Members dewees Posted April 24, 2008 Members Share Posted April 24, 2008 I am perfectly prepared to concede that I am woefully uninformed but.... How is replacing the original CTS pots and Switchcraft switch that came with a Gibson with another set of CTS pots and Switchcraft switch an "upgrade"? The pots and switch in my 335 have been working flawlessly for the past 25 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tweedledee Posted April 24, 2008 Members Share Posted April 24, 2008 It's not. Who told you that it was? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wah wah Posted April 24, 2008 Members Share Posted April 24, 2008 The pots and switch in my 335 have been working flawlessly for the past 25 years. If that's the case there's no need to 'upgrade'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members axepilot Posted April 24, 2008 Members Share Posted April 24, 2008 The pots and switch in my 335 have been working flawlessly for the past 25 years. You're good to go. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Phrostbit Posted April 24, 2008 Members Share Posted April 24, 2008 Only possible way it could be is if something were actually worn out on the old set. As its not. Fret not , or perhaps fret, but don't worry. --PB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members linthat22 Posted April 24, 2008 Members Share Posted April 24, 2008 What you need to upgrade those lovely pots and switch to these lovely Agile pots and switch I have. They have no name and reek with "rawk and ahhh" very relicy I might add. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dewees Posted April 25, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 I didn't feel any need to change them in my 335. I was just wondering about posts I have seen - or eBay ads - referring to what seems to me to be replacing a perfectly good set of pots and switch with exactly the same thing. These are usually the RS Guitarworks kits. I can see using one of these in an inexpensive Korean guitar. I can't understand how it's an upgrade to a Gibson that already has these parts. I was wondering if these folks were somehow just sucked in by some hype about these kits or if they really represented an improvement to what is already the industry standard in quality components. I'll try to find the posts I'm talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dewees Posted April 25, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 This is the kind of thing I mean: I use CTS or RS guitarworks pots. I think they are made by CTS. No. Gibson pots are not top of the line. You can install some 500K pots and caps along with a simple 50's wiring mod and open that Les Paul up, hearing tones you never thought it was cabable of producing. This is what I mean - These folks don't seem to know that Gibson pots ARE CTS pots. I was asking because I was wondering if something had changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members catsandstrats Posted April 25, 2008 Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 In my honest opinion there is a difference. Fender-wise at least. I have a MIA strat that I sold the loaded guard off of, then replaced with an aftermarket guard, but with the same pickups...there was a noticeable difference in quality of the sound...much less noise, and more responsive tone and volume pots. So the pots that Fender contracts for CTS to build, maybe they ask them to produce them as cheaply as possible??? Maybe their solder joints are not as solid? Maybe, and I know this is true, the wire they use is cheap as {censored}? At any rate, the aftermarket CTS wired with high quality wire is much better that standard MIA Fender... Cant speak about Gibson, the wiring in my SG sounds excellent with no noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members docjeffrey Posted April 25, 2008 Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 The whole pot/cap upgrade thing is like snake oil, if you ask me. If you can hear the difference in pots and caps (other than those obviously cheap far eastern pieces of garbage), more power to you. Since I can't, I'm saving my money for a new Johnny A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members catsandstrats Posted April 25, 2008 Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 The whole pot/cap upgrade thing is like snake oil, if you ask me. If you can hear the difference in pots and caps (other than those obviously cheap far eastern pieces of garbage), more power to you. Since I can't, I'm saving my money for a new Johnny A. I agree on the caps...but the pots and wiring were miles better. It was the first time I did a head to head comparison, and it was only a $50 upgrade. Well worth it, and I can tell you from experience, anyone could have known there was a difference. Think about this....Is there a difference between Texas Special pickups and American Standard pickups? They use basically the same parts, but there is a difference in construction. Is it so hard to believe that Fender CTS and regular CTS pots would be different? Just a thought... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Electric Blues Posted April 25, 2008 Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 1.- CTS has pots of different quality in its line up. Not all are equal. Are the best they produce the ones sold to Gibson, Fender, etc to brand? 2.- Never changed out a pot for the "tone". Only reason is to have a tone and/or volume control that works steadily, evenly and progressively along it's entire range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members catsandstrats Posted April 25, 2008 Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 1.