Volume/tone pots:Worth changing?

  • Thread starter Thread starter acidrock
  • Start date Start date
acidrock

acidrock

GO PACKERS!
I just bought a cheap guitar and I intend to change the pickups,but I was wondering if there was any value in changing the pots for better tone or less noise?


Also,the guitar is an Ibanez Jet King and I'm thinking about putting in Dimarzio pickups.I have an Epiphone with a SD JB pickup and I want something a little heavier,classic rock like,but not metalish.The guitar has coil tap switches so you've got to be able to wire it accordingly.


Any input would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
acid.
 
acidrock said:
I just bought a cheap guitar and I intend to change the pickups,but I was wondering if there was any value in changing the pots for better tone or less noise?
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Not really. Are they scratchy? They probably just need a shot iof compressed air.
 
Outlaws said:
Not really. Are they scratchy? They probably just need a shot iof compressed air.
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No,just wondering if stock tone pots were crappy or affected your overall tone in any way that would make them worth changing.
 
acidrock said:
No,just wondering if stock tone pots were crappy or affected your overall tone in any way that would make them worth changing.
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No, not generally. Now the value of the pot might be of interest, but that is really going overboard unless you already understand why you would want to change the value.
 
On the other hand, good pots give you much smoother transitions from loud to soft, from bright to dark, without cutouts or snaps and crackles. Be sure to shield your guitar while you've got it apart. :cool:
 
kid klash said:
On the other hand, good pots give you much smoother transitions from loud to soft, from bright to dark, without cutouts or snaps and crackles. Be sure to shield your guitar while you've got it apart. :cool:
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What kind of 'good pots' are you using? The ones for guitars are like $1-3 tops. ($5-7 if they come in a fancy 'Gibson' package.)

There are some HiFi stereo pots, but those things are like $20-50 each...and I don't believe they will fit in a guitar without modifications.
 
Outlaws said:
What kind of 'good pots' are you using? The ones for guitars are like $1-3 tops. ($5-7 if they come in a fancy 'Gibson' package.)

There are some HiFi stereo pots, but those things are like $20-50 each...and I don't believe they will fit in a guitar without modifications.
Click to expand...

Most of the OEM stuff from the big name guitar manufacturers is usually just the same stuff they use when building the guitar, nothing more.

You can get really good, smooth, quiet, high-grade potentiometers through electronic component dealers and distributors in most big towns and cities. Radar Electronics is well known in PDX, as an example.

You just need to know what to ask for. ;)
 
Most manufacturers, particularly overseas manufacturers, use crappy pots. There is no difference in tone, however. The difference is in how long the pots will last. A CTS or Dimarzio pot will last quite a bit longer, but there will be no sound difference.

Personally, pots are cheap enough (we charge $6 a piece) that I don't really see much reason NOT to put in good ones, but it is up to you. If you are hard on pots, you are going to use them up either way, so you may as well run the tred off the ones you've got first, and then change them.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
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