Gibson Historic potentiometer....

[redshark]

I just want to share that I bought 4 of this pots to go on a heritage H150 and it blew me away that I took a lot more control of the guitar playing my express. It's a lot easier to get cleans cause when you go from 0-3 on your guitar volume pot it don't come as strong as modern pots.
I think their goal was to get closer in taper to the old centralab and although I think is not exactly the same to compare it to a 50 year old pot it gets a lot closer and I like them better than RS super pots which were the best until this bad boys....so if your guitar has short shaft pots give this ones a try!!!

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessor ... entiometer

[Structo]

I'm not sure I follow you.

Are you saying that Gibson is selling pots with vintage specs like the taper and feel is the same as the old ones?

[redshark]

Yes, I didn't believe it until I bought a set and just tried them, very very good!


http://www.gibson.com/absolutenm/templa ... rticle.htm

[vibratoking]

Those could be very interesting especially because the RS pots don't have the correct taper.

Notice the price of the bumblebees. Huh? Wow!!!!!!!!!!!

Historic Spec Bumble Bee Capacitors – 2 Pack
Straight from Gibson Guitar’s Historic Re-issue guitars come Gibson Gear’s new Historic Spec series – parts that have been specially designed to replicate the original parts used by Gibson in the late 1950s. This two-item set of .22 mfd Bumble Bee Capacitors look, perform and sound just like the original capacitors, which were used on late ’50s Les Pauls and vintage SGs. Famous for their tone (and their stripes!), the Historic Spec Bumble Bee Capacitors are specially made for Gibson and can help you achieve that sweet, full tone our legendary instruments are famous for. Put a little sting in your guitar. MSRP $114.99

[geetarpicker]

This is good news! I had posted measurements of one of my old '59 era Centralabs over at the Les Paul forum, see below. Others posted charts of the aftermarket pots and older historic pots. With the most recent era ('09 and forward apparently) Historic pots it appears Gibson finally got the taper right, actually it appears these pots come on even a hair slower than an old Centralabs. This isn't exactly period correct it will probably make them work quite well to control an Express/Liverpool. I haven't heard if they turn easily and/or if any dampening grease can be cleaned out. The old ones have no dampening grease period and had a great easy feel as long as they were clean and not corroded. I have yet to see a new pot that is dampening grease free but deoxit usually will get it out. Hopefully someone will report back on that aspect with these new pots. That said I have yet to try these new pots but will at some point as the specs look great.

More info here also, but you most log in to see:
http://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showt ... p?t=177608

GK

'59 Centralab Pot-----/----- '09 R9 Pot

"0"=30ohm ---0%------- .1--- 0%
"1"=2.5k -----.5%-------1.2k--.003%
"2"=15k-------3%---------9k---2%
"3"=31k-------6%--------19k---4%
"4"=44k-------9%--------28k---6%
"5"=59k------12%-------40k---8%
"6"=86k------17%-------58k--12%
"7"=195k----39% ------135k--28%
"8"=326k----65% ------287k--58%
"9"=467k----93%------440k---92%
"10"=499k-100%------474k--100%

Also copy & pasted from the LPF:

---------RS------------06-R6 -----------09-R9

"0" ----.3-- 0%-------- .3 -- -0%------ .1--0%
"1" -1.5k-.003%------1.3k --.003%---1.2k .003%
"2" --29k - 5%--------39k ---8%------- 9k 2%
"3" --66k -12%----- 115k --23%----- 19k 4%
"4" -103k -19%----- 180k- 35%------ 28k 6%
"5" -136k -25%----- 255k -50%------ 40k 8%
"6" -174k -32%------332k -65%------ 58k 12%
"7"--279k -51%----- 407k -80%-----135k 28%
"8" -379k -72%----- 465k- 93%----- 287k 58%
"9"--514k--94%---- 511k 100%----- 440k 92%
"10" 548k 100%---- 511k 100%----- 474k 100%

[redshark]

Glen, mine don't look like they have any grease. The feel is smooth, probably not so much as a 60 year old pot but as I said, this new pots work great with my express, I get great cleans and more control of the gain. I think I will buy a few to have as backup in case they discontinue this pots. For 12 bucks you can't go wrong!!!

