ordered some 1k pots from torres engineering in san mateo cali. But I'm second guessing the order. I'm not sure what kind of change in sound I can expect from the switch to 1K, some people say it would open up the pickups clarity a bunch since the miracle man's have such a high output. Other people seem to think it would be too bright. Anyone have any clues? would it make sense to mix and match a volume 1k and a tone 500k? vice versa? etc

and one more question for good luck. Ha!

I just put a tusq nut in one of my guitars, and it seems OK... I don't love or hate it. I was dissapointed in the color of it because it looks rather grey, and doesnt match my vintage guitars. But oh well. My question is about delrin nuts. What is everyones opinion on delrin? I use delrin picks and I love the sound and speed. I wonder if this translates to the nut as well? where does one even find delrin nuts online, and how do YOU think it compares with graphite, tusq etc.

thanks for any help.
rock on

FELINEGUITARS · « **Reply #1 on:** January 04, 2007, 04:02:04 PM »

Surely you mean 1Meg pots?? (or 1000K)

they will open up the top end a bit, but BKPs rarely need it IMO

The Tusq nuts change colour over the first 6-12 months and end up looking v old and funky (almost brown)

Hurley · « **Reply #2 on:** January 04, 2007, 06:11:08 PM »

Hey...iv ordered a miracle man for the bridge and i asked tim what pots i should get and he suggested a 1meg vol pot and 500k tone pot. im not quite sure why he said 1meg but he know loads more about this stuff then me so im just going to go with it

rain_dog · « **Reply #3 on:** January 04, 2007, 07:38:48 PM »

Quote from: Hurley

Hey...iv ordered a miracle man for the bridge and i asked tim what pots i should get and he suggested a 1meg vol pot and 500k tone pot. im not quite sure why he said 1meg but he know loads more about this stuff then me so im just going to go with it

really? wow thats good to know. Thanks!

and yes I meant 1000k

I'm interested to see what this tusq does now, I had not idea. I thought it would look weird and greyish forever.

HTH AMPS · « **Reply #4 on:** January 04, 2007, 08:06:14 PM »

I used a 500k volume pot with the Miracle Man in my Les Paul and there was plenty of top end.

I'd imagine a 1M volume pot to be WAY too bright for a MM in the bridge - it's the trick I always use for muddy neck humbuckers.

:twisted:

rain_dog · « **Reply #5 on:** January 04, 2007, 09:50:00 PM »

There was an article online that I can't seem to locate anymore on google... which basically had a listing of what the output of a pickup was and what its corresponding pot should be.. basically it boiled down to anything over something around dc13-14 should use a 1meg pot because too much resistance is being put on the pickups? I dont know if that was accurate but thats what it was saying. It also mentioned something about Steve vai going with 1meg pots for this reason.

But as with all things guitar related and on the internet, many grains of salt I guess. I wonder if anyone has any insight as to why that would be the case though? (resistance on the pickups from the pot value)

thanks for all the great responses!

Philly Q · « **Reply #6 on:** January 04, 2007, 10:25:53 PM »

It's one of those situations where it's all about personal preference - there's no right or wrong. I like quite a bright-sounding bridge pickup but I find 1Meg seems to add a bit of harshness along with the brightness. Though I must admit I haven't experimented very much - I tend to go HB=500K, SC=250K and if it sounds OK that's good enough for me.

Here's something from Chris Kinman's site. Of course he's talking about Strat pickups and I'd say he's just a bit biased in favour of 250K, but it's interesting:

"Problems with high value Volume pots:
when you turn the volume control down a lot of hum/noise is introduced. This is because the amplifier input is becoming progressively unloaded and is effectively floating (like when the cable is not connected to your guitar) which results in hum/noise. 250K pots also exhibit this characteristic but not nearly to the same extent as 500K or 1Meg pots do. The higher the value the worse the problem becomes, it's part and parcel of high impedance circuitry. Also be aware that 1Meg ohm pots (and to a lesser degree 500K) have an unpleasant ramp-up characteristic that a lot of high-gain players won't like. When turning up from zero, instead of a smooth transition back to full volume there is an unpleasant turn-on transient or 'crack' as it comes off zero. The 1Meg pot (and to a lesser degree the 500K) just can't deliver a smooth ramp up, only a 250K pot can deliver the performance that many guitar players expect when violining or swelling from Zero."

Hurley · « **Reply #7 on:** January 04, 2007, 11:08:53 PM »

yeah iv done some more reading into it and im just going to stick with 500k! im going to try out those holvands caps as well excpet they cost 13pounds which is crazy

rain_dog · « **Reply #8 on:** January 05, 2007, 02:30:54 AM »

The musicaps or guitarcaps, not sure the difference.

So anyone have experience with delrin nuts and what the scoop on those is?

Hurley · « **Reply #9 on:** January 05, 2007, 10:19:33 AM »

Quote from: rain_dog

The musicaps or guitarcaps, not sure the difference.

So anyone have experience with delrin nuts and what the scoop on those is?

http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/shop/products.php?category=412

rain_dog · « **Reply #10 on:** January 05, 2007, 08:26:23 PM »

I guess I should clarify what I meant. Is there a difference between those musicaps from that link, and the hovland guitarcaps that rs sells? or is the only difference that they have the word guitar on the label?

Hurley · « **Reply #11 on:** January 05, 2007, 09:51:36 PM »

oh right sorry...hmm dunno i have never heard of hovland guitarcaps only Hovland MusiCaps.

Philly Q · « **Reply #12 on:** January 05, 2007, 10:04:13 PM »

Quote from: rain_dog

I guess I should clarify what I meant. Is there a difference between those musicaps from that link, and the hovland guitarcaps that rs sells? or is the only difference that they have the word guitar on the label?

This is what RS Guitarworks claim:

"FINALLY!!! A capacitor designed specifically for the electric guitar! An improved version of the famous Hovland Musicap. RS Guitarworks has contracted with Hovland to produce the world's FIRST capacitor manufactured specifically for electric guitar tone improvement! These caps are nearly half the size of the Hovland Musicap and have been engineered to produce a smoother roll-off while maintaining the incredible sound quality that the Hovland capacitors have become famous for! These RS Guitarcaps are available ONLY at RS Guitarworks!"

http://www.rsguitarworks.net/rsstore/product_info.php?cPath=45&products_id=180

Joe Dorcia · « **Reply #13 on:** January 10, 2007, 01:50:23 AM »

Since there are lots of posts bout pots, i'll chip in with the nut

Whats wrong with real bone? Its THE nut material in my opinion, because it is what has always been used, why change when it works perfectly.

Just my thought

Joe

rain_dog · « **Reply #14 on:** January 10, 2007, 06:05:13 AM »

Well it has a lot of natural dead spots, and tusq is supposed to be able to measurably resonate evenly without the individual characteristics and luck of the draw quality of natural bone. Also its self lubricating like graphite, and delrin.