P90 p/u volume & tone control query

[Hendrixaxe66]

I'm in the process of constructing a tele partscaster with GSF Dream 90 humbucker sized P90s in the bridge & neck (reverse-wound) positions.

Question: Should I use 500k or 250k pots for volume & tone?

I have used the search function on many of the forums, but I can't find a definitive answer to this question.

Any ideas/advice please.

thanks

[JoeAArthur]

This may not be a definite answer either... I think you can go with either... 500K if you want more of a brighter sound.

I'm not using these... but the single coil pickups I am using are 7K for the neck and 9.6K for the bridge. I use 250K pots - but I have a switch position that disconnects the tone circuit for the bridge to get a brighter sound.

Your's are 8.2-8.4K... If you plan to go with one volume, one tone - either value should really be fine. If you're planning on a dual volume/tone setup - definitely go with the 500Ks.

Hope this helps.

[Jim.Collins]

Traditionally, P90s have been paired with 500K volume and tone pots. However, there is nothing that says that must be the case. With 500K pots, the guitar will sound a little brighter when everything is full on, and will lose some highs when you back off on the volume. With 250K pots, the guitar won't be as bright with everything full on, but it won't lose as many highs when you back off the volume. If I were the one building the guitar, I'd start with 500K pots, and see how it sounds. If it turned out to be a little on the bright side -- and certain wood combinations might do that -- I'd try 250K pots.

[Hendrixaxe66]

Originally Posted by Jim.Collins

With 500K pots, the guitar will sound a little brighter when everything is full on, and will lose some highs when you back off on the volume. With 250K pots, the guitar won't be as bright with everything full on, but it won't lose as many highs when you back off the volume. If I were the one building the guitar, I'd start with 500K pots, and see how it sounds. If it turned out to be a little on the bright side -- and certain wood combinations might do that -- I'd try 250K pots.

Originally Posted by JoeAArthur

If you plan to go with one volume, one tone - either value should really be fine. If you're planning on a dual volume/tone setup - definitely go with the 500Ks.

Hmmm ... a conundrum! I purchased a strat wiring set from GSF when I bought the P90s and other components for the partscaster. So I have one 500k pot (intended as the strat volume pot) and two 250k pots (intended as the strat tone pots).

Option 1: two 500k pots - can't do that with my current supplies, but happy to buy more components!
Option 2: two 250k pots - a possibility
Option 3: one 500k pot (vol?) and one 250k pot (tone?)

Which leads me to another question - I had intended to use one volume & one tone as per a standard telecaster. However, I had toyed with the idea of using two volumes and one tone (by drilling another pot hole in the control plate) but there's no reason why I shouldn't use twin concentric pots to give me individual vol/tone controls for both pickups.

I'm waiting for a delivery from Amazon "Guitar Electronics for Musicians" and "Make Your Own Electric Guitar" so I'll trawl through those when they arrive, but in the meantime any more dos/don'ts or other thoughts would be welcome.

thanks guys

[tjalla]

I have that setup in my thinline tele with a Harmonic Design Z90 neck and Jerry Donahue bridge, I think that should work quite nice for you - that way you can go both 250k or both 500k depending on what you hear.

fwiw, I think higher value pots do bring out more treble, but IMO its a more immediate pick attack (or even spike) that what makes the sound appear bright.

Cheers,
Trevor

[tjalla]

I have the feeling that you'd get a good sound using two vol knobs, no tone controls - without the tone pots loading down the signal, you'd have quite a lively guitar in your hands. I'd go the 500k on the neck and the 250k on the bridge to even out the inherent treble responses.

Wired with a 3 way switch, where you could blend in different shades of each pup. Like on a Les Paul

Of course, no "woman tone" without the tone controls...

[Hendrixaxe66]

Thanks for the comments & advice.

I'll be blowing the cobwebs from my soldering iron very soon, so I'll let you know how I get on.

I guess I was hoping to get the definitive answer and only have to solder in one set of pots, but I realise now that sonically one man's meat is another man's poisson (that's a linguistic pun, not a typo!!)