Hum + Singlecoil with one pot trick

[fdesalvo]

I learned something from my last amp build that I was able to apply to the guitar I just built.  It solves this problem:

You have a Single/Hum pickup configuration, but only one volume pot.  Your humbucker wants to see 500K Ohms while your singlecoil wants 250K Ohms.  What do you do?    :dontknow:

Why, you employ your friendly neighborhood voltage divider is what you do!  Without going into Ohm's law or any other physics hibbity-jibbity, you simply:

1.  Remove your control cavity cover.
2.  Locate the solder lug on the pickup selector switch that's occupied by the singlecoil's hot lead
3.  Solder a 500K Ohm resistor from this lug to ground.
      A.  1/4 watt - 1/2 watt will do.  I used a 460K resistor I found lying about.
4.  Close her up and enjoy!  :icon_biggrin:

Voila!  Your single coil will now automatically see ~250K Ohms every time you select it.  Your other pickups will see the same resistance as before. 

 

[line6man]

People make way too much of pot values. It's not a big deal.

 

[fdesalvo]

The kinman I have doesnt work well with  500k pots, but the general rule is its best to use your ears and judge.  Most of them are 10%+ off anyway.

 

[stubhead]

Most of them are 10%+ off anyway

You've led a charmed life. I started measuring every one several years back, and in that time I've had one that was over - a 500K that measured about 530. On the other hand I've seen so many of them that were under 200 for 250's and under 400 for 500's that I just stopped buying 250s. And this was pots from Warmoth, and CTS and Alphas and all, not tiny "discount" pots. There's an easy way to lower pot values, and since capacitors are additive in parallel, you can keep fine tuning a circuit's center frequency downwards, if you built it a little bright to start. I try to intentionally think of guitars as "works-in-progress", because that's how you can get better. And for the most part, you can't judge your own sound while you're in the middle of making it, you need to record yourself.

http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/potm.htm

 

[fdesalvo]

Meh.  I've never had to record myself to tweak my guitars or amps.  My short term memory suffices - especially if the tone was particularly strident in the highs as it was with that 500k.

 

[Dan025]

meh, you could do what i did and use the tone pot as half the load for the single coil p/up. it also gives the tone a wider range since the cap gets completely shunted in the "10" position..

 

[fdesalvo]

I've got no tone pots

 

[Dan025]

a ha, i get it.

 

[fdesalvo]

Bazinga!  ccasion14:

 

[ZionWarmoth]

Neat trick with EVH or TV20 guitar types (Volume only pot)!!!!

 

[Strat Avenger]

I like 500k pots for all pickups.