SSS configuration with 500K pots

[jcmathews]

Hi - I'm getting ready to start modding a 2003 Squier Standard Strat with three single coils. Looked under the hood today and all three pots were 500K. I know that there are a lot of reasons why someone might choose those, but the default for single coils from the factory is generally 250K. Can anyone explain why they would use 500K pots? Or am I missing something? Thanks in advance!

 

[Stillhouse]

If I recall correctly, my Standard came with 500K pots in it. They got replaced with better ones anyway, so corrected the values as well.

 

[ghostwolf]

Don't know why, but it is fairly common anymore.
Supposedly, the 500 K pots allow more high end signal through, can't vouch for that, or that rolling the tone back halfway is roughly what a 250 K pot would sound like.
Myself, if they work, i don't change them.

 

[Guitarmageddon]

Hi - I'm getting ready to start modding a 2003 Squier Standard Strat with three single coils. Looked under the hood today and all three pots were 500K. I know that there are a lot of reasons why someone might choose those, but the default for single coils from the factory is generally 250K. Can anyone explain why they would use 500K pots? Or am I missing something? Thanks in advance!

They make hundreds of guitars per week - they supply guitars for not only Fender, and if you buy 10,000 500k pots that can be used on many guitars for humbuckers AND single coils, you save a few cents per guitar.....THAT is the only reason.....

 

[Kenneth Mountain]

500 k's are cheapest - almost every Squier I have ever seen , had, worked on, bought - had 500 k pots ?

 

[Kenneth Mountain]

Hi - I'm getting ready to start modding a 2003 Squier Standard Strat with three single coils. Looked under the hood today and all three pots were 500K. I know that there are a lot of reasons why someone might choose those, but the default for single coils from the factory is generally 250K. Can anyone explain why they would use 500K pots? Or am I missing something? Thanks in advance!

you have to experiment - some are as good as they are going to sound with 500's and some will sound better with 250's - nothings for sure !

 

[jcmathews]

Well, since I'm swapping out the pickups, I'll go with the 250Ks...but I'll hang onto the 500Ks, just in case. Thanks!

 

[Kenneth Mountain]

Well, since I'm swapping out the pickups, I'll go with the 250Ks...but I'll hang onto the 500Ks, just in case. Thanks!

that's a solid plan !

 

[cool gouhl]

I don't know the reason, cheaper, or availability, but I've had lots of guitars that have 500k with single coils or 250k on humbuckers. I can tell you that on my standard I switched my 500k to 250k and it made a huge difference. They went from being way too bright to sounding like vintage stat pickups.

 

[DougMen]

I've had some Strats with ceramic pickups that sounded dull with 250k pots, and sounded more "Stratty" with 500k ones. As always, let your ears be the judge.

 

[Wound_Up]

Don't know why, but it is fairly common anymore.
Supposedly, the 500 K pots allow more high end signal through, can't vouch for that, or that rolling the tone back halfway is roughly what a 250 K pot would sound like.
Myself, if they work, i don't change them.

I can vouch for that. I swapped 500k pots into mine in preparation for swapping in hb's. Due to a lack of correct pickguard, I didn't get to do the hb's but I still had 500k pots. It made a remarkable difference, imo, with all 3-500k pots. It was really noticeable once I compared it to another guitar just like it that has 250k pots, still.

That's exactly what it does. You can go on YouTube and search for DylanTalksTone, IIRC. He has a vid where he compares 250k to 500k pots and you can hear the difference yourself. That's what convinced me to do it, even without hb's. You still get the same sounds you would have with 250k pots if you don't turn it up to 10. And now you have a little extra, too. I'm not sure if it's the halfway point that gives you 250k. You'd have to check the taper with a multimeter, I'd guess, just to be sure.

I got my 500k CTS pots from True Custom Shop on Reverb and they were a matched set of 3-500k pots that all read exactly 525k. I was quite surprised by that as they weren't advertised as a matched set, just 500k pots, and I've read so many people complain about their pots all having different specs when tested. So seeing that was pretty nice.

 

[jefffam]

Many (most?) Squiers come with 500k pots. So many bragged on the 250k pots improvement in sound, I tried a set. They did radically change the sound, 1000% for the bad. They strangled the sound, no longer full and clear, muddled, dull and weak. Never again, SSS,SSH,HSH,HH all get 500k pots always.

 

[fattboyzz]

I bet Willie Nelson knows

 

[Kenneth Mountain]

I bet Willie Nelson knows

pretty much !