LP Wiring harness idea

[Wallaby]

I'm using a new wiring harness that I assembled over the weekend. It's straightforward and for 2 PAF-style pickups

2x 500k vintage taper volume pots
2x 500k vintage taper tone pots
2x .022 capacitors

I am *always* looking for ways to retain clarity and eliminate mud in the neck pickup, but found that the .015 I was using previously was just too little, so I swapped back to a .022 cap for the neck.

All is well in those regards.

I would like to eliminate some of the super-crispy fizzy high end on both pickups permanently. I know I can just turn the tone down, but since I would *always* turn it down I think I'd like to exchange the 500k vintage taper tone pots for 250k audio taper tone pots.

I'd also like the taper to be a little less gradual when turning down the tone controls - right now the peak doesn't shift until around 4 on the dial on both pickups.

Pickup resistances are about 7.2k neck and 8.2k bridge.

So I'd end up with this

2x 500k vintage taper volume pots
2x 250k audio taper volume pots
2x .022 capacitors

I'm interested in any thoughts on this?

Thanks!

 

[SixStringSlinger]

The best starting point for messing with the taper on your tone pots is to try different cap values.

So far as fizzy high end you always want to be rid of, measure your pots' value. It may be stated as 500k but the tolerance is often within 10% and possibly even 20%, so you could conceivably have pots that are called 500k but measure 600k. Regardless of what they actually measure, you may want to try pots with a lower value and not assume that one 500k is the same as another 500k, or that one 250k is the same as another 250k, etc.

All this is assuming that you have your pickups heights sorted out. A free "mod" that can work wonders.

So I'd say try pickup heights first (including the relationship between pole height and whole-pickup height), then caps, then pots as needed.

 

[Wallaby]

Thanks!

Pot values are all measured and known and in the right range, pickup heights are sorted out.

I'm really asking specifically about the effect of switching to a 250k tone pot. Moving from a 30% to a 10% taper on the tone pot should help the move the area of audible change closer to the beginning of the sweep regardless of the value of the capacitor, no?

 

[Freeman Keller]

It is worth while going down about half way on this page and watching (and listening to) each of the clips

http://www.annarborguitars.com/styled-4/index.html

 

[Wallaby]

That's useful!

 

[FenderGyrl]

300K Hot Pots from GFS