Help - Confused on Potentiometers and caps

[Freak]

Hi guys, i'm confused on what pots to use as vol and tone including the caps value on a SSH guitar (2 SC, 1 HB, 1 Vol and 1 Tone)

Needing your help please. Thanks in advance!

[Freak]

I understand that:

Single coils = 250k pots and 0.22mf caps
Humbuckers = 500k and 0.47mf caps

but what if its on SSH config having one vol and one tone only??? 

Need help so bad!

[rolexm]

I understand that:

Single coils = 250k pots and 0.22mf caps
Humbuckers = 500k and 0.47mf caps

but what if its on SSH config having one vol and one tone only??? 

Need help so bad!

Not sure about caps, best to send sir Mike a text.

But with my Strat I'm using 500k for volume, 250k for 2 tone knobs. Single coil but humbucking.

You could use either 250k or 500k for HSS but I think either will compliment one more than the other type of pickup.

[Freak]

thank you sir rolexm for the insights!

This thing really confuses me so bad. Needing more explanations and advice.

[spankyrigor]

0.022uF >> brighter
0.047uF >> rounder

500k pot >> brighter
250k pot >> rounder

high output >> rounder tone
lower output >> brighter tone

vintage wound single coils are lower output; therefore brighter >> needs a 250k pot + 0.047uF cap to tame the brightness.

humbuckers are higher output; therefore rounder >> needs a 500k pot + 0.022uF to offset the roundness.

Overwound single coils would behave like humbuckers (but with hum of course, unless noiseless), so I'd treat them the same way: 500k pot + 0.022uF cap.

Fender SSH strats I think use 250k + 0.047uF, because anything else would make the SC's too bright.
AFAIK many asian SSH guitars (Squier, Ibanez, Ibanez GIO) use 500k + 0.022uF. Stock pickups are usually a bit on the overwound side.

What guitar is it and what pickups are you using?

[Freak]

Wow thanks Sir spankyrigor, it is all getting clear unto me. Great share!

It is a MIJ ESP superstrat... planning to put DP-100 on bridge and two vintage sounding single coils on neck and middle.

What can you recommend Sir?

[bryanarzaga]

I understand that:

Single coils = 250k pots and 0.22mf caps
Humbuckers = 500k and 0.47mf caps

but what if its on SSH config having one vol and one tone only??? 

Need help so bad!

more than often SSH would be 500K with .022uf caps

[spankyrigor]

^^^

I agree. I have a guitar with Micsis at the moment, SSH config 1vol + 1tone. I'm doing the same thing.

As an option I've heard that you can wire a resistor(? not sure) in parallel with the SC's to further darken the sound a bit if you go the 500k/0.022uF route.

Or you can totally bypass the tone pot for the bridge position; bale for the SC's nalang yung tone pot.
That way you can maybe choose 250k/0.047uF for the neck/mid pickup without darkening the bridge HB too much.

[maxi_musikero]

0.022uF >> brighter
0.047uF >> rounder

500k pot >> brighter
250k pot >> rounder

high output >> rounder tone
lower output >> brighter tone

vintage wound single coils are lower output; therefore brighter >> needs a 250k pot + 0.047uF cap to tame the brightness.

humbuckers are higher output; therefore rounder >> needs a 500k pot + 0.022uF to offset the roundness.

Overwound single coils would behave like humbuckers (but with hum of course, unless noiseless), so I'd treat them the same way: 500k pot + 0.022uF cap.

best summary i've seen so far.  thanks for sharing! 

[Freak]

best summary i've seen so far.  thanks for sharing! 

I agree 

Or you can totally bypass the tone pot for the bridge position; bale for the SC's nalang yung tone pot.
That way you can maybe choose 250k/0.047uF for the neck/mid pickup without darkening the bridge HB too much.

This solved my confusion. Thanks Sir Spanky!

[maxi_musikero]

resurrecting this thread since it's related to what i want to know. 

for a tele with a humbucker neck pickup (alnico II) and tele bridge pickup (alnico V slightly hotter wound), what cap and pot values will you recommend?  this is for the standard tele 3-way switch with 1 vol and 1 tone control. 

[putchazta_46]

I asked the same question sa Stratocaster Thread hehe walang sumagot. Thanks TS for bringing the question here.