Pickups & Pots & Caps... Oh My!!!

[SteveC]

A little background... I have an '81 LPC. I'm the original owner; I purchased it brand new. Other than the recent refretting, it is 100% stock. You can see it and read about it here in this thread.

After some serious consideration, I'm going to replace the stock Shaw pups, with a set of Duncan Seth Lover's (SH-55, 4-conductor wiring). Some folks love the Shaw's... I do not. I'm not looking for any input on that decision.

Wiring appears to be straightforward. Looking at the Duncan wiring chart on this link, it's a combination of using the "Standard Wiring for 4-Conductor Humbuckers" and the "Coil Splitting" option below it.

So, I opened up the control cavity to have a look. You can see it in the picture below. Here's what I found:

Bridge Volume Pot: 137943 70-034
Neck Volume Pot: 137943 70-034
Bridge Tone Pot: 1378045 71-079
Neck Tone Pot: 137804? 71-079
Bridge and Neck Caps: MP 203Z 50V

From what I can find, looking here, the 70-034's are 300K linear taper (long shaft?) and the 71-079's shown here are 100K audio taper (long shaft?).

The Cap's appear to be just plain ol' ceramic/mylar 0.022uF... nothing special about them.


Here's where I would appreciate your thoughts, comments & suggestions...

1. Replacement Pot's - must be push/pull for the coil splitting.
a. Long shaft is required for my year, yes?
b. What R value for Volume Pot?
c. What R value for Tone Pot?
d. Linear or audio taper, or a combination?
If anyone has specific part numbers, from specific sources - that would be great.

2. Caps - not so worried about PIO or other esoteric composition.
a. What C value for bridge?
b. What C value for neck?

3. General comments/thoughts about putting all this together.

Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for any and all responses!!!

 

[joedonner2001]

If I were you I'd keep that beauty stock - really I would. If you're in the mood for something different then rather buy another guitar. But best of luck if you go ahead.

 

[JMV]

Martin 6 string customs. Call them or shoot an email and they'll take GREAT care of you.

https://www.martinsixstringcustoms.com/store/index.php?ccUser=

 

[Longhair]

Elenco electronics offer a capacitor & resistor substitution boxes.

You should invest in those and play around with different combinations to find the values that your ears are happy with, not what someone else tells you to be happy with.

 

[Tone deaf]

If you are going to go down this road, I'd only desolder the connections necessary to remove the original electronics (pots and caps, primarily) intact and take everything except the switch out of the guitar. Pick up a pre-wired assembly in the configuration of your choice from Jonesy or one of the other guys on MLP and plop it in with your new pups. Store the old elecs on the board that the new elecs will come on and with the Shaws and keep all of this stuff!

Well, that's my opinion. It's worth what you paid for it.

 

[maverick08]

500k volume and tone, check out CTS TVT pots, RS guitarworks superpots, those from Jonesey, etc.

In general, .022 bridge and .022 or .015 neck...a good PIO makes a difference IMO

 

[SteveC]

If you are going to go down this road, I'd only desolder the connections necessary to remove the original electronics (pots and caps, primarily) intact and take everything except the switch out of the guitar. Pick up a pre-wired assembly in the configuration of your choice from Jonesy or one of the other guys on MLP and plop it in with your new pups. Store the old elecs on the board that the new elecs will come on and with the Shaws and keep all of this stuff!

Well, that's my opinion. It's worth what you paid for it.

That is exactly the road that I plan on traveling!

I'd never discard any of the original components. Not that I plan to sell it - EVER... but, maybe my grandson will want (need) to do that and having all the original equipment is a MUST.

Thanks to everyone for the pointers to the prewired harness. I'll go that way. Not only will it make it easier, but it also supports MLP members.

 

[smorgdonkey]

That is exactly the road that I plan on traveling!

I'd never discard any of the original components. Not that I plan to sell it - EVER... but, maybe my grandson will want (need) to do that and having all the original equipment is a MUST.

Thanks to everyone for the pointers to the prewired harness. I'll go that way. Not only will it make it easier, but it also supports MLP members.

You are a wise man IMO.

 

[acstorfer]

Well, you had the guitar for over 30 years, you're obviously not selling it. Screw stock and make that guitar exactly what you want. There was a reason that so many guitar legends modded the hell out of their guitars.

