Correct resistance for pots with EMG pickups? Not 150k and 500k?

ToneControl

I just got a guitar with EMGs
The volume pot is 150k
Tone pot is 500k

It loses a lot of treble as you turn the volume down
And the tone control only works between zero and 1, and then nothing more

I read that 25k for both is the correct value, and that the volume would lose treble like a normal passive volume control if a higher resistance is used

Should I complain / replace these?

ICBM

Yes. They’re meant to be 25K (log).

ToneControl

ICBM said:

Yes. They’re meant to be 25K (log).

ta

Funkfingers

At various times, Seymour Duncan has supplied anything from 25 to 100k. The latter was with the long-discontinued Active EQ series bass guitar pickups with the little built-in switches.

The solderless™ pots supplied with EMG HZ high impedance pickups look outwardly similar to the 25k ones. 

ToneControl

ToneControl said:

ICBM said:

Yes. They’re meant to be 25K (log).

ta

the volume pot goes up a bit in resistance at the centre of travel, I assume the circuit preceding it is having an effect

I reckon I should return it, thanks for the advice

ToneControl

Funkfingers said:

At various times, Seymour Duncan has supplied anything from 25 to 100k. The latter was with the long-discontinued Active EQ series bass guitar pickups with the little built-in switches.

The solderless™ pots supplied with EMG HZ high impedance pickups look outwardly similar to the 25k ones. 

It's a Harley Benton upmarket guitar, about £450 - so very well made but I think the guys working on my one did not know what spec pot to use

FelineGuitars

If the guitar is good - get a couple of 25k  pots and get it sorted

ToneControl

FelineGuitars said:

If the guitar is good - get a couple of 25k  pots and get it sorted

how much would it cost to get that done professionally?

ICBM

So this is a new Harley Benton, which comes with EMGs but completely wrong pot values?

Why would they do that? Presumably they must have a job lot of spare pots they need to use up... since the purchase price of new ones isn’t dependant on the resistance value.

It does show the possible pitfalls of cheap guitars, despite being amazing value for money in most ways.

ToneControl said:

how much would it cost to get that done professionally?

Probably about £30 to £50 depending on who does it. There’s roughly half an hour to an hour’s work and up to a tenner in parts.

ToneControl

ICBM said:

So this is a new Harley Benton, which comes with EMGs but completely wrong pot values?

Why would they do that? Presumably they must have a job lot of spare pots they need to use up... since the purchase price of new ones isn’t dependant on the resistance value.

It does show the possible pitfalls of cheap guitars, despite being amazing value for money in most ways.

ToneControl said:

how much would it cost to get that done professionally?

Probably about £30 to £50 depending on who does it. There’s roughly half an hour to an hour’s work and up to a tenner in parts.

I'm guessing that the guys on the production line in Indonesia are not familiar with EMGs, and just used the standard alpha pots

I like everything else about the guitar, other than it has a near-matt finish. The website said satin, I'd prefer gloss really, but the photo looked OK. Says flamed maple veneer, but there is no 3D appearance

this is the Thomann website photo

ICBM

ToneControl said:

I'm guessing that the guys on the production line in Indonesia are not familiar with EMGs, and just used the standard alpha pots

Except that 150K is not a standard value for any guitar.

ToneControl

ICBM said:

ToneControl said:

I'm guessing that the guys on the production line in Indonesia are not familiar with EMGs, and just used the standard alpha pots

Except that 150K is not a standard value for any guitar.

I know, so either that is a mistake, or inaccurate because of the fact that I measured the resistance of the pot in circuit, I have not unsoldered it. I was guessing that the pickup impedance brings the total down

These EMG pickups are 3k output impedance should the impedance be around 3k across the volume pot?

ICBM

ToneControl said:

I know, so either that is a mistake, or inaccurate because of the fact that I measured the resistance of the pot in circuit, I have not unsoldered it. I was guessing that the pickup impedance brings the total down

These EMG pickups are 3k output impedance should the impedance be around 3k across the volume pot?

No, it doesn't work like that with active pickups. When there's no power it should measure effectively open circuit, so you will read the pot resistance... unless these are different from normal. Possible.

Do the pots have any marking?

WezV

ToneControl said:

 Says flamed maple veneer, but there is no 3D appearance

this is the Thomann website photo

Does yours look like that?   

They have done a black stain on the veneer. This can make the flame look more defined, but kills any chatoyancy the wood had.   Edit, if the wood has less figure, it can just look muddy

ToneControl

WezV said:

ToneControl said:

 Says flamed maple veneer, but there is no 3D appearance

this is the Thomann website photo

Does yours look like that?   

They have done a black stain on the veneer. This can make the flame look more defined, but kills any chatoyancy the wood had.   Edit, if the wood has less figure, it can just look muddy

It looks less shiny and darker than that photo.
 I took some photos, they all look brighter and have more contrast than when you are looking at the guitar.
Compared to a gloss maple veneer of the same colour, it remind me of a colour inkjet printout on plain paper.

WezV

i think it will always look like that with a finish like this.

ToneControl

WezV said:

i think it will always look like that with a finish like this.

I can believe it. It's not awful, I just think gloss would look better

Funkfingers

The H-B Amarok specification states EMG Retro-active Hot 70s open-bobbin humbuckers. 

2 x A25k pots. 

In aftermarket pairs, the Solderless™  tone control is the 4-pin Passive version.

If you are changing the pots yourself, get the active 5-pin VLPF. Apart from anything else, this could easily be changed to an -SPC mid booster or one of the level booster accessories.

ICBM

Funkfingers said:

The H-B Amarok

Amarok?

I hope they paid Mike Oldfield for that...

Funkfingers

The Amarok series consists of seven string and 27" scale baritone six string Rawk beasts. 

My two penn'orth is that H-B has never heard of Oldfield.

ToneControl

Funkfingers said:

The H-B Amarok specification states EMG Retro-active Hot 70s open-bobbin humbuckers. 

2 x A25k pots. 

In aftermarket pairs, the Solderless™  tone control is the 4-pin Passive version.

If you are changing the pots yourself, get the active 5-pin VLPF. Apart from anything else, this could easily be changed to an -SPC mid booster or one of the level booster accessories.

I can see what you mean but this is a baritone, so if anything, the scoop EXG  EQ would produce some additional usable sounds I suspect?
It's very growly with no EQ