SG electronics fun.

[Eagle]

Well, I have a 500k volume and a Parrish treble bleed in my Strats, too.

There is no hope

 

[HomespunEffects]

There is no hope

Well, you’d be proud. I tried a 1M in there and thought I went too far and took it out.

 

[la szum]

Those PCBs need to die. Permanently.

I just don't get them apart from a mass-produced, increase efficiency, this is how we do it here,
fuck the end user template. Just seems so much better to gut it and start over---especially on a
guitar that is loved and will be used for a long time.

 

[HomespunEffects]

Those PCBs need to die. Permanently.

I just don't get them apart from a mass-produced, increase efficiency, this is how we do it here,
fuck the end user template. Just seems so much better to gut it and start over---especially on a
guitar that is loved and will be used for a long time.

The only reasons to have the PCB is if you have a pull switch on all 4 pots or you have a buffer built into the guitar. But otherwise, they belong in the same pit of hell as mosquitoes.

 

[EOengineer]

I’ve settled on 500k pots wired in 50s style with a Parrish style treble bleed.

I’m going to need to research the Parrish treble bleed. I’ve never heard of it. Seems interesting.

I know it’s often said that with 50s wiring you don’t need a treble bleed but I tried it anyway and now I find that I use the volume control more. I find the tone consistent all the way down until it cuts off.

Ive read that treble bleed on 4 knob Gibsons usually ruins the middle position but maybe that’s only when used with modern wiring? Do you use the middle position much?

Doesn’t 50s wiring implicitly give you a treble bleed because of the volume pot/cap position?

 

[HomespunEffects]

I’m going to need to research the Parrish treble bleed. I’ve never heard of it. Seems interesting.

It seems to be less intrusive. The volume just gets lower. With the plain parallel cap and resistor the lower you go the more screechy the high end gets. It’s better with the Kinman treble bleed but the pot taper gets weird. The Parrish treble bleed has the least compromises. It’s what’s in the Fender Telecaster more often.

Ive read that treble bleed on 4 knob Gibsons usually ruins the middle position but maybe that’s only when used with modern wiring? Do you use the middle position much?

I always use the middle position because i have the PG Blues wrong way wound neck pickup.

Doesn’t 50s wiring implicitly give you a treble bleed because of the volume pot/cap position?

Don’t know. If it does it doesn’t work well enough for me.

 

[EOengineer]

After sitting on it a bit, this PCB is gonna go. This guitar deserves a traditional 50s wiring from scratch, including stepping up to 500k volume pots.

I’m looking at the RS Guitarworks Super Pots for volume and CTS audio for tone, but am open to suggestion if anyone has a strong opinion. Seems like the big players are CTS, Bourns, Alpha - but I’m seeing Dunlop and some other bigger companies selling pots I’ve never used.

 

[Eagle]

Cts is the way to go and RS (cts) aren’t my choice for a few reasons . First is the friction on them is too much for any swelling and the taper is bias towards cleaner tones. The Dimarzio ( also cts) are low friction same features and a better taper and cheaper. Bourns and Alpha are not as durable but their most premium offerings are ok.

 

[HomespunEffects]

Cts is the way to go and RS (cts) aren’t my choice for a few reasons . First is the friction on them is too much for any swelling and the taper is bias towards cleaner tones. The Dimarzio ( also cts) are low friction same features and a better taper and cheaper.

Yeah, I replace everything with CTS.

 

[EOengineer]

I was able to get packing foam under the bridge end of the pickups and it helped with the angle quite a bit, though not perfect. I have some higher density foam on order, thinking that will do a better job.

Somewhat surprisingly this helped with the volume balance issue I was experiencing. I was even able to drop the bridge more and nudge the neck pickup up a turn or so. I don’t hate these pickups, so I’m going to roll with them for now. Burstbucker Pros may happen down the line.

