A Guitar And Gear Support Forum

I know we have some really knowledgeable folks here, both musically and electronically. Most people who swap pickups will at least know that "single coil strats/teles use 250k pots, while humbucker LP's get 500k pots", but I remember something about Gretsch guitars using 1Meg pots and that it is perhaps a part of the famous chimey twang.

Can some of you guys share how this works practically? More specifically, this is in context of putting filtertrons, dynasonics, P90's (and maybe GFS Dream/Mean/Surf 90's) in guitars like SJM/Liquid (in my case) or even a cheap hollowbody or LP style guitar, to sort of replicate that tone. I am wondering if I am losing out with 500k pots?

Each & every Gretsch guitar that I do now or have in the past owned came from Gretsch with 500k pots in them
I have never replaced a pot in a Gretsch guitar.

Thank you, I must've been misled (or misled myself)

I agree that 500K is supposed to be normal. I have a Supertron in my tele's neck that has no tone control for the neck (500k volume only) and I have say that isn't too dark. I found Cabronitas without tone controls a bit too bright, so I'd think 1 meg would be worse (i.e., a 1 meg volume pot).

I've also come across people praising 550k pots. Any thoughts on those vs. the familiar 500k? The concept seems interesting - "a smidgen more".

For Dynas, which offer a lot of bottom, you might like 1Meg pots, which shunt less high end to ground, and therefore may allow for some high end sparkle with the pots wide open (some folks find the sound of this configuration too bright, YMMV). As for Filters, A500K pots are what (all) modern Gretsch guitars ship with, and also what TV Jones recommends for his aftermarket replacements.

Lacking Talent wrote: ↑Tue Aug 25, 2020 6:34 pm For Dynas, which offer a lot of bottom, you might like 1Meg pots, which shunt less high end to ground, and therefore may allow for some high end sparkle with the pots wide open (some folks find the sound of this configuration too bright, YMMV). As for Filters, A500K pots are what (all) modern Gretsch guitars ship with, and also what TV Jones recommends for his aftermarket replacements.

What do you think about 550k? Any experience? It seems like the same thing (500k) with an extra "edge" or another notch as it were

Every pot has a +- tolerance (the amount varies by brand with more expensive brands advertising tighter tolerances). If you had a pile of 500K pots, some might test with a value of 550K. If you want brighter and a bit loader you could try a no-load pot on your tone control. You'd definitely notice that. It's not for everybody but Cabronitas typically have no tone control and would sound reasonably close to what you'd expect a guitar with a no load tone to have.

golem wrote: ↑Tue Aug 25, 2020 9:19 pm Every pot has a +- tolerance (the amount varies by brand with more expensive brands advertising tighter tolerances). If you had a pile of 500K pots, some might test with a value of 550K. If you want brighter and a bit loader you could try a no-load pot on your tone control. You'd definitely notice that. It's not for everybody but Cabronitas typically have no tone control and would sound reasonably close to what you'd expect a guitar with a no load tone to have.

Most pots have a 20% tolerance rating, thus you are apt to find pots as high as 600k in that pile. Not that you'd notice in normal use.

mickey wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2020 10:16 am

golem wrote: ↑Tue Aug 25, 2020 9:19 pm Every pot has a +- tolerance (the amount varies by brand with more expensive brands advertising tighter tolerances). If you had a pile of 500K pots, some might test with a value of 550K. If you want brighter and a bit loader you could try a no-load pot on your tone control. You'd definitely notice that. It's not for everybody but Cabronitas typically have no tone control and would sound reasonably close to what you'd expect a guitar with a no load tone to have.

Most pots have a 20% tolerance rating, thus you are apt to find pots as high as 600k in that pile. Not that you'd notice in normal use.

Yeah... I didn't know what normal was. I know I've seen complaints from people on TGP with Gibson pots finding pots that say 500K and measuring near 250K. And that, I thought, was supposed to be extremely out of spec.

I'm sure I saw a video of a company of high-end audio equipment that tested the value of every pot and resistor they put into their products to make sure it was in spec and mentioned that it added to the cost as well as it being MIA, but that extra commitment to quality was what people were paying for. I don't know if I could tell the difference, but they were claiming they could.

mickey wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2020 10:16 am
Most pots have a 20% tolerance rating, thus you are apt to find pots as high as 600k in that pile. Not that you'd notice in normal use.

Mickey, so with this, is it somewhat worth maybe getting 550k pots? I don't know if they cost a premium, I haven't really looked yet.

Gear_Junky wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2020 1:39 pm

mickey wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2020 10:16 am
Most pots have a 20% tolerance rating, thus you are apt to find pots as high as 600k in that pile. Not that you'd notice in normal use.

Mickey, so with this, is it somewhat worth maybe getting 550k pots? I don't know if they cost a premium, I haven't really looked yet.

If you buy a 500k pot with a 20% tolerance, anything from 400 to 600 k is in spec. I seriously doubt that you would hear any difference from any in spec pot.
Of course, I don't know if you can tell the difference between any two corks you sniff.

mickey wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2020 1:46 pm If you buy a 500k pot with a 20% tolerance, anything from 400 to 600 k is in spec. I seriously doubt that you would hear any difference from any in spec pot.
Of course, I don't know if you can tell the difference between any two corks you sniff.

Thank you, sir. That helps me put things in proper context. Even with my whisky exploits I don't claim to have any extraordinary abilities, much less with music. Sniffing corks is for oenophiles (wine connoisseurs)

This is why this board was always so great - the helpful info from knowledgeable people. Speaking of which, I posted a question for you (and others) at the Amp Talk section (about 60-cycle hum and EMI filters)

Gear_Junky wrote: ↑Tue Aug 25, 2020 9:13 pm

Lacking Talent wrote: ↑Tue Aug 25, 2020 6:34 pm For Dynas, which offer a lot of bottom, you might like 1Meg pots, which shunt less high end to ground, and therefore may allow for some high end sparkle with the pots wide open (some folks find the sound of this configuration too bright, YMMV). As for Filters, A500K pots are what (all) modern Gretsch guitars ship with, and also what TV Jones recommends for his aftermarket replacements.

What do you think about 550k? Any experience? It seems like the same thing (500k) with an extra "edge" or another notch as it were

Well, I don't think I could tell the difference between those two!

All the differences we're talking about herein are fairly subtle, BTW, especially when taking into account varying component tolerances as discussed upthread, the unique way in which each of us perceives sound (i.e., deficiencies we might have anywhere across the audio spectrum), and particularly if one plays in a band context.

Lacking Talent wrote: ↑Tue Aug 25, 2020 6:34 pm For Dynas, which offer a lot of bottom, you might like 1Meg pots, which shunt less high end to ground, and therefore may allow for some high end sparkle with the pots wide open (some folks find the sound of this configuration too bright, YMMV). As for Filters, A500K pots are what (all) modern Gretsch guitars ship with, and also what TV Jones recommends for his aftermarket replacements.

Too bright is a funny concept for a guitar with a treble bleed type tone control. Why is it not standard that everything starts off too bright then just roll tone back to 7 or 5? I did this with my sx ltd strat. 500k pots, I think, and only good for reggae. I finally roll the tone back and there it is. A very nice quack y tone. Hey there mod guys. My trick mod was turning tone to 7. Once again planning can pay off sometime in the future but laziness pays off RIGH NOW.