Changing potentiometer in pickup?

[Guitardude86]

I just stumbled across this on some random website.. Anyone here ever tried this? Is it advisable or is this guy talking out of his ass? Seems like a fairly simple operation though? I have no idea about these things so I thought I'd ask some qualified folks about it.

Copy of the text:

I tried this and it works very well:You can get a lot more gain from your pickups if you installa 1M potentiometer in place of the 250K that are currently installedin most electrics. Just unsolder the old volume control andinstall this one right in its place. This is great with humbuckers and hot single coils, but mightbe a bit too much for vintage single coil pickups.

[toejam]

Yes, 1 meg will give a little more gain than 500k and 250k, but it will also be brighter.

[Guitardude86]

Thanks for clearing that up

[Dreamland_Rebel]

the standard impedence goes:

250k for single coils
500k for humbukers
25k for EMG's

1meg for those that want more high end.
some people use 250k pots with the duncan JB to cut some highs.
its all really personal preference.

[jrnic]

Depending on the pickup, I've used 1 Meg pots with great success. I've found that Dimarzio Super Distortions sound better with the 1 Meg pot. Gives it more of an "EMG 81" type sound. But on the other hand, Duncan Distortions sound too bright with it, I use 500k ohm pots for them. It's really a matter of prefference and what sound you are looking for.

Rule of thumb (mine anyway)..........if the pickup is too "bassy" and not enough highs with a 500k try the 1 Meg pots.

[straycat]

rsguitarworks super pots work great and most are 550k + they give great response throughout the sweep.I have a 571k super pot in my bullseye strathead model 2 mutt.The pickup is a 74 DiMarzio super D and with this pot I get all the gain and sting I need, roll back the vol and get a buttery smooth fat overdriven sound.On the clean channel wide open you get a stratish bell like tone rolled back it get a real mellow and bluesy tone all without tweaking the amp or stomping on a pedal.Love the old DiMarzios.