Guitar electronics upgrade?

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GAS KING
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Guitar electronics upgrade?

Post by GAS KING »

source the parts separately or get a kit?
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rock flag and eagle
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

Post by rock flag and eagle »

those kits can be pricey, I'm cheap, so I'd source it. I buy most my electronics at mammoth electronics, their prices aren't bad and you could get just about everything you needed to upgrade the electronics
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Prelude670
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

Post by Prelude670 »

I was just shopping/researching into a kit for my LP.
I think I'm going with this RSGuitarWorks kit.
http://store.rsguitarworks.net/pre-wire ... haft/dp/66
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GAS KING
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

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looks like $30 plus shipping for 4 pots, 2 caps, 3 way switch, and 1/4" jack.

erm, yeah.

that seems like the way to go.
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Gunslinger
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

Post by Gunslinger »

I'm a cheap bastard as well, so pretty much everything I use I source, which is usually just a couple of pots and some wire. Saudering isn't hard. The only time I change shit out is when the pots wear out though.
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rock flag and eagle
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

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although I wouldn't mind trying out some PIO's caps in my SG, those will run you some money.
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Prelude670
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

Post by Prelude670 »

Hugh Jaynus wrote:looks like $30 plus shipping for 4 pots, 2 caps, 3 way switch, and 1/4" jack.

erm, yeah.

that seems like the way to go.



Well when you put it like that....
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GAS KING
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

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rock flag and eagle wrote:although I wouldn't mind trying out some PIO's caps in my SG, those will run you some money.


I was just looking......$22 each for the fancy ones.
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Yarbicus
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

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Lots of cool places for parts. I like guitarelectronics.com and they have an excellent database of wiring diagrams.
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GAS KING
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

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I'm looking to replace the stock stuff in my SG standard.

Hoping true 500k pots will open up the tone a little, so I don't have to replace the pickups.
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KCTigerChief
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

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30 bucks for all of that seems really high...figure a couple bucks for the pots (8 bucks), couple bucks for the switch (10), caps are cheap as shit and another couple for the jack...

Yeah, I'd be sourcing the parts myself :lol:
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Yarbicus
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

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KCTigerChief wrote:30 bucks for all of that seems really high...figure a couple bucks for the pots (8 bucks), couple bucks for the switch (10), caps are cheap as shit and another couple for the jack...

Yeah, I'd be sourcing the parts myself :lol:

Doesn't seem high to me if you are buying quality parts. If you are just buying the cheapest shit you can find, then why bother?
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Diddlybo
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

Post by Diddlybo »

In 35 years of playing I don't think I have ever changed electronics in a guitar, I just leave 'em stock. I've changed lots of pickups but not pots, jacks, etc.

Does it really make a big difference in tone?
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

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Diddlybo wrote:In 35 years of playing I don't think I have ever changed electronics in a guitar, I just leave 'em stock. I've changed lots of pickups but not pots, jacks, etc.

Does it really make a big difference in tone?

It definitely can.
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

Post by gb74 »

My SGs have a switchcraft switch and jack so no need to upgrade that. The tone controls are also already 500k. The stock caps are fine. I'd get 2 500k pots for the volumes and call it a day. It's what I did with mine.
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

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guitarbilly wrote:My SGs have a switchcraft switch and jack so no need to upgrade that. The tone controls are also already 500k. The stock caps are fine. I'd get 2 500k pots for the volumes and call it a day. It's what I did with mine.


All of the pot resistance in mine feel loose......not sure if it's from use or what, but the taper feels all wrong too.

I'm going to replace all the pots and the 3 way, and wire it up in the 50s wiring scheme.

Got a jack anyway for my Agile.
Last edited by GAS KING on Tue Feb 12, 2013 4:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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rock flag and eagle
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

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guitarbilly wrote:My SGs have a switchcraft switch and jack so no need to upgrade that. The tone controls are also already 500k. The stock caps are fine. I'd get 2 500k pots for the volumes and call it a day. It's what I did with mine.


get push/pull pots for tone and volume and you could do some cool things with those
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

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Yarbicus wrote:
KCTigerChief wrote:30 bucks for all of that seems really high...figure a couple bucks for the pots (8 bucks), couple bucks for the switch (10), caps are cheap as shit and another couple for the jack...

Yeah, I'd be sourcing the parts myself :lol:

Doesn't seem high to me if you are buying quality parts. If you are just buying the cheapest shit you can find, then why bother?


