Replacing tone pots in my SG P90 Classic..again

[Hfan]

I recently had a tone pot fail in my P90 SG, I installed short shaft CTS, 500ks I believe, but I picked linear and not audio..probably a mistake as it is almost like an on off switch. Anyway, one is turning roughly already (maybe I over heated it I don't know) so I figure I'll replace them (tone pots) again. This time with audio taper. And 500ks again. Sound right?

[murkat]

yup.

Try wiring up 50's jr. style too.

You will get some mids out of the rotation before it goes muffled.

[Hfan]

8 minutes ago, murkat said:

yup.

Try wiring up 50's jr. style too.

You will get some mids out of the rotation before it goes muffled.

From the master himself thank you sir.  I'll look into that 50s wiring as well. 

[murkat]

it's easy.

tone cap, solder to middle lug / solder to back of tone pot.

Solder hot lead from left lug from tone pot to output lug (middle) volume pot.

wala.

[BubbaVO]

1 hour ago, murkat said:

it's easy.

tone cap, solder to middle lug / solder to back of tone pot.

Solder hot lead from left lug from tone pot to output lug (middle) volume pot.

wala.

 

Here's a schematic if you want to visualize it....

http://www.singlecoil.com/docs/paula.pdf

[murkat]

that is 50's wiring.

I was referring to 50's Jr. (one pickup) wiring.

fwiw.

[Hfan]

3 hours ago, murkat said:

it's easy.

tone cap, solder to middle lug / solder to back of tone pot.

Solder hot lead from left lug from tone pot to output lug (middle) volume pot.

wala.

Cool thanks again I'll try it

[Hfan]

23 hours ago, BubbaVO said:

 

^{Here's a schematic if you want to visualize it....}

^{http://www.singlecoil.com/docs/paula.pdf}

Thanks for that Bubba. Last night I had time at work and looked around a little, my SG is two pickups, sounds like guys hook them up much like they do 50s wiring for humbucker types too. I never have tried it before. And this sounds like what Jay described above:

[BubbaVO]

7 minutes ago, Hfan said:

Thanks for that Bubba. Last night I had time at work and looked around a little, my SG is two pickups, sounds like guys hook them up much like they do 50s wiring for humbucker types too. And this sounds like what Jay described above:

My bad. 

Just do whatever Murkat says. 

[Hfan]

Found this one for Junior 50s wiring pretty much the same thing. Should be good to go thanks guys. 

[Hfan]

On 7/26/2016 at 2:25 PM, murkat said:

it's easy.

tone cap, solder to middle lug (of volume pot right?) / solder (the middle lug of tone pot )to back of tone pot.

Solder hot lead from left lug from tone pot to output lug (middle) volume pot.

wala.

Parts are in, I had another look at this thread and Jay's description above .. So Jay..if you're out there.. just to clarify, this diagram below and your post above with the text I added (to make it Hfan proof) match and is what I'll go by? You're not saying to solder the cap to the middle lug of the tone pot right?

I read a little more, some guys say to use a 250k pot for the tones, I ordered 500k, shouldn't be an issue I assume, will just give me more tonal adjustment I guess.

Here is the thread from the LP Forum, a guy with a 57 Junior posted the diagram.   http://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showthread.php?126725-Can-someone-please-post-a-50s-Junior-wiring-diagram

Thanks again

[murkat]

^ that pic is incorrect.

1.tone pot.

solder capacitor to middle lug.

solder other end of capacitor to back of pot.

solder a lead from the left lug of tone pot to the middle lug of the volume pot (your output of the volume pot).

2. Volume pot.

solder it up as in the above pic, solder ground wire to both pots.

500k will be perfect.

 

fwiw, vitntage and some new Hamers did about the same to wire up/ solder the tone / cap.

the only difference was the solder location of the cap.

Hamer soldered the cap on the left lug instead of the middle as I suggest.

Soldering the cap to middle lug, then to ground yeilds a more vocal range of the tone put, to my ears.... and others.

 

[murkat]

^ like that

[Hfan]

Thanks again, Jay, crystal clear now. I really appreciate it.

[HSB0531]

On July 26, 2016 at 1:27 PM, Hfan said:

I recently had a tone pot fail in my P90 SG, I installed short shaft CTS, 500ks I believe, but I picked linear and not audio..probably a mistake as it is almost like an on off switch. Anyway, one is turning roughly already (maybe I over heated it I don't know) so I figure I'll replace them (tone pots) again. This time with audio taper. And 500ks again. Sound right?

Yes.

humbuckers are usually paired with 500k Audio Taper pots.

Im not sure about P-90's.

Single coil pickups use 250k audio taper pots.

Note that there are several audio tapers in the same resistance value available from some manufacturures.

If you need tighter tolerances, you could go with a military spec 500k pot or one with closer tolerances.

Typically, pots are within +/-20% with closer tolerance pots at 10 or 15.

 

[Hfan]

Wow, Murkat's mod was transformative. Finally got around to it today. Holy Moly..this SG always had me scratching my head, kind of sterile. I have another guitar with the Gibson stock P90s and like it fine (LP P90 Special) but this one was always missing something. I played with the idea of different pickups etc, pulling the Wolfetones I have in another guitar maybe or new ones. No need now. I'm no good with tone speak but the guitar just sounds more organic now, more vintage sounding maybe. Whatever it is sweet. And the Audio tapers were the way to go for tone pots..530K and 550K on my Meter. I left the stock Gibson Vol pots, no idea what they are but they seem fine.

So, big thanks to Murkat I have not seen this circuit anywhere else on the web. Has me wondering how  my Korina Jr and LP Special are wired.

 

 

[murkat]

46 minutes ago, Hfan said:

Has me wondering how  my Korina Jr and LP Special are wired.

I guess you will have dig in them and find out

Most Hamers did the same thing, only reversing....

cap on left lug to ground. tone out from middle lug to output.

[BubbaVO]

21 hours ago, Hfan said:

Wow...

I'm no good with tone speak but the guitar just sounds more organic now, more vintage sounding maybe. Whatever it is sweet. ...

So, big thanks to Murkat I have not seen this circuit anywhere else on the web.

 

 

- Yes.  Wow.

- I don't think it added highs.  But to my ears it smoothed it out really nicely.

- I had never seen that either. 

Thanks!