Another Q about pots...Tele Custom content

markslade07

So I’ve had different people say different things about this so let’s get The Fretboard wisdom...

Ive got a partscaster Tele Custom recently put together with some great parts (SC Relics body, Allparts neck, Radioshop WR HB neck pickup, Fender Broadcaster bridge, Month’s pre-made loom). The loom/ wiring is 2xvol and 2xtone as per a LP.

The problem I have is the bridge pickup. The loom (as recommended by Montys) has 500k pots all round, but the bridge pickup now is really thin, weedy and bright. I have to have the tone on about 3 or it’s far too ice-picky. I used this Broadcaster p/u in another guitar and it didn’t sound like this. I’ve been back to Montys and they still recommend 500k all round, but I spoke to Radioshop who say that any SC pickup, they’d suggest 250k. 

So...I think I have 3 options.
1. Swap the pots on the bridge p/u to 250k (both? Just tone? Just vol?)
2. I’ve seen some mention of a resistor across the pots to make the bridge p/u ‘see’ a lower value (I may have this wrong)
3. Change the pickup for something more powerful

Im leaning towards 1. at the min as this makes most sense in my head, but any advice at all? I’d have to get someone to do this for me as basically I’m an idiot when it comes to this sort of thing so I just want to be sure what and why I’m asking.

SteveRobinson

Is the pickup *really* thin and weedy? If so you might have a broken coil. 

Can you check its DC resistance?

markslade07

Good question. Possibly not in the sense that it sounds broken, maybe just in comparison the the neck pickup, but I guess there is a chance. It was fine in my old guitar and essentially it was just swapped over, but I guess that doesn’t mean it’s not knackered. I have no way of testing it unfortunately...I really should learn some of this stuff! 

ICBM

You can check for a broken coil - select the bridge pickup alone and turn the tone control fully down. If it sounds normal, it’s fine. If it kills the volume completely, the coil is broken.

If the pickup is OK, you really need 250K pots with a Tele bridge pickup, but I would try the resistors first - on both volume and tone pots - as it’s the simplest and least expensive. If it gives you the right sound you can either leave it or change the pots if you prefer.

markslade07

Cheers @ICBM ..... I’ll give that a try later. What value resistors are best?

ICBM

markslade07 said:

Cheers @ICBM ..... I’ll give that a try later. What value resistors are best?

470K. Technically 510K is closer to 500K, but if anything you want to overdo the effect rather than underdo it, so I would just use 470K.

On the volume pot, connect between the two end terminals. On the tone pot, connect between the two that are already used.

rze99

My preferred solution to this is very simple. To use the pot that is right for the bridge pickup usually 250 and remove the humbucker from the tone circuit completely and set it quite low.  It gets the tone and balance right. That’s  what I do with all my s/H teles. 

markslade07

ICBM said:

markslade07 said:

Cheers @ICBM ..... I’ll give that a try later. What value resistors are best?

470K. Technically 510K is closer to 500K, but if anything you want to overdo the effect rather than underdo it, so I would just use 470K.

On the volume pot, connect between the two end terminals. On the tone pot, connect between the two that are already used.

Brill....cheers! 

Fuengi

I found 500k pots on a Tele way too bright, even with a Dynasonic pickup.