Alpha pots and switchcraft jacks are the cheapest shit???? :freak:

I mean, what does the 30 dollar kit come with? CTS pots I could see bumping the price up to that level...But you are the first person I've heard who thought Alpha pots and switchcraft jacks were cheap shit...Better throw away most of the amps and pedals you've ever used then :D

Side note...if we are talking CHEAP chinese shit, then you could easily buy all that stuff for about 7 bucks or less...
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GAS KING
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

Post by GAS KING »

It wasn't a kit. I just priced out the parts I needed in my cart.

I couldn't find them any cheaper.
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

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Hugh Jaynus wrote:It wasn't a kit. I just priced out the parts I needed in my cart.

I couldn't find them any cheaper.


Your username cracks me up every time I see it :lol:

Are there any push pull pots in your order? Those are expensive, and that would make sense. But mammoth has Alpha pots for about 2.25, and you can find them cheaper if you look around. That's what I was basing my numbers on. Just fyi :)
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Yarbicus
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

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KCTigerChief wrote:
Yarbicus wrote:
KCTigerChief wrote:30 bucks for all of that seems really high...figure a couple bucks for the pots (8 bucks), couple bucks for the switch (10), caps are cheap as shit and another couple for the jack...

Yeah, I'd be sourcing the parts myself :lol:

Doesn't seem high to me if you are buying quality parts. If you are just buying the cheapest shit you can find, then why bother?


Alpha pots and switchcraft jacks are the cheapest shit???? :freak:

I mean, what does the 30 dollar kit come with? CTS pots I could see bumping the price up to that level...But you are the first person I've heard who thought Alpha pots and switchcraft jacks were cheap shit...Better throw away most of the amps and pedals you've ever used then :D

Side note...if we are talking CHEAP chinese shit, then you could easily buy all that stuff for about 7 bucks or less...

Settle down there, cowboy! Didn't mean anything by it. And, yes, I was thinking CTS pots. I just checked out Mammoth and they do have really low prices on Alpha pots.
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

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rock flag and eagle wrote:
guitarbilly wrote:My SGs have a switchcraft switch and jack so no need to upgrade that. The tone controls are also already 500k. The stock caps are fine. I'd get 2 500k pots for the volumes and call it a day. It's what I did with mine.


get push/pull pots for tone and volume and you could do some cool things with those



To be honest, I even disconnected my tone controls completely. I really like my guitar to be as simple as possible. If I need a single coil tone, I just grab my strat. It sounds better than a split SG anyway :)
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

Post by KCTigerChief »

Yarbicus wrote:
KCTigerChief wrote:
Yarbicus wrote:
KCTigerChief wrote:30 bucks for all of that seems really high...figure a couple bucks for the pots (8 bucks), couple bucks for the switch (10), caps are cheap as shit and another couple for the jack...

Yeah, I'd be sourcing the parts myself :lol:

Doesn't seem high to me if you are buying quality parts. If you are just buying the cheapest shit you can find, then why bother?


Alpha pots and switchcraft jacks are the cheapest shit???? :freak:

I mean, what does the 30 dollar kit come with? CTS pots I could see bumping the price up to that level...But you are the first person I've heard who thought Alpha pots and switchcraft jacks were cheap shit...Better throw away most of the amps and pedals you've ever used then :D

Side note...if we are talking CHEAP chinese shit, then you could easily buy all that stuff for about 7 bucks or less...

Settle down there, cowboy! Didn't mean anything by it. And, yes, I was thinking CTS pots. I just checked out Mammoth and they do have really low prices on Alpha pots.


It's not just mammoth man...Alpha pots just aren't expensive :) CTS pots are great, and then if you do PIO caps, etc...then sure, you could spend 70 bucks doing this :lol:
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Yarbicus
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

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KCTigerChief wrote:It's not just mammoth man...Alpha pots just aren't expensive :) CTS pots are great, and then if you do PIO caps, etc...then sure, you could spend 70 bucks doing this :lol:

CTS kits can be had for around $40 and that is the route I typically go. Of course, my tool box is so full of parts right now that I rarely need to buy anything these days. Planning a full rewire of my RGX1212s and will likely go with CTS pots because, why not?
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Re: Guitar electronics upgrade?

Post by KCTigerChief »

Yarbicus wrote:
KCTigerChief wrote:It's not just mammoth man...Alpha pots just aren't expensive :) CTS pots are great, and then if you do PIO caps, etc...then sure, you could spend 70 bucks doing this :lol:

CTS kits can be had for around $40 and that is the route I typically go. Of course, my tool box is so full of parts right now that I rarely need to buy anything these days. Planning a full rewire of my RGX1212s and will likely go with CTS pots because, why not?


I dig CTS pots...In fact, that's what I'll be redoing my Epi LPC with when I get off my ass and actually do it :lol:
Bogner Ecstasy :: Bogner 4x12
Trinity Triwatt :: Custom 2x12 w/ Weber FC12's

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