RS Guitarworks electronic kit

[RacerX]

OK, so straycat is constantly suggesting this

Might I suggest an rsguitarworks pot upgrade kit? You already have great pickups in there so get a kit and open those Duncans and let them breathe.

But

You sure the DK2M's SD's are 4 conductor? The ones that come in SL2H's aren't (or at least they weren't before) so why would the DK2M have 4 conductor instead? What exactly is an RS kit? Thanks!

Lot of us don't know what it is?

I found their new selection chart

http://www.rsguitarworks.net/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=42&Itemid=1

Notice it doesn't have Jackson on there

and the online store section:

http://www.rsguitarworks.net/rsstore/index.php?cPath=31&osCsid=309dbab767f9b05658f3c3c0dcf7ba04

OK I clicked on one and it has all the explanations:

http://www.rsguitarworks.net/rsstore/product_info.php?cPath=31&products_id=107

Who this kit is for:

Anyone who is tired of not being able to use the controls on your guitar effectively. This kit is also great for those who are tired of losing tone and note-definition every time they roll their control past 8!! This kit is designed for all Les Paul Jr.® style guitars, no matter what the pickup combination is.
What this is:

For years, guitar manufacturers have chosen to cut corners on the electronics they have used, even in their top-of-the-line guitars. This kit is designed to utilize the best electronic components possible in your guitar. This kit is the culmination of thousands of hours of research and development into different guitar electronics and how each of them affects the overall tone of the guitar.
What's in the kit:

(1) 500K RS Short-Shaft Superpots- We designed these pots in conjunction with CTS. Used for the volume controls in the kit, these pots have a custom taper that gives you a noticeable difference between each number on your volume control. You can finally roll your volume down to 2 or 1 and not loose any clarity, even in the neck position!! Mil-spec construction and a smoother resistor path make this the best pot to ever be used in the guitar.
(1) 500K CTS Short-Shaft Audio taper pots- Audio taper pots work great for tone controls. With that in mind, we had CTS improve their stock audio taper pot by using brass shaft construction (brass is much more resilient than the typical aluminum,) and much tighter tolerances.
(1) RS Hovland .022 GuitarCap- The guitar cap is the first and only capacitor designed specifically for the guitar. This part is the only capacitor in the world that meets our stringent quality-control standards, not only because of its construction, but because of how great it sounds in the tone circuit.
(1) Length vintage-white wire- Used for the grounding in the circuit. How this kit improves your tone:

All of the above components combine to create unprecedented clarity in your overall tone. This increase in clarity will also equate to an increase in note bloom, harmonic complexity, and, in some cases, sustain. Because this kit increases the usability and intuitiveness of the controls onboard your guitar, you will achieve tones that you didn’t think were possible.


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Anything to add, straycat?

[VitaminG]

shouldn't this be in the Tech section? Noob!

[RacerX]

I think there's been enough enough interest from all corners to put it here, but let me add this question then Gary:

So, straycat, which kit would we order for our different models of Jacksons & Charvels? I am definitely interested in one for my Jackson KVX10, which is 2 hum, 1 V, 1 T, 3 way toggle.

[straycat]

Ok Ron any 2 hum Jackson get the 2 500 k pots and Hovland/RS .022 cap.
The 250k strat upgrade kit for 3 single style config this comes with a .022 hoveland and a .0047 mallory cap.
The pots are marked V and T.The vol pots generally are 500+ and the tones are 480- 500k.
The super pots are great in a 1 hum guitar.I have a 571k super pot in my model 2 mutt and it has some bite.Sometimes too much so rather than roll back the amp I just roll back the vol knob and not loose vol just the bite.
Supers you generally use in the vol position like on a L.P.
All their pots are the very best CTS makes.Warrior guitars uses rs kits in all their guitars.RS has a long list of big name artists that use these kits and all I can say is they make a huge improvment in your tone.
I was blown away with the kit I put in my model 1A I thought the J100s would sound better with the kit but I wasnt ready for them to handle OD and gain like they do know and still be clear with string definition.
BTW the super pots are all 500k + just ask for a higher value pot when ordering if thats sound like something you want to try.They have super pots in 250 and 280k as well.The premium kits come with a switchcraft toggle and switchcraft jack+ all the wire needed and a scematic.

