Gibson Historic Spec Pots??

[jamison162]

What's so special/different about these? Anyone use them...what kind of readings did you get?

 

[walterw]

i've never bothered.

better quality CTS pots are available from other sources for less money.

(dimarzio sells about the nicest i've found, and for not too much.)

 

[GuitarsFromMars]

I got a set of Gibson 'brand' audio taper pots in '03, when I got my 'Stinger' LP, from the Nashville factory at my request (the linear taper did not work well for me) and I used them, but never measured them.

I now have a set of WCR 'brand' pots that were all measured over 500K ohms.

They sound better, different from the Gibson labeled audio taper pots, I have left them in.

 

[Chris Scott]

Waste of dough, imo.

...like walter said, better to get CTS from somewhere else (Allparts seems to be the most popular) and save money buying a better product.

Great example of this, is a Gibson Historic alloy stop bar, verses a Gotoh...

...only about a $140. difference

 

[brianr0131]

Walter is right about the Dimarzios too...they really have such a great taper and are definitely the smoothest turning pots I have ever touched.

I don't think I've seen long shaft ones though if you need them

 

[loud-acoustic]

Agreed, tired lots of pots and the nicer CTS especially the ones from RS Guitarworks really do make a difference.. the gibson pots in my historic custom shop I replaced were really bad (no taper like and on/off switch almost, didn't sound good either).

 

[jamison162]

The Historic Spec pots are CTS from what I understand.

 

[Chris Scott]

The Historic Spec pots are CTS from what I understand.

Selling a basic, properly designed OEM (as in what Fender uses on everything they produce OEM) component, and calling it something special - gotta love those folks in Gibson's marketing division...

My experience w/ Gibson pots is the same as many others here, and it's a constant source of amazement to me when I, for example just today, wire up a $4K CS instrument with basic CTS pots to realize an audible improvement.

...not to bash Gibson, just sharing my, well...amazement.

 

[jamison162]

Selling a basic, properly designed OEM (as in what Fender uses on everything they produce OEM) component, and calling it something special - gotta love those folks in Gibson's marketing division...

My experience w/ Gibson pots is the same as many others here, and it's a constant source of amazement to me when I, for example just today, wire up a $4K CS instrument with basic CTS pots to realize an audible improvement.

...not to bash Gibson, just sharing my, well...amazement.

An audible improvement is very vague and I suspect it's more of the resistence value that you're hearing more than just a "basic CTS pot". Unless your replacement pots all measure exactly the same as the stock pots.

 

[walterw]

Yeah, that sounds like the typical result of bagging the 300k linear volumes for the 500k audios that should be in there.

Also, the dimarzio long shaft pots are every bit as nice and easy-turning as the short-shafts.

 

[Chris Scott]

The vol. for the neck pup I removed was 480K, the tone for the bridge was 484K, the rest were in the high 490's.

I realize that I am, when compared to the collective guitar-buying demograph, splitting fine hairs here, but anyone that plays a Gibson 'bucker-equipped guitar on the neck position knows that even a little bit of extra air helps a lot.

 

[walterw]

interesting. so we're talking going from high 400s to what, low 500s?

were the volumes linear taper? and did you do anything different about "modern" vs."50s" wiring?

 

[Chris Scott]

Yup, and the ones I installed were 506-508 if I recall - I go through 'em when I get them, and make sure they're all atleast on spec. Good question re. the taper, (they went into the circular file) and I did indeed wire it up to one of the 50's schemes - though when wide open this isn't going to change the amount of "sparkle," (my word for the day) right?

 

[walterw]

yeah, it should be the same wide open. that points to the difference in resistance being enough to hear, i suppose.

 

[jamison162]

yeah, it should be the same wide open. that points to the difference in resistance being enough to hear, i suppose.

I went from a 498k bridge vol to a 540k (via alligator clip testing, bot RS superpots) and really liked how it opened up and gave my single note lead lines more bite. But that's 42k there, definitely audible.