I’ve also decided to skip replacing all the pots, and am going to attempt to relocate the two caps to achieve 50s wiring. Not yet sure if I can just clip the existing cap and free run a new one with the correct lug locations, or if I need to physically cut the trace on the PCB. I’d prefer not to permanently damage the PCB if I can avoid it.

 

[Eagle]

View attachment 47535

I was able to get packing foam under the bridge end of the pickups and it helped with the angle quite a bit, though not perfect. I have some higher density foam on order, thinking that will do a better job.

Somewhat surprisingly this helped with the volume balance issue I was experiencing. I was even able to drop the bridge more and nudge the neck pickup up a turn or so. I don’t hate these pickups, so I’m going to roll with them for now. Burstbucker Pros may happen down the line.

I’ve also decided to skip replacing all the pots, and am going to attempt to relocate the two caps to achieve 50s wiring. Not yet sure if I can just clip the existing cap and free run a new one with the correct lug locations, or if I need to physically cut the trace on the PCB. I’d prefer not to permanently damage the PCB if I can avoid it.

You don’t need to cut the pcb. Just point to point redo the route with jumper wire and the new cap. You still have easy access to the pot contacts and you can tap in to ground on the pcb easily.

 

[ispunk]

500k pots FTW. i replaced everything on my SG and Flying V

 

[Chocol8]

If you don't use a fuzzface or other sensitive fuzz, I would suggest an onboard buffer instead of a treble bleed. It preserves the tone evenly, and you can put it on a switch and have the option of the treble roll off or the buffered tones with no high end roll off. That's how Warren Haynes runs his Les Paul's, or at least some of them.

 

[EOengineer]

You don’t need to cut the pcb. Just point to point redo the route with jumper wire and the new cap. You still have easy access to the pot contacts and you can tap in to ground on the pcb easily.

I thought I understood this until I didn’t, daft American and all.

I’m with you on running a point to point connection between the pots with a new cap, but how to I break the existing cap connection between the pots? Clip the PCB cap?

Just Proxy the Fractal model.

Ew no I don’t want to get Fractal on my L6!

 

[Eagle]

I thought I understood this until I didn’t, daft American and all.

I’m with you on running a point to point connection between the pots with a new cap, but how to I break the existing cap connection between the pots? Clip the PCB cap?

Ew no I don’t want to get Fractal on my L6!

Just desolder it.

 

[LCW]

Ok so the next project will be adding some high density foam wedges to flush the pickups to the strings and not the body.

You can also get foam piece that are about half the width of the cavity and put under the end of the pickup you want to raise/angle up.

 

[LCW]

Emerson makes a reasonably priced drop in pre-wired set of pots/caps. I did that on a guitar similar to yours a few years back. Sounded great!

 

[EOengineer]

I wanted to keep this as non invasive as possible but as I started digging in quickly realized it’s far too cramped to work in the electronics cavity. Found a little trick - a shoelace under the top hats helped pop 2 stuck knobs off the shafts, and a 1/2 inch socket wrench worked BEAUTIFULLY to remove the nuts without risking any damage to the finish.

I popped the .022uf caps off the board with a twist of the old needle nose pliers. I’m never going back to modern wiring, no big deal.

Once this storm clears I’ll pull the PCB onto the back porch to add the caps into the right positions and hopefully this thing assembled again.

Oh - Gibson did a real shit job on the parts of this circuit that are hand wired. 2 of the 3 connection on the 3 way switch disconnected basically immediately with very little pressure. I’ll have to fix those connections as well.

 

[Chocol8]

Gibson did a real shit job

I am SHOCKED like completely SHOCKED I tell ya!!!

 

[EOengineer]

Well, now I’ve done it.

I soldered the new caps from the middle lug of the volume pots to the left-most lug on the tone pot and now the pickups sound like the tone knobs are rolled all the way down and the tone knobs don’t do anything.

I have ground continuity on all 4 pot casings as well as on the switch and output jack. Not sure what could have goofed here. Guess it’s time to undo my changes and try again.