Installing new pots and caps

[LPS24]

hello, this is going to be my first time upgrading my pots and caps, i use Seymour Duncan JB/sh set on my Les Paul Standard. i have no information on what pots and caps to buy..can some one take me threw a guide on..
where to buy them from online?
how hard is it to install for a first timer?
source of help from the internet? maybe a video or Pics of step by step process.
Help would be appreciated

[-=[Shifty]=-]

Get in touch with Jonesy.
He can give you info on what to buy, he can guide you, he can sell you what you need. You can even get a prewired harness from him. All you'd have to do is put it in your guitar, solder the pickup leads to the volume pots and you're good to go!

[Paragon]

http://www.seymourduncan.com/images/...501005-110.pdf

[LPS24]

because the guy at guitar center was trying to charge me $150 for pots/caps/rewiring plus labor...that's too damn much isn't it?

[Christmas]

Originally Posted by LPS24

because the guy at guitar center was trying to charge me $150 for pots/caps/rewiring plus labor...that's too damn much isn't it?

Yeah, that's way too much, and GC likely won't be installing very good stuff. Jonesy is definitely a good resource for the parts at a great price. Also, RS Guitarworks is a great option...here's the kit I used:

Complete RS Vintage kit in my '08 Standard

[LPS24]

so basically if i don't change my pots and caps im holding my pickups back from what they really should sound like?

[-=[Shifty]=-]

Originally Posted by LPS24

so basically if i don't change my pots and caps im holding my pickups back from what they really should sound like?

Basically, yes!

[Jason]

Originally Posted by LPS24

so basically if i don't change my pots and caps im holding my pickups back from what they really should sound like?

Well... technically, pickups don't sound like anything. They're only picking up the "sound" of your strings, which is affected by the wood and hardware on your guitar.

Anyway, the main way that pickups actually shape your sound is that they all have a "resonant frequency" and a "resonant peak" and they vary greatly between different pickup models. The resonant frequency is kind of the "sweet spot", this is the frequency that gets AMPLIFIED by the pickup. So, in other words, that particular frequency becomes exaggerated in the overall tone of your guitar. The resonant peak is just how MUCH that particular frequency is amplified. As you get lower and lower below that frequency, the sound is not amplified, it's left alone. If you go ABOVE that frequency, the sound starts to decay (it actually gets de-amplified from its original volume).
Read here for more (complicated!) info: BuildYourGuitar.com :: The Secrets of Electric Guitar Pickups

For a Les Paul, the "normal" way of doing things is .022uF capacitors and 500K pots. The higher the uF value on your caps, the more of the top end it's cutting off (when your tone knob is at 10)... Strats will typically use .047uF because those single coils have a lot more top end to begin with. As far as values go, it's personal preference. How much top end do you want, you know? And as for the "vintage" type caps (paper in oil), supposedly they impart some "musical harmonic overtones and warmth". I wouldn't know for sure, because I have never tried them. There's a ton of different brands out there and I guess they all sound different.

Then there's the pots! Higher value pots are going to have a higher top end as well. The higher the frequency, the more top end. Some guys like 1M tone pots in their LPs... most seem to stick with the 500k's though. Higher quality pots give you much better/smoother control of your tone. There are a couple different flavors, in terms of how they function. There are linear or audio taper, and then there's "Super Pots!". I think RS carries those. I haven't gotten much into the pot side of things because I've never had any real issues (except for my Schecter with the tone pot that worked like an on/off switch.. but I didn't play that guitar enough to really care).

The .022uF with 500K pots is pretty much the standard on LP/dual humbucker guitars, regardless of what humbuckers you just bought.

That's most of what I know, I guess... which is not much! I basically don't "fix what's not broken"... The most recent guitar I bought only needed a $4 Orange Drop cap to get me the tone I wanted.

