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Topic: 1meg pot for vol? |
Ron Victoria
From:
New Jersey, USA
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Posted 26 Nov 2007 5:54 pm |
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I planned on using 500K pots on my lap project which will have a Duncan Lil '59 humbucker. Someone suggested I use a 1K pot for the vol. What do you think?
ron
Last edited by Ron Victoria on 28 Nov 2007 3:37 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Posted 26 Nov 2007 7:31 pm
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Ron,
I think that whoever told you that is crazy.
1k will present a VERY low impedance load to your pickup creating a serious case of tone-sucking. You'll lose all your highs and kill the sound. About the lowest value pot you could get away with may be 50k, and even that's way too low. You could try 250k, but I wouldn't go any lower than that. 1k is out of the question. 500k is still the right pot for a humbucker. Is it possible he said 1Meg and not 1K? That would make sense.
Brad |
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Ron Victoria
From:
New Jersey, USA
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Posted 27 Nov 2007 2:52 pm
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| I thought it sounded stupid. The guy says he builds laps, but now I wonder. |
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Don Poland
From:
Hanover, PA.
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Posted 27 Nov 2007 3:04 pm
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| Yeah, I'm guessing that he meant 1Meg and simply mis-spoke. |
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Ron Victoria
From:
New Jersey, USA
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Posted 28 Nov 2007 3:38 am
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Don, you are right, he did say use a 1 meg pot. Would this be a better choice than the 500K?
ron |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 28 Nov 2007 5:45 am
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Not better, just different. It'll be brighter sounding when "dimed", and more treble will be rolled off when you turn it down (unless a cap is installed to compensate).
Generally, on 6-string 250k volume pots are used for single coils;500k for humbuckers. The higher the impedance of the pickup, the higher the impedance of the volume pot to keep it from sounding muddy. Fender pedal steels, with single-coil pickups in the 9k range (similar to many 6-string 'buckers), use 1 meg pots and are usually very bright when turned all the way up with the "tone" control (really a treble rolloff control) also dimed.
So his recommendation will simply make the guitar brighter sounding. Personally, on lap steel that'd be counter-productive as far as I'm concerned, as I like a smooth, warm sound - especially if played with distortion..
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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