using resistor 500k to 250K

[spower]

SSH Strat.
I can't find much info. But Some how you use a resistor. What value? And where to you place it to make the pot go to 250K from 500K when you switch to single coils. Will I need to use a super 5-way or can I use normal 5-way? I know it's got to be simple.

[asmith]

Spower,

We're not sure exactly what you want. Are you just saying that you have a SSH-configuration Strat, and that you want the values of the pots to be 500k when you use the humbucker, but 250k when you use the single coils?

If so, this is indeed possible (sort of) with a 5-way superswitch. However, turning down to about 7 or 8 on a 500k pot gives you a reading of 250k. So we usually just say, "Don't bother - if you want a value of 10 for your single coils, re-imagine it as a value of 8."

Take a look at your 500k pots again. If you think about it a little differently, they go to 11.

[spower]

I really would rather go the resistor route.

[JohnH]

The change from 500k pots to 250k is quite small, and as noted above, turning the tone control down gives exactly the same tonal result. Presumably the single coils are at M and N positions. Personally. I always like to be able to get a bit more brightness rather than less from the neck pickup.

But if you do find the neck and middle pickups to be too bright, with a 500k volume pot, and don't want to have to set the tone control, there are easy ways to add a resistor, or two. Probably what you would want is a 500k fixed resistor (actually 470k is the nearest standard value) . Unless you have other unusual switching happening, you can keep the standard 5-way switch.

The simplest way I can think of is to get two 470k resistors and wire them directly across each of the N and M pickups, ie from ground, to the pickup hot wire. No change to anything else. The pickup then sees a load of 470k in parallel with a volume pot of 500k, which is close to a total of 250k, not including the tone pot. Obviously, you can experiment with higher and lower values, and have different values for the N and M if you wish.

Since these additions don't affect the B pickup, it will still see just the 500k pot(s)
John

[ashcatlt]

If it's wired like a normal strat, and the HB is in fact at the bridge, then reducing the value of the Tone pots themselves will achieve the same result. They're not selected in the bridge only position.

[spower]

Now I'm getting there.
I do not have a 500K resistor (everthing but). I can take (2) 1 meg resistors run them in parallel = 500K. Making the 500K pot read 250K.
Then as per JohnH : wire them directly across each of the N and M pickups, ie from ground, to the pickup hot wire.

I do not even want the Hbucker going to the tone pot.
I'm running 1 vol 1 tone. I only use the tone on the n,n/m setting. Mostly neck for that woman tone. Tone on 0.

Now I'll have 1 extra pot hole on the guitar. If I have trouble with the resistor wiring I'll 250K pot on N/M and 500K on the Hbucker. But I want the other pot hole for future peizo.
I wish I had I schem for this. I'll have to make one unless someone has one.I hope I hope!

[ashcatlt]

You're aware that this mod won't have any noticeable effect with Tone at 0?

[spower]

Tone will effect my SS got the caps for it. Just tricky wiring