Someone tell me what I should do...

[xenophobe]

Overall, I'm not really happy with the sound coming out of my strat. It's got 2 500k pots, two capacitors and well, you can see for yourself:

Here's how it's wired, 2h, 1v, 1t, 3w switch:


I saw this at stewmac and thought it might achieve what I want... more gain, more distortion, etc...

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Components:_Black_Ice_overdrive.html

It's got a 500k pot, should I try replacing that first, or? I'd really like to leave the stock pickups in it if possible, though I am considering a Dimarzio SD for the bridge.

Yes, I'm absolutely clueless about guitar wiring, so any help would definitely be appreciated.

[javert]

I'm guessing this is for two hums? Hmmm, what are the pots supposed to do here? And why do you have two caps there? You could start by following the standard wiring according to, for example, Seymour Duncan's wiring diagrams for two humbuckers, one tone pot and one volume pot..

[xenophobe]

Yeah, it's for 2 hums. Sorry. They're both Jackson pickups... Volume on the left, tone on the right.

[Newc]

I see no reason for the 2nd cap. Could be a treble bleed mod or it could be cutting the 500K to 250K. Hard to tell from the pics. Lose the one on the bottom of the image and see what it sounds like.

[xenophobe]

The cap you're talking about is connected to pin 1 and 2 of the pot, but yeah, I'll cut one of those and see what it does.

My apologies for being an idiot about this shit. I'm really clueless and need my hand held.

[RobRR]

Honestly I would just unhook the tone pot all together... let those pickups really breathe.

[JACKSONFREAK]

Yeah lose the cap on the volume pot. Move the other cap to the right lug of tone pot and ground it to chassis connect the tone and vol by running a wire from left lug of vol to center lug of tone. That should help.
Gil

[DonP]

Overall, I'm not really happy with the sound coming out of my strat. It's got 2 500k pots, two capacitors and well, you can see for yourself:

Here's how it's wired, 2h, 1v, 1t, 3w switch:


I saw this at stewmac and thought it might achieve what I want... more gain, more distortion, etc...

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Components:_Black_Ice_overdrive.html

It's got a 500k pot, should I try replacing that first, or? I'd really like to leave the stock pickups in it if possible, though I am considering a Dimarzio SD for the bridge.

Yes, I'm absolutely clueless about guitar wiring, so any help would definitely be appreciated.

You never said why you are not happy about your sound. I wouldn't start chopping up stuff until you first understand what you don't like and then have a good idea of what mods will take you in the right direction.

[rdamaral]

Follow the diagram on the SD site. The one on the stewmac site is a little different.

I just wired one the way on the SD site, and it sounds fine. I used one cap also.

[javert]

I use the Seymour Duncan standard wirings on all my guitars.

[straycat]

I agree loose the treble bleed cap on the vol pot first off its choking the pick ups.(lower cap in pic).
Unsolder the top cap from the vol pot and move that end and ground it to the top of the tone pot.
Top lug on the tone pot ground it to the pot itself.
guitarelectronics.com is a great tool.

[RacerX]

i agree loose the treble bleed cap

unleash it?

[xenophobe]

The top capacitor is wired both to the top of the volume pot and to the lug underneath it. What should I do with that?

So, I'll remove the bottom cap completely. At least everyone is agreeing on that.

I want more gain... more distortion out of the bridge pickup. It's just too mellow as it is. I always used to cover it up using a stomp box, but I shouldn't need it.

Yeah lose the cap on the volume pot. Move the other cap to the right lug of tone pot and ground it to chassis connect the tone and vol by running a wire from left lug of vol to center lug of tone. That should help.
Gil

This is why I usually just pay someone to do something like this. Apparently there is no "right" way of doing this. :\

The right lug, is that looking towards the tone pot, or from the center of the tone pot? Sorry I noob. :<

You never said why you are not happy about your sound. I wouldn't start chopping up stuff until you first understand what you don't like and then have a good idea of what mods will take you in the right direction.

I already stated I wanted more gain and distortion out of it.

I agree loose the treble bleed cap on the vol pot first off its choking the pick ups.(lower cap in pic).
Unsolder the top cap from the vol pot and move that end and ground it to the top of the tone pot.
Top lug on the tone pot ground it to the pot itself.
guitarelectronics.com is a great tool.

So take the top cap, remove it from the volume+lug. So that cap will be from the tone center lug to the top? Sorry, I just want to make positive what you're saying.

[84sups]

I would wire it the way Seymour Duncan's site says to do it. The the tone cap doesn't seem right to me. It seems like it could always be on even when it's at "10". I could be wrong though

[DonP]

I already stated I wanted more gain and distortion out of it.

Pickups do not have gain or distortion. You want more output.

1. Maximum output: Wire the pickup straight to the output jack.

2. Little less: Use a 1Meg volume only

3. If yyou really need a tone, look into Fender's no-load pots. When you turn them to 10 they disconnect the tone from the output.