EMG pots

[Creeping Death]

The pots that came with the emg are what, 250ks, right? Whats the difference between those and the ones on my ibanez rg1570? cuz I only installed the 81, I had an 85, but I had to pay a friend back 40 bucks, and I was low on cash, I have 100 bucks again for an 85, but, anyways, whats the difference? Are the 250s better for my wood and stuff? please explain someone.

 

[Sunbane]

Nope nope. The EMG pots are 25k pots, not 250k. This is because they're an active, low impedance system. While you can use the EMG's with higher value pots, it's not desirable - because the pot becomes more of an on/off switch than a pot: At 0 you have no signal, then at 1 you get 50% output - which means you won't be doing any smooth volume fades with those pots.

Traditionally, 500k pots were used for guitars with humbucking pickups (i.e. Gibson), while 250k were used for singlecoils (Fender). I believe most major manufacturers stick to this principle, but I can't say how Ibanez does. My Jackson had 500k pots in it.

'bane

 

[Bryant]

Similar to what Bane says EMG (active) pickups are electronic. What I mean is they have elctronics built into the black housing and those electronics are designed to be used with a 25 thousand ohm potentiometer (25K pot) Radio Shack will probably have one suitable for your needs though you might have to use a different style volume knob. If you use a 250 k or 500k pot, you will have to turn the volume up almost to 100% before you can start hearing the guitar.


Bryant

 

[Creeping Death]

Oh, I see what you mean, yeah, I'll have to go to Gc tommorow, buy the 85, remove the pots, and all the unecessary wiring ( I only need one combination, bridge and neck ). Also, the cavities for my pickups are rather small, I had to literally chisel part of my guitar pup cavity away, it was shitty.

 

[Sunbane]

If you use a 250 k or 500k pot, you will have to turn the volume up almost to 100% before you can start hearing the guitar.

According to my experience, it's the other way around; the pickups get louder with higher value pots. It doesn't make sense to me, but I've learnt this from trial and error. My first guitar with an EMG had 500k pots in it - and it had the "on/off" effect going with the volume knob. Nothing at "0" and almost all at "1". It was also louder than any of the EMG guitars I've owned since - I even had a soundtech go bugeyed over how loud she was. And this was just a single EMG-58 running off a 9v battery.

If you'd run passive pickups through the EMG pots, I think you'd get the effect you're describing - although that is a guess on my part. I can't explain why, as I'm not in on the electrical theory behind it (and it does seem to defy plain everyday logic).

'bane

 

[Bryant]

If you'd run passive pickups through the EMG pots, I think you'd get the effect you're describing - although that is a guess on my part. I can't explain why, as I'm not in on the electrical theory behind it (and it does seem to defy plain everyday logic).

'bane

You might beright Bane. I am experienced with active pickups, but it has been a looooooong time, and I was going on theory as opposed to experience as I flat out have forgotten. In my old age, I am too lazy to screw with pulling off my backplate every time I forget to unplug my guitar and then go searching through the house or run to the convenience store to come up with another nine-volt battery just so I can play with a pickup that doesn't sound much different than one that came in a cheap Korean Ibanez I own.
I have no problems with people that want these things as I would have died for one fifteen years ago (and did buy one) and I don't mind helping them out, but if someone gave me one, it would be on E-bay in the next day or so.


Bryant