CTS 500K pots the Long & Short Explained with Pics

[akoaysidok]

Your welcome, glad you found this thread useful

Import guitars for the most part have the cheaper Chinese made toggle switches (they tend to break) so it's usually a good idea to upgrade to a better quality Switchcraft switch and jack with the braided leads. Especially if you are going to change out the pots and caps and plan on keeping the guitar.

1 Meg pots are better for super hot wound pickups that range from 14k -21K (very dark because of all the windings) otherwise you are better off sticking with the 500-550K pots for PAFs and normal Humbuckers. The 1Meg pots will increase the gain but will also make normal pickups sound a bit brittle and bright.

Fender did use some 1 Meg pots in Telecasters in the 1970's, it may have been an attempt to increase the output?? But they only did that for a short time. 1 Meg may be an option with noiseless pickups, but I stay away from them. Hope that helps...

Jonesy

Thank you for the informative reply. Will prolly stay away from 1MEGs and just use 500k.

Also, I did a quick search in Ebay for a wiring harness upgrade for my LP. I saw a LOT of different things from CTS to Bourns to Bumblebee caps and other things. I didn't know what to get..haha. I might have to do more research to know for sure what I want for the kind of tone that I want.

Thanks again!

 

[jonesy]

Thank you for the informative reply. Will prolly stay away from 1MEGs and just use 500k.

Also, I did a quick search in Ebay for a wiring harness upgrade for my LP. I saw a LOT of different things from CTS to Bourns to Bumblebee caps and other things. I didn't know what to get..haha. I might have to do more research to know for sure what I want for the kind of tone that I want.

Thanks again!

You're welcome. There are a lot of wiring option upgrades out there nowadays. Unfortunately as an MLP Vendor I can't discuss any of the products that I offer outside the Vendor section. Good luck on your project.

Jonesy

 

[KillersSince'81]

I have a 2002 Korean Epiphone Les Paul Custom, want to upgrade to 50's wiring but not sure what size (long or short) CTS pots. please advise.

 

[jonesy]

I have a 2002 Korean Epiphone Les Paul Custom, want to upgrade to 50's wiring but not sure what size (long or short) CTS pots. please advise.

Most all imports LPs come with the short shaft pots and short toggle switch so that would be what you could use. Short pots are also for 335, SG, LP Jr and other thin body guitars with no cap.

But you can use the the long shaft pots in your Korean LP. They come double nutted so you can adjust how far the threads stick through the top. Long pots will wok in any LP style guitar with carved cap.

Hope that helps...

Jonesy

 

[DylanSwitzer]

Hey Jonesy, I'm gonna be buying one of your 50's wiring kits but I'm just unsure if I should get short or long pots... like everyone seems to be lol. Its for a 2016 Gibson made 50's tribute LP. So ill have humbuckers in it. I'm guessing long to play it safe?

 

[jonesy]

Hey Jonesy, I'm gonna be buying one of your 50's wiring kits but I'm just unsure if I should get short or long pots... like everyone seems to be lol. Its for a 2016 Gibson made 50's tribute LP. So ill have humbuckers in it. I'm guessing long to play it safe?

Hey Jonesy, I'm gonna be buying one of your 50's wiring kits but I'm just unsure if I should get short or long pots... like everyone seems to be lol. Its for a 2016 Gibson made 50's tribute LP. So ill have humbuckers in it. I'm guessing long to play it safe?

Sorry bro just saw this post. The Tribute LPs take the long shaft pots and short toggle switches like the Studio LP's.

 

[DylanSwitzer]

Sorry bro just saw this post. The Tribute LPs take the long shaft pots and short toggle switches like the Studio LP's.

No problem man. Excited to get your kit!

 

[Grenville]

I installed a 1meg pot in my LP (nice 1980 Tokai) for the neck pickup to try and get more clarity. It works.

Just a normal pickup, not hot or anything, but I've just wanted it a bit clearer.

The only downside is an apparent susceptibility to high-end interference that the bridge pickup doesn't have. It's faint, but there, much less noise than you'd get with single coil pickups anyway.

EDIT:

March 2018, 4.5 months later:

Months ago I double-checked my wiring and no longer have the interference problem.

1meg volume pot to clear up a slightly muddy neck pickup = successful experiment.

 

[Jymbopalyse]

ALERT:
This STICKY is less deserving without the pictures.
I was going to link to this page - bust decided it better not to.

The PHOTOBUCKET thing really killed the usefulness of this STICKY (and probably others)

Can the mods open up the OP for someone astute MLPer to edit in new pics.

 

[Pappy58]

ALERT:
This STICKY is less deserving without the pictures.
I was going to link to this page - bust decided it better not to.

The PHOTOBUCKET thing really killed the usefulness of this STICKY (and probably others)

Can the mods open up the OP for someone astute MLPer to edit in new pics.

This thread has links to plug in for Chrome and Firefox to conquer the PB BS!

http://www.mylespaul.com/threads/photobucket-fix-for-firefox-and-chrome.404110/?hotlinkfix=1520244697431

 

[TM1]

Ya know, I've been dealing with pots in guitars for 40+ years. I think the best new pots I've used & heard that function like the original Centralabs Gibson used from 1953-1963, are the new VIP's: https://www.vintageinspiredpickups.com/vipots
These act almost exactly like the Centralabs did. Anyway, I've even swapped out a set of Centralabs I had in an R-4 with these and the guitar sounds better!

 

[jonesy]

ALERT:
This STICKY is less deserving without the pictures.
I was going to link to this page - bust decided it better not to.

The PHOTOBUCKET thing really killed the usefulness of this STICKY (and probably others)

Can the mods open up the OP for someone astute MLPer to edit in new pics.

Pics are still on page 1 http://www.mylespaul.com/threads/cts-500k-pots-the-long-short-explained-with-pics.232430/

 

[ptate]

Anyone know what this CTS pot is from - or it's rating?
Looks like a '49 or '59.