500k pots and a capacitor change to spice up a mini-humbucker?

[Diesel Kilgore]

Really considering the Gretsch 2210 as my next bass. However it doesnt have the well recieved TV Jones mini-humbucker.

I havent heard bad about the Gretsch MH thats in it, but im already thinking of some easy mods to make it hotter sounding. With just some pots and a cap I could do it cheap.

Im thinking louder, more sensitive and more tone options.

Would 500k pots be the direction to go? Also what mf cap would help me tonally? Prefering a higher top end but also being able to get really deep humbucking tones. Basically a full spectrum of tone.

[iiipopes]

What it sounds like you want is a 250kohm audio taper pot for the volume control to keep the resonant peak down and flatten the pickup response, and a 500kohm linear taper pot with a .047 capacitor to go from as bright as this pickup will do all the way down to dub tones.

[bongomania]

Honestly, don't get your hopes up. Raising the pot values will allow a bit more treble when the pots are fully open; and changing the cap will change the slope at which the tone pot rolls off highs. Neither thing will get you louder or more sensitive, and the "tone options" will just be whatever one change to the slope of treble rolloff.

[line6man]

Originally Posted by iiipopes

What it sounds like you want is a 250kohm audio taper pot for the volume control to keep the resonant peak down and flatten the pickup response, and a 500kohm linear taper pot with a .047 capacitor to go from as bright as this pickup will do all the way down to dub tones.

Other way around. Linear tone pots tend to behave as switches. You would have to roll down one-half the rotation to get to the same resistance setting as a 250k tone pot on full, and three-quarters of the rotation to get to where the average 250k log taper tone pot is, at about one-fifth of the rotation from full. This means that most of the usable range of resistance variation (For most pickup impedances, anyway) is packed into a very small range of the rotation, while the rest of it has little effect.

For the volume pot, it is arguable that the linear taper is smoother, but there are enough threads on that debate that the OP can do a search. In any case, 250k would not be preferable if he wants a brighter or hotter output. I agree with Bongomania, however, that pots tend to make subtle differences.

As a side note, indeed 250k will lower the resonant peak, versus 500k, but the frequency response does not flatten. It does the opposite.

[Diesel Kilgore]

Originally Posted by iiipopes

What it sounds like you want is a 250kohm audio taper pot for the volume control to keep the resonant peak down and flatten the pickup response, and a 500kohm linear taper pot with a .047 capacitor to go from as bright as this pickup will do all the way down to dub tones.

So changing the tone pot to 500k would be the way to go. You basically have my idea right on. As high and as low as the pickup can do. That way I will have more options. Theoretically.

[line6man]

Originally Posted by Diesel Kilgore

So changing the tone pot to 500k would be the way to go. You basically have my idea right on. As high and as low as the pickup can do. That way I will have more options. Theoretically.

Increasing the tone pot value will yield only a slight increase in treble, for most pickup impedances.

[Diesel Kilgore]

I see. I have always been under the impression that 500ks were trebbly open up the pickup type pots. I may just look into a replacment pickup. Thanks for the replies.

[acebase62]

I have had good results using 500k volume pots and a Fender TBX tone control in basses with hum-cancelling pickups.

Of course string condition plays a role in clarity as well.