Quick question for those in the know

[BaggyPants]

If I decide to replace the pots in my LC80, should I get short or long shafts ? Also, do I get four of the same 500k pots, or do I need different ones for tone and volume ? And, what capacitance would you recommend for the caps ?

Cheers, chaps,

Bryn

 

[Paladin2019]

Short shaft.

All should be audio (log) taper.

0.022uF for the caps.

Note: if you're going for CTS pots (and you should, they're the only ones better than what you've got now) you'll probably need to widen the holes - either do this with a hand reamer or get a professional to do it. NO DRILLS! You may find you need some new knobs too as the knurlings will be different.

Also, note that tone pots are linear taper as standard but audio taper works much, much better on your tone controls. A lot of people were high when linear taper was standardised.

As far as caps go, it's not worth getting anything better/more expensive than an Orange drop IMO.

 

[BaggyPants]

Cheers, bud No problems on making the holes larger. I have a lovely set of miniature diamond files that will do it nicely 8)

 

[bruno]

Actually I'm about to give a different opinion...

I like linear taper on my guitar, both volume and pots...
And I think alpha pots are great for the job, and not as expensive as cts.

good to have different opinions, now you get to do some thinking.

 

[villager]

are the pots in there 250 or 500 at the moment...?

 

[BaggyPants]

are the pots in there 250 or 500 at the moment...?

I ain't got a chuffin' clue, mate. I'll whip the back panel off tomorrow and have a look (Too late now. Guitar in bedroom cupboard, wife asleep. If I wake her, I die )

 

[jawilluk]

(Too late now. Guitar in bedroom cupboard, wife asleep. )

Maybe put the wife in the cupboard in future. :wink:

 

[tudor]

Maybe put the wife in the cupboard in future.

Good joke !!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Roger

 

[BaggyPants]

:lol: Trouble is, I have to look after the girl. She's the one who lets me buy guitars 8)

Anyway, back to the subject. The pots are 500k, marked A500k(with an omega sign after) and MADE IN JAPAN.

 

[villager]

ah sorry i thought you had a circuitboard type ..thats what i want to know ..are all the circuitboards 250k pots.....

 

[BaggyPants]

Is there likely to be any great change in replacing these Japanese 500k pots with CTS ones ? How do I tell if the ones I have are "audio" or "linear" taper ? Would I be better off just rewiring the whole thing up with shielded braided wiring, including the pups ?

I have CTS pots in my Stratocaster. I was putting a new pickguard on it and decided to wire it all up before hand with an orange drop, vintage wiring, CRL switch and CS69 pickups. Any difference the CTS pots might have made were lost in the pickup change.

 

[tudor]

The best is to change the pots at first - so you can compare to the former situation ...

I changed the 500k pots on my Edwards to the CTS ones - it was a difference like "night and day" !! 8)

At the same time I changed the complete wiring to 2-conductor-braided-shield wires, changed the caps and modded the whole accordingly to the '50s wiring scheme ... tremendous upgrade!

I use to say: Since then I know where the tone pots are for !!!!! :wink: :wink:

Roger

 

[ganzua]

(Too late now. Guitar in bedroom cupboard, wife asleep. If I wake her, I die )

Wife and hidden Tokais is becoming a big problem for married guys of this forum.

I think someday a wife will open the wardrobe, she will find a hidden Tokai and a couple of hidden leather trousers and she'll have a heart attack.

Be water my friend.

 

[Paladin2019]

Is there likely to be any great change in replacing these Japanese 500k pots with CTS ones ?.

Yes. Improved clarity of sound, and more useable volume/tone controls.

How do I tell if the ones I have are "audio" or "linear" taper ? .

A500k = audio, B500k = linear.

Would I be better off just rewiring the whole thing up with shielded braided wiring, including the pups ?
.

Not necessarily the pup wiring but pots, caps, jack, switch, wiring and the so-called 50's layout will all make a big improvement - both mechanically and in terms of the sound you'll be getting.

 

[BaggyPants]

Wife and hidden Tokais is becoming a big problem for married guys of this forum.

I think someday a wife will open the wardrobe, she will find a hidden Tokai and a couple of hidden leather trousers and she'll have a heart attack.

Be water my friend.

My wife knows every guitar I have. I can't hide diddley squat from her :evil:

 

[BaggyPants]

Is there likely to be any great change in replacing these Japanese 500k pots with CTS ones ?.

Yes. Improved clarity of sound, and more useable volume/tone controls.

How do I tell if the ones I have are "audio" or "linear" taper ? .

A500k = audio, B500k = linear.

Would I be better off just rewiring the whole thing up with shielded braided wiring, including the pups ?
.

Not necessarily the pup wiring but pots, caps, jack, switch, wiring and the so-called 50's layout will all make a big improvement - both mechanically and in terms of the sound you'll be getting.

OK, I'm going for it. Ordered 4 x CTS 500k audio taper pots, plus new cloth covered wire to connect them, 2 x .022 Orange Drops, plus braided shielded wire to put on the pups. I'm not going to replace the switch and jack, as they both seem to be of very sturdy construction. I'll wire the pots up off the guitar, on a jig made from card, so I won't end up burning my guitars back. The whole guitar is going through a slight cosmetic change at the same time, so watch this space for photos next week 8)

 

[BaggyPants]

Bits arrived this morning, so I'm going to get busy with it today, as long as my daughter lets me get on with it :roll:

 

[BaggyPants]

Holy Toledo !!!! What a difference. I liked it a lot before, but now it's perfect. Well worth the few quid it cost for the new pots and caps