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Post subject: Hss to sss conversion, 250k or 500k pots??
Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 5:52 pm
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So I have an HSS Mexican Strat that I want to convert to a SSS with some Texas Specials cause I want an upgrade and really never use the humbucker so I'm always on position 2.

So my questions are since I have the 500k pots with the humbucker will I need to swap them all out with the 250k if I move to all single coils? I know if I keep the 500k in then I'll have way too much treble for my tastes. Can I just swap the volume with a 250k and leave the tones alone? Will I need to add anything like a capacitor or something? I'm kinda a do-it-yourselfer with all my guitar maintenance so any advice is much appreciated, thanks. (:


Last edited by ACknow on Wed Feb 25, 2015 9:43 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Post subject: Re: Hss to sss conversion, 250k or 500k pots??
Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 6:38 pm
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In most cases the bridge pickup doesn't go through either tone pot so is a nonissue. If you switch it to the bridge and neither tone knob effects the sound then it doesn't have a tone pot in the circuit.

But as a general rule, 250k pots go with singlecoils and 500k with humbuckers. I like to jump a wire from the bridge pickup to let me control its tone with the same pot as the neck.


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Post subject: Re: Hss to sss conversion, 250k or 500k pots??
Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 11:05 am
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I like 500k but I play hard classic rock loud into a Marshall. It adds an edge. My question is did you put 500ks in it? Most all Fenders come with 250k, my new HSS American Standard did. I guess you need to figure how loud you play and the input gain of your amp. Digital amps have much hotter input gain than vintage tube style.

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Post subject: Re: Hss to sss conversion, 250k or 500k pots??
Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 2:34 pm
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Here's a very easy way to solve your dilemma:

First, bear in mind that a 500K tone pot will have a larger sweep than a 250K tone pot. As far as these two values, one vs. the other is concerned, it is for the most part minimal in terms of the overall circuit's inherent tone.

Second, use a 500K pot to accommodate the humbucker.

Third, buy two 247K ohm resistors, readily available at Radio Shack or a similar store. They already come prepackaged as a pair and costs 99 cents, last time I checked.

Lastly, at your pickup selector switch, solder one resistor each from each single coil's hot wire to ground. This will alter the circuit to where the single coils "see" a 250K (or close enough) volume pot.

Problem solved and life goes merrily on. :wink:

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Post subject: Re: Hss to sss conversion, 250k or 500k pots??
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 8:56 pm
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Martian wrote:
Here's a very easy way to solve your dilemma:

First, bear in mind that a 500K tone pot will have a larger sweep than a 250K tone pot. As far as these two values, one vs. the other is concerned, it is for the most part minimal in terms of the overall circuit's inherent tone.

Second, use a 500K pot to accommodate the humbucker.

Third, buy two 247K ohm resistors, readily available at Radio Shack or a similar store. They already come prepackaged as a pair and costs 99 cents, last time I checked.

Lastly, at your pickup selector switch, solder one resistor each from each single coil's hot wire to ground. This will alter the circuit to where the single coils "see" a 250K (or close enough) volume pot.

Problem solved and life goes merrily on. :wink:


Is there a variation that works with a Les Paul split coil setup? So that I can use 500k tone pots yet have the pickups "see" 250k when coils are split?


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Post subject: Re: Hss to sss conversion, 250k or 500k pots??
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 9:05 pm
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fenderfan wrote:
Martian wrote:
Here's a very easy way to solve your dilemma:

First, bear in mind that a 500K tone pot will have a larger sweep than a 250K tone pot. As far as these two values, one vs. the other is concerned, it is for the most part minimal in terms of the overall circuit's inherent tone.

Second, use a 500K pot to accommodate the humbucker.

Third, buy two 247K ohm resistors, readily available at Radio Shack or a similar store. They already come prepackaged as a pair and costs 99 cents, last time I checked.

Lastly, at your pickup selector switch, solder one resistor each from each single coil's hot wire to ground. This will alter the circuit to where the single coils "see" a 250K (or close enough) volume pot.

Problem solved and life goes merrily on. :wink:


Is there a variation that works with a Les Paul split coil setup? So that I can use 500k tone pots yet have the pickups "see" 250k when coils are split?



I really wouldn't put any transistors or resisters in my strat man, unless your wanting to tune in your favorite radio station. I just tonight installed a Atomic humbucker it has all 500k pots and a .047 cap sounds great. Atomic is a monster and the fat 50s sound so lush and straty. Do what you want but I run the same setup either way Singles or fat strat and it sounds perfect on whatever I plug in to.

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Post subject: Re: Hss to sss conversion, 250k or 500k pots??
Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 6:00 am
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fenderfan wrote:
Martian wrote:
Here's a very easy way to solve your dilemma:

First, bear in mind that a 500K tone pot will have a larger sweep than a 250K tone pot. As far as these two values, one vs. the other is concerned, it is for the most part minimal in terms of the overall circuit's inherent tone.

Second, use a 500K pot to accommodate the humbucker.

Third, buy two 247K ohm resistors, readily available at Radio Shack or a similar store. They already come prepackaged as a pair and costs 99 cents, last time I checked.

Lastly, at your pickup selector switch, solder one resistor each from each single coil's hot wire to ground. This will alter the circuit to where the single coils "see" a 250K (or close enough) volume pot.

Problem solved and life goes merrily on. :wink:


Is there a variation that works with a Les Paul split coil setup? So that I can use 500k tone pots yet have the pickups "see" 250k when coils are split?

Yes.

On the push/pull pot for the appropriate pickup, you'll see one side of the switch that is not being used. Solder a wire from the middle terminal of the unused side of the switch to the terminal of the volume pot that the pickup is wired to.

On the same side of that switch, solder one lead of the resistor to the top terminal with the other lead being wired to ground.

That's it.

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Post subject: Re: Hss to sss conversion, 250k or 500k pots??
Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 11:19 pm
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Thanks! Don't know why they couldn't do something like that in the factory for models with coiltap - should solve the compromise issue. I don't play the Les Paul much and been wishing I would have gone with a standard HH setup. Can't get that normal LP sound out of the 250k pots and the buckers aren't very impressive when split either.

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Post subject: Re: Hss to sss conversion, 250k or 500k pots??
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2015 6:00 am
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fenderfan wrote:
Thanks! Don't know why they couldn't do something like that in the factory for models with coiltap - should solve the compromise issue. I don't play the Les Paul much and been wishing I would have gone with a standard HH setup. Can't get that normal LP sound out of the 250k pots and the buckers aren't very impressive when split either.


You're welcome.

Certainly, we're not talking big bucks here in terms of production costs here. To your question though, there are three simple answers. They can be any one, pair or all three:

1. No one ever figured this out.
2. They don't have to figure this out.
3. They have figured this out but chose not to implement it.

Whichever, currently and realistically, this feature would not be a "make or break" decision for someone aiming to buy a guitar having coil tap capabilities.

Now that you've brought this issue to light, I'd venture to guess that it will become wildly mod popular and most likely start happening at some manufacturer(s) level(s) as well, complete with a snappy name for the circuit. So, congratulations in advance, you'll be making yourself and millions of other players quite happy, not rich but happy!

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Post subject: Re: Hss to sss conversion, 250k or 500k pots??
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2015 3:28 pm
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I just posed the question - you had the answer.

So guess it should be called "The Martian Mod".


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Post subject: Re: Hss to sss conversion, 250k or 500k pots??
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2015 3:59 pm
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:oops: :oops: :oops:
fenderfan wrote:
I just posed the question - you had the answer.

So guess it should be called "The Martian Mod".

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