If I were you, I'd put those pickups in with your stock electronics first and play it for awhile. I'm not going to say anything for OR against spending $50 on an upgraded wiring harness, but I think it's wise to teach yourself the difference... rather than just automatically ordering all new guts every time you get a new guitar, just because everyone else tells you to.

Since everyone else is just telling you to talk to people who want to sell you stuff, I thought you might want some advice from someone without any potential motives.

[-=[Shifty]=-]

Originally Posted by Jason

Well... technically, pickups don't sound like anything. They're only picking up the "sound" of your strings, which is affected by the wood and hardware on your guitar.

Anyway, the main way that pickups actually shape your sound is that they all have a "resonant frequency" and a "resonant peak" and they vary greatly between different pickup models. The resonant frequency is kind of the "sweet spot", this is the frequency that gets AMPLIFIED by the pickup. So, in other words, that particular frequency becomes exaggerated in the overall tone of your guitar. The resonant peak is just how MUCH that particular frequency is amplified. As you get lower and lower below that frequency, the sound is not amplified, it's left alone. If you go ABOVE that frequency, the sound starts to decay (it actually gets de-amplified from its original volume).
Read here for more (complicated!) info: BuildYourGuitar.com :: The Secrets of Electric Guitar Pickups

For a Les Paul, the "normal" way of doing things is .022uF capacitors and 500K pots. The higher the uF value on your caps, the more of the top end it's cutting off (when your tone knob is at 10)... Strats will typically use .047uF because those single coils have a lot more top end to begin with. As far as values go, it's personal preference. How much top end do you want, you know? And as for the "vintage" type caps (paper in oil), supposedly they impart some "musical harmonic overtones and warmth". I wouldn't know for sure, because I have never tried them. There's a ton of different brands out there and I guess they all sound different.

Then there's the pots! Higher value pots are going to have a higher top end as well. The higher the frequency, the more top end. Some guys like 1M tone pots in their LPs... most seem to stick with the 500k's though. Higher quality pots give you much better/smoother control of your tone. There are a couple different flavors, in terms of how they function. There are linear or audio taper, and then there's "Super Pots!". I think RS carries those. I haven't gotten much into the pot side of things because I've never had any real issues (except for my Schecter with the tone pot that worked like an on/off switch.. but I didn't play that guitar enough to really care).

The .022uF with 500K pots is pretty much the standard on LP/dual humbucker guitars, regardless of what humbuckers you just bought.

That's most of what I know, I guess... which is not much! I basically don't "fix what's not broken"... The most recent guitar I bought only needed a $4 Orange Drop cap to get me the tone I wanted.

If I were you, I'd put those pickups in with your stock electronics first and play it for awhile. I'm not going to say anything for OR against spending $50 on an upgraded wiring harness, but I think it's wise to teach yourself the difference... rather than just automatically ordering all new guts every time you get a new guitar, just because everyone else tells you to.

Damn, how could I think simply saying yes would be enough of an answer?
Thanks for sharing that knowledge, anyways. I couldn't have provided such a detailed answer! That's why I directed him to someone I know who's an expert for stuff like that.

Originally Posted by Jason

Since everyone else is just telling you to talk to people who want to sell you stuff, I thought you might want some advice from someone without any potential motives.

Well, as far as Jonesy is considered, i told him that I think about upgrading the electronics in my Epiphone. He said that he would guide me through it, since I haven't done that myself before. He never even said a single word about wanting to sell me stuff. It's not all about business with that man, but I guess you know that better than me!

[Jason]

Yeah, both Jonesy and hillbilly seem like great guys, I wasn't meaning to imply anything bad about either of them, believe me! They both love music and guitars MUCH more than money.

I just read a lot and tinker a bit... thought I'd take a brain dump in this thread.

[jason_mazzy]

aweseom I will be needing this help also when I switch my pots and caps on the new elitist

[overdriver]

Originally Posted by jason_mazzy

aweseom I will be needing this help also when I switch my pots and caps on the new elitist

If the stock pots work don't bother changing them IMO.

