Alder Strat, CC - what pots?

[Rick1114]

I've got an Alder strat with a CC and two Virtual Vintage SC's (I plan on replacing them with classic stk+ soon). In the meantime I am going to sheild the guitar (buying the stew-mac kit), and want to replace the pots too. The pots in my guitar are pretty caked up with solder.

So I'm wondering...What pot configuration? Do I buy 1 500k for the humbucker? I've also heard of people using the 500k for the volume only, or even 500k's throughout for a HSS strat. I'm pretty confused.

Any recomendations? Right noow, the CC with the 250 pots lacks a little uuummpph. The single coils sound fine.
Thanks,

Rick

[ErikH]

Definitely go 500k for the volume. Put 250k for the tone as that will help tame down the extreme brightness of the single coils with the 500k pot. Or, use this wiring diagram with all 500k pots.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/forum/s...5&postcount=19

[Rick1114]

ErikH,

Thanks for the diagram - I didn't see that one before. I want the tone wired up to the bridge. So I guess if I follow this diagram, It's 500k pots all the way, make sure to hook the humbucker up to the tone pot instead of the middle. It says position 1-4 are still 250k. How does that work? And what is the 500k audio taper for?

Thanks,

Rick

[ErikH]

Audio taper is the type of pot. There's audio taper and linear taper. You want audio taper.

The 500k resistor to ground is in parallel with the volume pot (which is a variable resistor in itself) in positions 1-4, thus making it read as 250k. Drop the switch to position 5 (bridge position) and it's 500k.

With the CC's rolled off highs, you might not want the tone control on the bridge. It's pretty smooth as it is.

[Rick1114]

ErikH,

Thanks again!

One last question, do I buy 3 500k audio taper pots then?

Thanks,

Rick

[ErikH]

Yes, 3 500k audio tape. One for volume, the other two for the tone controls.

[ErikH]

You could also get 1 500k for volume and use 250k for the tone controls. That'll help the single coils from being too harsh as well. This is of course if the bridge pickup gets wired with no tone control.

Even with a tone control on 10, there is still some load, unless it is a "no-load" pot. When on 10, a "no-load" pot is completely removed from the circuit. It's as if it's not even there.