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Pot Upgrades?

  • 17-12-2008 01:57PM
    #1
    Kenny_D
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭


    Where would I go about upgrading guitar pots. Want to upgrade from 250 to 500k pots. What are good quality pots and is it a job I could take on myself? How much would it cost to get it done?


Comments

  • #2
    IamMetaldave
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,499 ✭✭✭IamMetaldave


    You would probably pick them up around town.

    Or you can order from here

    It's not a very hard job changing pots, but take note of what points to re solder to.

    Also, don't use a very powerful iron as you can over heat them and destroy them. A 25 watt iron would be ample.

    The guy, Kev I think his name is who used to work in instrumental set up a repair place on exchequer st beside Dunnes, go in and ask him about prices, I'd imagine somewhere around 60 is what you'll pay..

    https://www.instagram.com/iammetaldave/



  • #3
    Eoin Madsen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,117 ✭✭✭Eoin Madsen


    CTS pots are popular in guitars. But if you're not using knobs that need a knurled spline, I'd suggest some Alphas - they feel nicer when they turn. :)

    Going from 250 to 500 isn't so much an upgrade as just a change. It sort depends on the pickups and sound you're going for.

    With regards to irons... from my own experience, I'd actually suggest the opposite - use a higher watt if you're doing it yourself. With the lower watt iron the area you're soldering onto heats much slower which makes for a greater likelyhood of a bad joint and a greater chance of melting the component as you're heating the joint. While you can obviously destroy a component quicker with a hotter iron, a 50 watt vs. a 25 would actually allow you to make the solder joint much faster and result in far less heat dissipating into the rest of the component. I've destroyed a few pots trying to get wire to stick properly with my 25 watt, but I've never destroyed a component with my 50 watt. I'd put a heat sink between the iron and the cap in either case anyway.


  • #4
    Kenny_D
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭Kenny_D


    Cheers Eoin. I'm picking up a 72 Tele Deluxe and apparently the 250k pot used for the neck pickup gives a muddy sound on the humbucker (The original 72 tele deluxe used higher capacity pots). Recommended upgrade is to 500k pots or 1mOhm pots


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