I would probably do one upgrade at a time. You may love the sound of just new pickups, or just new wiring harness and the other cost may be unnecessary. If you are open to it, check out Jason Lollar pickups. I have an Imperial (highwound) in the bridge and I am still in love with it. I have the original wiring in my 73 Deluxe. I thought about changing the wiring, but I thought about it and I just really loved how it sounded. Why mess with a good thing?

 

[SteveC]

So, here's the thing. I really have 2 wants:

1. I want different pups. I really dislike the original Shaws. Might they be 'improved" by replacing pots & caps? Probably, but if I do that and I still don't like how it sounds, then I am back to square-1.

2. I want to coil split, so I need to get new pups to do that. I know that will never replace my Tele & Strat, but it's an option that I want to explore.

So, my deranged reasoning is to dump the Shaws for the Lovers. I ordered the Lovers in 4-wire, so I can split. Thus, I get new electrics *and* new pups *and* split.

If I don't like the split, it's a "who cares". I just won't use it. But, going this way, I still get the new electrics and pups. And, I can live with that. The Lovers alone are probably good enough. Getting new electrics is a bonus.

Make sense?

 

[smorgdonkey]

Makes sense to me...and Seth Lovers are really nice.

 

[Findthetone]

Even if you go with new pots and caps first to see if it improves the Shaws you still won't be back to square one if it doesn't improve them. You were still wanting to replace them with new pickups so you'd just have choose which new ones you want. If you're set on coil splitting, I would seriously look in Suhr pickups. They are the only humbucker I've ever used that truly split very well. Seth's are nice but I haven't heard them split so they may be fine.

 

[SJM]

Martin 6 string customs. Call them or shoot an email and they'll take GREAT care of you.

https://www.martinsixstringcustoms.com/store/index.php?ccUser=

+1. His workmanship is impeccable.

 

[ARandall]

The Seths aren't a huge amount more powerful than the Shaws, just so you know. They probably have a slightly different base tone to them though.

 

[acstorfer]

So, here's the thing. I really have 2 wants:

1. I want different pups. I really dislike the original Shaws. Might they be 'improved" by replacing pots & caps? Probably, but if I do that and I still don't like how it sounds, then I am back to square-1.

2. I want to coil split, so I need to get new pups to do that. I know that will never replace my Tele & Strat, but it's an option that I want to explore.

So, my deranged reasoning is to dump the Shaws for the Lovers. I ordered the Lovers in 4-wire, so I can split. Thus, I get new electrics *and* new pups *and* split.

If I don't like the split, it's a "who cares". I just won't use it. But, going this way, I still get the new electrics and pups. And, I can live with that. The Lovers alone are probably good enough. Getting new electrics is a bonus.

Make sense?

Kapisch!

I have a coil tap on my bridge (my neck pup is a mini, so I didn't bother), it is a very nice feature I am sure you'll enjoy. It really is amazing how much it improves versatility.

 

[OBX351]

Martin 6 string customs. Call them or shoot an email and they'll take GREAT care of you.

https://www.martinsixstringcustoms.com/store/index.php?ccUser=

Pile on....They are great...I've bought 6 harnesses from Matt and Dave. Their products are high quality and they are very easy to work with. They sell pus too if you want to explore other options.

 

[politenessman]

they sell pus? i didnt know there was a big market for that. i will take 1 sac of pus, please!

 

[KenG]

I was under the impression that Tim Shaw PUs were very close to the original PAFs and very collectable/desireable. I think the POT value change would be the 1st thing I'd try to see if you can revive them.

 

[SteveC]

I went with the Seth Lovers (4-wire). I also ordered a coil tap harness from Martin Six String Customs. I could have just ordered the pots & caps and put it all together myself, but I figured that I'd just save a little work by getting the prewired harness.

I want to remove the covers from the original pups and put them on the SL's. The originals are the real version of what the Ant's have been made to look like. Putting shiny new pups on a 32 year old guitar just doesn't seem right.

Pix will be forthcoming as the parts arrive this week and the surgery is scheduled for this weekend.

I'm kind of tempted to put the harness in with the original pups, just to hear what, if any, difference that makes. In any case, the Shaws are coming out, because I want the coil tap. If it arrives before the pups, I may just do that.

 

[DHart]

Looking forward to seeing/hering the results.