Dull SL2H!!!

[Gibsonmac]

Are JBs bright? maybe a custom is bright, but a JB?

JB's are extremely bright and brittle, that is why they are often paired with a 250k

[Chad]

Do all SL1s and SL2s come with 500K volume and 250K tone?

[laurens]

Perhaps you tried it already and i don't know whether your SL2H is brand new or second hand, but here it goes: a) clean it up first, remove dust between switches/controls and put on some new strings. Perhaps get a bright brand (e.g. GHS or D'addario); b) check whether the tone controls are working at all (do you hear a difference when you turn the knob?); c) open it up and check the wiring (is everything connected); if that hasn't worked d) check your pick up height (move it closer to the strings step by step). My SL2H was never dull.

[Chad]

To the OP: before switching pots, I'd try just disconnecting the tone control. This can be done in a matter of seconds with a soldering iron. See if that sounds better. If so, then consider changing the pots or if you never use the tone control, then just leave the tone pot disconnected.

Also, as mentioned, JB pickups are very picky about pickup height. There is a point when you get within say 2/32" to 3/32" or so that very slight adjustments make a pretty big difference in sound.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Sounds like MartinB:ROTF:

Except for the bright part.

(Sorry dude, couldn't resist the cheap shot... )

Do all SL1s and SL2s come with 500K volume and 250K tone?

Yes.

So, because of this thread I got to thinking about how the Custom doesn't sound so hot in my SL1, but it sounds so good in my Charvels... And if maybe I had a 250K tone pot in there... :think:

Yeah, about 5 minutes waiting for the soldering iron to heat up, and pulled the wire from the 5-way output to the tone control and there you go. Now it sounds like a Custom, instead of a Custom without any treble.

I don't think the JB is that bright. I mean, it's brighter than a Custom but it's not ridiculously bright, and in a warmer instrument it will help it cut through. :dunno:

[Jaxcharvel]

So here is my next question: Should i get a 500k pot installed, or just bypass it all together? I don't want it to be too damn shrill, i just want some life out of it.

[Mazrim]

I've deliberately used a tone pot about twice in my 20 years of playing and that was just fucking about with clean tones.

Either I'm a philistine or they're not that important. I play metal and shred though so altering the tone on shitloads of gain isnt going to make a huge difference.

In other news, I've played plenty of brighter pick ups than a JB. Certainly its a good match in my KV2 and San Dimas guitars although I had to take one out of an ESP Horizon as it was too fizzy.

Try bypassing the pot first. Then if you cant do without it, re-solder it and get a 500k pot. If neither works, get a different pup. Maybe an EVOII, BKP Painkiller or something like that.
If that doesnt work, you've somehow got a balsawood SL2H, which I find hard to believe.

[roodyrocker]

I've deliberately used a tone pot about twice in my 20 years of playing and that was just fucking about with clean tones.

Either I'm a philistine or they're not that important. I play metal and shred though so altering the tone on shitloads of gain isnt going to make a huge difference.

In other news, I've played plenty of brighter pick ups than a JB. Certainly its a good match in my KV2 and San Dimas guitars although I had to take one out of an ESP Horizon as it was too fizzy.

Try bypassing the pot first. Then if you cant do without it, re-solder it and get a 500k pot. If neither works, get a different pup. Maybe an EVOII, BKP Painkiller or something like that.
If that doesnt work, you've somehow got a balsawood SL2H, which I find hard to believe.

He already mentioned that he would like to put BKP Nailkbombs in it so no need for the Painkiller in it I have a Painkiller in my Charvel and it is a very clean sounding distortion pickup, may not be what he's looking for. Anyway, I have several Soloists, many of them with the stock JB, none of them sound dull. So I would tend to agree with others who said check the wiring for something messed up, bad pot, put new strings on it, adjust the pick up height, etc... Another thing to try is if you have another JB maybe swap it in and see if that makes a difference. Maybe something wrong with that particular JB in the guitar currently?

[Riffmeister]

+1 on the never using the tone knob. I ditched it for a seperate neck pup vol and it is more useful than the tone.

Man, Both my sl2s' were way bright with ANY duncan in them.

[Forrest]

Newbie question: the pot still significantly affects the sound when it's all the way up?

I've been debating removing the tone pot on one of my soloists to see if it helps my picking technique improve any...I've always had issues with my fingers hitting the volume pot when palm muting the high strings. Not huge issues, but still. Maybe it would help.

I am happy with the tone, though, I don't want to change it by removing the tone pot.

[Chad]

Newbie question: the pot still significantly affects the sound when it's all the way up?

I've been debating removing the tone pot on one of my soloists to see if it helps my picking technique improve any...I've always had issues with my fingers hitting the volume pot when palm muting the high strings. Not huge issues, but still. Maybe it would help.

I am happy with the tone, though, I don't want to change it by removing the tone pot.

It depends. With a 250K tone pot, it affects the sound quite a bit even when on 10. With a 1meg tone pot, not so much. This thread goes into this topic much deeper:

http://www.jcfonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103877

Beyond that, at some point a person just has to stop reading and start experimenting. No need to completely rewire your guitar. Just take a minute and unsolder the connections to the tone pot to see if you like the sound without it. Then let that guide you where to go next.

[Mazrim]

He already mentioned that he would like to put BKP Nailkbombs in it so no need for the Painkiller in it I have a Painkiller in my Charvel and it is a very clean sounding distortion pickup, may not be what he's looking for. Anyway, I have several Soloists, many of them with the stock JB, none of them sound dull. So I would tend to agree with others who said check the wiring for something messed up, bad pot, put new strings on it, adjust the pick up height, etc... Another thing to try is if you have another JB maybe swap it in and see if that makes a difference. Maybe something wrong with that particular JB in the guitar currently?

Clean sounding? You mean good seperation? Yeah, all BK Pups have that I find but the Painkiller has more punch and bite than a Nailbomb in my experience. I have one in a WR1 and its a perfect match. The Nailbomb probably is more like a JB than the Painkiller, more versatile.
Whatever happens, if you're going BK put a Cold Sweat in the neck. God damn, that's a great neck pick up.

I agree that there shouldn't be any problem with the stock JB though. Some people prefer other pups but they shouldn't sound dull.

[Rich#6]

Newbie question: the pot still significantly affects the sound when it's all the way up?

I've been debating removing the tone pot on one of my soloists to see if it helps my picking technique improve any...I've always had issues with my fingers hitting the volume pot when palm muting the high strings. Not huge issues, but still. Maybe it would help.

I am happy with the tone, though, I don't want to change it by removing the tone pot.

If you don't use the tone at all and leave it all the way up you can always move the volume back and leave the tone pot connected but inside the control cavity and use a plug for the hole.

[Tonelover]

I may be stating the obvious, but it's worth messing around with your amp settings too. I had my amp set just the way I liked it for my main guitar, then got a new Les Paul in and couldn't believe how flat and muddy it sounded. I almost went to change the pickups and even considered selling it, but first tweaked the amp controls a little and fixed the issue up in jiffy.

[markD]

i put a fender TBX control in my SL2H and was very happy with the result. i kept the stock pickups and it sounded perfect. plus with the TBX, i could cut have either more bass, more treble, or keep the pot in the middle and have it like there was no tone control at all. very cool thing....