It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:13 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 15 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: Lession learned?
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 7:03 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:05 pm
Posts: 336
Location: Oregon, USA
You know what happens when you upgrade your pots and 3 way switch to real Fender electronics? You find out just how crappy your pickups are. Grrr!!!
Not only that, you also suddenly find out that maybe the pots in your other guitars aren't really all that great either. The CTS pots are super smooth and no static noise whatsoever. It seems that I just never noticed this little issue before and now I have to upgrage my MIM Tele and my Ibanez AR200. Damnit, they were just fine last week!


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Lession learned?
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 8:43 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2010 4:33 pm
Posts: 43
Location: Shropshire, UK
Did you make sure all the wire connections where correct and soldered well?

I know when I had to re-install a pickup on one of my prev basses, I had to rewire the whole thing new wiring just so everything was upto scratch and making sure I get the best sound possible.
It only takes the slightest defect to ruin the whole thing :)

BSB

_________________
Basses
+Fender '51 Reissue Pbass
+Gibson '08 Thunderbird
+Gibson Les Paul Bass
+Ernie Ball MM '10 SR5

Amps & Equip'
+Marshall '82 JCM 800 + matching cab
+Fender Bronco 40
+Boss, Morley & EHX pedals
+Venom Leads


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Lession learned?
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 8:55 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:05 pm
Posts: 336
Location: Oregon, USA
Yes, all new cloth covered wiring. They are just cheap pickups, I knew this going into it. They have the most twang of any Telecaster pickups I've ever heard so I'm looking at getting a Fender Vintage Noiseless Tele Pickup Set for it because that's the sound I'm after.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Lession learned?
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 9:18 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2010 4:33 pm
Posts: 43
Location: Shropshire, UK
Ive never really been a fan of the MIM standard range, just something about them I can't quite put my finger on but they never seem up to standards as far as I'd say "that's the fender tone and feel"
At least your already part way there from turning it from MIM to MIA ;)

Don't forget to research the market and see what's best for you and your preferred tone, checking YouTube is always a good start.

BSB

_________________
Basses
+Fender '51 Reissue Pbass
+Gibson '08 Thunderbird
+Gibson Les Paul Bass
+Ernie Ball MM '10 SR5

Amps & Equip'
+Marshall '82 JCM 800 + matching cab
+Fender Bronco 40
+Boss, Morley & EHX pedals
+Venom Leads


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Lession learned?
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 9:26 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:05 pm
Posts: 336
Location: Oregon, USA
If one does nothing else, changing out the pots and the 3 way switch is worth the effort and since your in there, add cloth covered wiring and your favorite capacitor. Totally worth it and not very expensive. I actually bought another control plate so I could do the work and have minimal down time. Used all Fender parts and it worked like butter!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Lession learned?
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 5:01 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 3:52 pm
Posts: 2005
BrittB wrote:
Yes, all new cloth covered wiring. They are just cheap pickups, I knew this going into it. They have the most twang of any Telecaster pickups I've ever heard so I'm looking at getting a Fender Vintage Noiseless Tele Pickup Set for it because that's the sound I'm after.


I just swapped out my VN pups for the Dimarzio Twang-King set. The TK are not noiseless but I have not heard a big difference in noise output after the swap. The TK bridge pup is a world of difference from the VN. More "twang" ( duh! :lol: ). The neck wasn't as dramatic as the bridge swap. I'd say a bit better than the VN neck but not huge. ymmv.

_________________
-T

"You can't spend what you ain't got, you can't lose what you ain't never had" ~ McKinley Morganfield


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Lession learned?
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 5:11 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:05 pm
Posts: 336
Location: Oregon, USA
Looks like I can pick up a new set of the Fender Vintage Noiseless Tele Pickups off of eBay for around $93. May have to pull the trigger!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Lession learned?
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 12:41 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2007 10:59 am
Posts: 457
I bought a pair of these CTS "low torque" pots for my last Tele parts build.

I can't say the difference is huge compared to the regular CTS pots I have in other Teles, but they are mighty smooth for volume swells.

No affiliation with seller; just an occasional customer.

http://angela.com/cts450gsolidshaft250k ... etof2.aspx


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Lession learned?
Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 8:14 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:05 pm
Posts: 336
Location: Oregon, USA
The last switch over went so well that I decided to do my MIM Tele. This one didn't go so well as I used some pots from All Parts. There is a difference and the volume pot has a hum going on. I double checked all my wiring and solder joints and I think I did a way better job on this one too. I thought that maybe there was a bad ground somewhere but I couldn't find one. Last thing I did was add a jumper from one pot top to the other just to see if it made any difference, it cut it down but it didn't go away. Not sure what the deal is but I'm getting Fender pots next time, GC was out and I wanted to get it done!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Lession learned?
Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 8:24 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2011 6:21 am
Posts: 71
I'm getting closer to taking one of my Teles and wiring it as an Esquire; just for grins and giggles.

May look around for a beater Tele to do those on, one can never have too many.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Lession learned?
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 6:07 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 3:52 pm
Posts: 2005
BrittB wrote:
The last switch over went so well that I decided to do my MIM Tele. This one didn't go so well as I used some pots from All Parts. There is a difference and the volume pot has a hum going on. I double checked all my wiring and solder joints and I think I did a way better job on this one too. I thought that maybe there was a bad ground somewhere but I couldn't find one. Last thing I did was add a jumper from one pot top to the other just to see if it made any difference, it cut it down but it didn't go away. Not sure what the deal is but I'm getting Fender pots next time, GC was out and I wanted to get it done!



Everything in the signal chain has to be grounded to each other. From the pups thru the pots to the guitar jack. And that includes the bridge plate.

You could isolate where the hum is by wiring the pups to the guitar jack directly, one at a time to make sure they aren't the source.

_________________
-T

"You can't spend what you ain't got, you can't lose what you ain't never had" ~ McKinley Morganfield


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Lession learned?
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 5:40 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:05 pm
Posts: 336
Location: Oregon, USA
I've been wanting to replace that 16 year old jack anyway, now would be a great time I suppose! I'll try the isolation testing and see if I can't narrow it down a bit.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Lession learned?
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 1:30 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:05 pm
Posts: 336
Location: Oregon, USA
That was the problem alright! Replaced it with a Switchcraft and it's perfect now. I think I need to replace the chrome knobs now, one is starting to slip. Those new CTS pots are golden in my book and I was way too quick to bash them, sorry about that!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Lession learned?
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 2:42 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 3:52 pm
Posts: 2005
Congrats!

Nice work.

If the pot shafts are the split type, use a screwdriver to separate the shaft a bit.
Or, if the knobs have screws see if they still screw tightly and are not slipping.

_________________
-T

"You can't spend what you ain't got, you can't lose what you ain't never had" ~ McKinley Morganfield


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Lession learned?
Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 8:30 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:05 pm
Posts: 336
Location: Oregon, USA
I'll try the srewdriver trick as they are split shaft pots and see if that works but It's always fun going shopping for guitar bits! I have a BC Rich Mockingbird that I'm working on next.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 15 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: