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what is the difference 500k or 250k pots

Physically they can be identical in design and application.

BUT - electronically, the 500Ω pots tend to allow the HIGHS to be more evident and LOWER toned if they are the lesser values.

F'rinstance: I like the deep Motown tone and use the 250Ω post whereas a slapper or lead-type player may want the 500Ω valued pots for more brightness.

They are physically interchangeable for all intents and purposes, but there is a sonic difference that some can hear (better that other people).
 
so if i had a jazz bass, and i ran a 500k in the bridge and a 250 in the neck, would that be alright?

What you have to realize is that both controls affect the tone of the pickups. Two 250K pots in parallel presents a 125K load on the pickups. Two 500K pots is 250K. And that's not counting the tone control.

So mixing pots won't necessarily make the bridge pickup brighter and the neck darker, since they sum together at the output jack.

But it might help a little, and certainly won't hurt anything.

@SurferJoe46, here's the "deep" Motown sound isolated:

Link Removed

Probably a lot brighter than people expect, huh? That top end helps it cut through the mix. You would loose all the percussiveness if you removed the top end.
 
There must be a thousand threads about this.

The problem is you keep answering it the same every time...you need to change it up and keep it fresh. ;) We need more totally-subjective simile's....

500K pots are like white wine in summer: crisp, refreshing, but not a good accompaniment with red meats.

250K pots are more like a bold, top-fermented ale. Dark, rich, but still retain a bit of after-bite to remind you it's there well after the last sip.
 
what is the difference 500k or 250k pots

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The simple answer is 250.

really ...

the higher the number the brighter the lower the number the warmer.
 
I put up a thread a while ago with sound clips for comparing 250k and 500k pots. But IIRC, said sound clips didn't reveal anything more about how the pots sound than your run-of-the-mill verbal response to this question (which you can find in any one of the aforementioned thousands of threads about this): 500k's are brighter than 250k's. Kind of a waste of time, really.

Didn't this forum used to have a "USE THE FRIGGIN' SEARCH FEATURE BEFORE POSTING" sticky at one point?
 
On topic: for those who are engineer-minded THIS page demonstrates exactly what happens to a pickup loaded by various pots (look for fig. 14) and how it'll affect the sound.

Off topic:
But which wine is best for metal? (The kind distilled from blood?)
:hiding:

That'd be in case of black metal.
In case of power metal it's distilled from the water the Hammer of Thor has been quenched in after it had been forged.
In case of speed metal it's distilled from motor oil that's been used in a motorcycle of at least 750cc displacement.
In case of glam metal it's distilled from a blend of latex body paint and glitter with no less than 50% being glitter.

In case of prog metal, 15% is distilled water from a concrete lake, 20% of tears of someone waiting to sleep, 15% ground-up snake biting its own tail, 20% wine from the fine vintage of 2112, 5% porcupine needles, 15% constructed clouds and 15% dust from the wind. Blended at 9/8 of the maximum blending speed of a BlendTec blender. :smug:
 

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