Thanks for the charts posted!!

[rooster]

Yeah, funny thing is, Glenn's pot reads like a 10% taper pot. Which I can verify with a handful of early Centralab pots.

Myself, I have been using pots that are typically 30% taper, Hamer pots by CTS, like the RS pots, and thinking they are behaving well with the Express. Weird, isn't it?

I have to be honest and say that I have not used the Centralab pots because I didn't see the need. Well, OK, redshark and Glenn, I will install these and see what I think.

One other question? Do you guys, Glenn and redshark, think that the particular pickup has an influence on the pot? In other words, do you think that the real deal PAFs like the 10% and maybe some other pickup might not? Redshark, are you still running the Fralin Pure PAF? Hm. Comments?

The reason I ask this is because that I recently installed a vintage Melody Maker pickup and a TV Jones T-Armond in a hybred Strat style gtr, two Vols and one Tone, Tele switch - and - oddly enough - the 30% taper pots DID NOT perform as they typically do for me. In fact, the volume just dropped right off, much like a 10% taper pot did in my other guitars before I changed the pots. Honestly, it surprised the **** out of me. ?? Well, OK, tell you what, I will put those Centralab pots in there since they are 500K and let you know....

Glenn, as always, thank you for the detailed and forthright post.

[redshark]

Rooster, yes I'm still using the Fralin pure PAF. It is my favorite affordable PAF style pickup. I like the way this pickups sound with this historic pots better that it was sounding with RS super pots. I was trying to get cleans with my express setting my rhythm pickup volume in 3 like Glen does but I was getting some hair, now I understand why after I read the charts that Glen posted. My treble pickup is like 8.1k and the rhythm is 7.6k so you can't say that they are hot. It was just the pot's taper.
Other pickups that I love with the express are the throbak DT-102 MXV that I wish I could afford but still the Fralin pure PAF does it for me.

[racerx23]

Bugga, I want some of these pots but they don't ship to Australia!

[vibratoking]

I installed two Gibson Historic pots into the volume positions of a Les Paul this past weekend. Here is my experience:

1. The pots measured at 449k and 550k. Within 10% tolerance. I did not make detailed measurements as Glenn showed in an earlier post. I will do that with another pot soon.

2. One of the pots was defective and had a hole in the sweep where the volume jumped to max volume somwhere around '3' on the dial. I don't think I damaged the pot during soldering, but it is always a possibility. I will measure it with a meter after I remove and replace it. I bought the pots from Musicians Friend and they are sending me a replacement free of charge.

3. For the one that worked properly: I am very sensitive to the pot taper and these pots are great in that respect. The rolloff is very even across the full rotation of the pot. There is no volume jump like I have experienced with EVERY other pot that I have personally used. This includes the RS Superpot that many say has the 'right' taper.

[redshark]

Very interesting review vibratoking. Actually I had used so far 10 already with no problems. All of them perform great.
I put some on my LP jr. this weekend and I love them as well. I don't use them actually only for volume. I think they help the tone as well.
I measured the 4 I put on my heritage H150 and all go from 470k to 520k. I used the smallest value for my treble volume and the largest for the rhythm volume. The one in between for tones.

It works out great!!! Love this pots!!!

[billyz]

BTW,
CE has them for $7.85 ea.

[vibratoking]

CE has them for $7.85 ea.

They're $12.50 to us guys that have to buy from AES and we have to pay for shipping. Basically, the same price at MF and shipping is free if you're willing to wait. I got mine in 3 days.

[geetarpicker]

I just ordered a set of the historic pots to try out. I have old centralabs in both my Gibson historic LP and SG/LP, but one of these sets I pulled from my original '60 Gibson Melody Maker and IF the new pots work out I can put that guitar back to fully stock. I'll report back!

[martin manning]

Just for grins, here's the data Glen posted plotted along with a true 10%@50% log curve. Sure looks like the pot tapers are two linear segments trying to approximate a log curve...