[cpo]

I was a first-timer too, and I went with the RS Guitarworks kit. I did a little more than you probably need to do, but I documented my upgrade here, in case you are interested: LP Complete Re-Wire [Steps] [Pictures] [Multiple Posts]. Good luck, whatever you decide.

[jason_mazzy]

sgeliti thinks I should he had told me about it before I bought, he said a pot cap upgrade would probably make her sing. [better than any gibson sg made]

[overdriver]

Originally Posted by jason_mazzy

sgeliti thinks I should he had told me about it before I bought, he said a pot cap upgrade would probably make her sing. [better than any gibson sg made]

People will say the darnest things.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by overdriver

People will say the darnest things.

Well... yeah I guess we all have people we trust. But there is definitely a whole lot of:

"THIS is what you need to do!" and nobody usually even asks "Why?"

I'm not going to tell anyone what to do, unless they're having PROBLEMS with their stuff. I can't advocate strongly enough for trying things out thoroughly before you let someone else convince you there's something wrong with it.

[LPS24]

Originally Posted by overdriver

If the stock pots work don't bother changing them IMO.

if i can get better sound and tone then why not change them?

[jason_mazzy]

Originally Posted by Jason

Well... yeah I guess we all have people we trust. But there is definitely a whole lot of:

"THIS is what you need to do!" and nobody usually even asks "Why?"

I'm not going to tell anyone what to do, unless they're having PROBLEMS with their stuff. I can't advocate strongly enough for trying things out thoroughly before you let someone else convince you there's something wrong with it.

Well it was sgelitists sg, and he's been jamming on it, and he says he thinks it could use new pots and caps. Well since it was his and he's been playing it for years I'm giving his word some weight. Now of course I'm gonna play it and get my luthier to set it up mazzystyle and if I like the tone where its at I will leave it. But if I think I could get even more or better (IMO) tone with a change I will.

[overdriver]

Originally Posted by LPS24

if i can get better sound and tone then why not change them?

Not likely to happen!
Cap change will change things up a tiny bit. But if the pots work its a waste of time trouble and money to change them IMO. & experience. But if you need to know for your own piece of hearing by all means go ahead. IMO Jonesy is the man to deal with.

[itasoulas]

As far as i know Seymour Duncan suggests .047 caps for the JB at the bridge. Does anyone knows what caps are preinstalled in Epis made after 2006? 0.22, .033?

And something else... can i get those .047 caps from any store with electronic equipment or the caps that guitars have are sometning different?

What type of caps do you suggest for Seymours?

[overdriver]

Originally Posted by itasoulas

As far as i know Seymour Duncan suggests .047 caps for the JB at the bridge. Does anyone knows what caps are preinstalled in Epis made after 2006? 0.22, .033?

And something else... can i get those .047 caps from any store with electronic equipment or the caps that guitars have are sometning different?

What type of caps do you suggest for Seymours?

Epis have .022 , Seymour says .047 for the JB maybe an idea if used as a bridge pup like its intended. I like .033 on my bridge pot. So .047, well it will allow you to darken up the JB more so than a .022 but does a person need to.
Some people bypass the tone control altogether. Couldn't hurt anything. A nice PIO or orange drop .

After 2006, is that what you have ? if so the pots are Alpha 500K , good pots .

[itasoulas]

Originally Posted by overdriver

Epis have .022 , Seymour says .047 for the JB maybe an idea if used as a bridge pup let its intended I like .033 on my bridge pot. So .047 well it will allow you to darken up the JB more so than a .022 but does a person need to.
Some people bypass the tone control altogether. Couldn't hurt anything. A nice PIO or orange drop .

After 2006 is that what you have ? if so the pots are Alpha 500K , good pots .

Yes, on both of my les pauls, a 2006 Daewon and a 2007 Qindao, the tone pots are A500K.