- CTS has pots of different quality in its line up. Not all are equal. Are the best they produce the ones sold to Gibson, Fender, etc to brand?2.- Never changed out a pot for the "tone". Only reason is to have a tone and/or volume control that works steadily, evenly and progressively along it's entire range. I agree, but I think even the pots in a Fender American add noise to the signal to some degree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members _pete_ Posted April 25, 2008 Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 1.- CTS has pots of different quality in its line up. Not all are equal. Are the best they produce the ones sold to Gibson, Fender, etc to brand?2.- Never changed out a pot for the "tone". Only reason is to have a tone and/or volume control that works steadily, evenly and progressively along it's entire range. +1 The high quality CTS seems to have a much smoother and more precise taper. The nice part with the RS pots is that they are made to a very high spec and when you buy a set, they match the impedance of all the pots as closely as possible. I just replaced the pots in a PRS SE. The stock pots were Alphas and the volume control was more of an on/off switch. From 10 to 3 there was very little difference. With the CTS it's a very gradual drop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dewees Posted April 25, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 1.- CTS has pots of different quality in its line up. Not all are equal. Are the best they produce the ones sold to Gibson, Fender, etc to brand?2.- Never changed out a pot for the "tone". Only reason is to have a tone and/or volume control that works steadily, evenly and progressively along it's entire range. That's just the thing - Maybe it's different today, but the pots in my 335 have a very even curve. The volume pots for the neck and bridge pickup have a very well-calibrated effect in relation to each other and read very close to their 300K spec. Maybe Gibson doesn't have as close a tolerence today. But the 420-490K range of the "500K" CTS pots I got in a kit from RS Guitarworks for another guitar sure isn't better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Electric Blues Posted April 25, 2008 Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 That's just the thing - Maybe it's different today, but the pots in my 335 have a very even curve. The volume pots for the neck and bridge pickup have a very well-calibrated effect in relation to each other and read very close to their 300K spec. Then I'd guess those pots don't need to be changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members outtahear Posted April 25, 2008 Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 1.- CTS has pots of different quality in its line up. Not all are equal. Are the best they produce the ones sold to Gibson, Fender, etc to brand?2.- Never changed out a pot for the "tone". Only reason is to have a tone and/or volume control that works steadily, evenly and progressively along it's entire range. 1) Best ain't the issue-they produce different track materials, shafts, and tapers+tolerances. Willing to buy in bulk? They'll make whatever you want. 2) Not neccesscelery- higher K-values in l pots allow more hi-end (clarity, some say) from the pickup through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members outtahear Posted April 25, 2008 Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 That's just the thing - Maybe it's different today, but the pots in my 335 have a very even curve. The volume pots for the neck and bridge pickup have a very well-calibrated effect in relation to each other and read very close to their 300K spec. Maybe Gibson doesn't have as close a tolerence today. But the 420-490K range of the "500K" CTS pots I got in a kit from RS Guitarworks for another guitar sure isn't better. Just got an order of their new 'superpots' in Monday, and they all measure 554-563k ohms. Standard CTS 500ks from allparts, etc. measure lower-usually around 450k. (Most vintage 50-60s Gibson pots measure above 500k ohms) Adds a bit of clarity. I like it, because if the hi-end is a bit much, i can turn the tone knob down. Don't work the other way 'round;). (Interestingly, Eric Johnson model Fenders have 375k ohm vol pots for just that reason) As far as being exactly same spec, not necessary-your neck/bridge pickups aren't the same K-ohm. More important is value. Lots of prople replace the 300k to get rid of muddiness. You might not like the added hi-end the 500k adds, lots do (hence the change). I will say, that I like the taper of the RS superpots-great control if you ride the vol knob to clean up your amp. If you always leave the vol on 10, any 500k will do(as long as it's close to 500k+. But the 300 VS 500K vol difference is something you just have to try to see whether you like it or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members darkwaters Posted April 25, 2008 Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RaVenCAD Posted April 25, 2008 Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 2) Not neccesscelery Ya know, if you can't spell something, just throw in some letters and hope for the best.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members outtahear Posted April 25, 2008 Members Share Posted April 25, 2008 Ya know, if you can't spell something, just throw in some letters and hope for the best.. Actually, it's a Benny Hill-ism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Hill My spelling's fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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