[RacerX]

Ok Ron any 2 hum Jackson get the 2 500 k pots and Hovland/RS .022 cap.

So, the Les Paul Jr kit then?

http://www.rsguitarworks.net/rsstore/product_info.php?cPath=31&products_id=107

What does it do, turn guitars into super duper tone monsters?

Details, man!

[straycat]

The above quote from their page says it all. Roy at RS is one of the hardest guys to please when it comes to tone. He has spent an incredible amount of R&D time working on pots, caps and coming up with improvements in there design.He also works with boutique pickup builders like Lollar,WCR,Frailin,Rolph etc to come up with new combinations and ideas.

[straycat]

Thats the one you need Ron.I will try to get them to add a line saying this will work for any 2 hum application.I think it would help those of us who use the C/Js.
Ron all I can tell you is install the kit play the guitar for about 15- 20 minutes let the cap "burn" in. You will notice the pickups start to "open up" and get very clear and defined you will hear each string not a mish mosh of mud.Once the cap settles in tweak your pickups height to your preference and adj the pole pieces and get each note to "bloom" and play the shit out of it.

[RacerX]

Cool, I have the Duncan Designed HB103 in there right now, but I will have Ace install a Duncan Distortion in there later. After I have the neck modded, I'll get all this done (some day).

I will expect it to blow me through the walls!

[straycat]

I have installed lots of these kits in Epi L.Ps and LTDs, Schecter and the like and the original pickups respond very well and actually kick ass.The DD HB103s sound great.The EMG HZ kick major ass with these kits I did a DKMG for a kid and he about shat himself. I like making the drop Q kids guitars sound good for a change.

[Chad]

I'm a bit skeptical about this, but would like to give a kit a try sometime in the future.

BTW, I'm mostly a fan of leaving tone pots on 10 all the time or disconntecting them entirely. And I also have my volume controls dimed most of the time. i.e. mostly in rawk mode. I can't see how these kits would help much in that situation.

[straycat]

People like Rick Derringer,Steve Stevens,Buddy Guy,Keith Nelson,Brad Paisley swear by these kits and there are many more artists that use these kits.
I was skeptical too.
If you leave every thing on 10 and vol down I'll bet you tend to have a muddy sound at volume.L.P.owners are the worst about tone controls and not using them they say the don't do anything why use them.generally a L.P.is muddy and undefined with the stock electronics.
Making the tones work opens up your guitars ability to sound cleaner and more alive.and when over driven the harmonics jump out and the tone is huge.
I was a guitar tech there and have installed plenty of kits and never had a bad respose from a customer It was always wow my guitar sounds so much better I never knew it could sound so good.

[straycat]

Chad I have a Aria L.P.copy with a kit in it and its either 1/2 step or 1 step down in tuning and the metal core guys love this thing they get all the chunk they can handle and still have the string definition and great tone and no mud.I had it tuned to 440 and a counrty chicken picker loved the open sound and bell like clarity.You have so much control over the tone and vol that doesn't drop out when you roll back the vol.And floyd guitars tone and vol don't drop out when you dive the trem.

[Rich#6]

What set or config should you get for a Dinky HSS one volume one tone and 5 way?

[shredmonster]

I called these guys about 4 or 5 months ago and asked them specifically about my Custom Jackson.
They said typically Jackson uses very good electronics and recommended that there was no need for an uprgrade with Jackson guitars.

But that does not include the pups. They have some WCR Shredder pups that I am definitely getting.

[Bengal65]

I put a prewired kit in one of my Les Paul Custom's. I would not put it in my new one (LPC '68 Reissue). It's my Holy Grail and the electronics are very good in this one!
The kit is great for anyone who likes to adjust tone and volume. They are very good at doing this. For me they are not worth it since my volume and tone stay maxed out all the time. But if you are into different types of music with one guitar you can have a real good control over your tone and volume.