TRBX-505 rewiring question: pot value for volume and blend

[Aloe]

Hi,

I'm going to swap out the stock electronics in Yamaha TRBX-505 with an Aguilar preamp.

Aguilar manual says `use the pots suggested by pickups' manufacturer'. Actually I was going to keep those pots, but it seems like the stock volume and blend pots are wired directly to the stock preamp board (i.e. without cables -- they just sit on the board), so it may be easier to swap it all.

TRBX-505 electronics have a A250K pot for blending (probably that's not a real blend pot, as pickups seem blended at the preamp, not at this pot) and something marked `3J2' as a volume pot (googled and still have no idea what it is). The pickups are two alnico humbuckers.

From what I've read it seems like I want a 500k blending pot and a 250/500 one for volume. But I'm really not sure.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[line6man]

If you have passive pickups, then use 250k or 500k.

If you have active pickups, then use 25k.

 

[Aloe]

If you have passive pickups, then use 250k or 500k

Passive ones. The guitar is bright enough for me with stock electronics, so I think that 250k would be enough for volume (but I don't really know the difference, so appreciating any advice).

I'm able to buy both 250k and 500k volume pots and experiment with them anyway, but it looks like I will have to buy the balance pot online from abroad. Is starting with a 500k balance pot a good idea or I may need a 200-250K?

 

[line6man]

Passive ones. The guitar is bright enough for me with stock electronics, so I think that 250k would be enough for volume (but I don't really know the difference, so appreciating any advice).

I'm able to buy both 250k and 500k volume pots and experiment with them anyway, but it looks like I will have to buy the balance pot online from abroad. Is starting with a 500k balance pot a good idea or I may need a 200-250K?

It's really not worth fussing over. The difference is fairly subtle. 250k will give you a better taper, but 500k will give you a slightly brighter tone.

By the way, I would suggest that you choose an M/N taper blend, rather than an A/C taper blend, and preferably leave the ground wires off of each wafer. This gives the best performance.

 

[Aloe]

By the way, I would suggest that you choose an M/N taper blend, rather than an A/C taper blend

Many thanks for you suggestions. Two more questions:
1. How to I differentiate a M/N pot from A/C one? I'm looking for the pots online and it seems like allparts does not specify if it's M/N or A/C. The same question with a simpler answer: please recommend a M/N 250k blend pot that's available online.

and preferably leave the ground wires off of each wafer. This gives the best performance.

2. Err, do I get it correctly that I should not ground them? Or should I ground them, but independently?