Hi there,I'm considering changing the humbucker in my silhouette special.Its actually a great humbucker but I fancy something a bit hotter and with a warmer tone.Ive decided to go for the Dimarzio AT-1 which is andy timmons signature pickup I believe.This pickup needs 500k pots to be at its best I have read.The guitar comes stock with 250k pots is that correct?If there are 500k pots installed the single coils will be super bright as a result.Is this correct?Im not too familiar with guitar wiring etc so really have no idea about this sort of thing.Is there a way for the humbucker to see a 500k pot and the singles to see 250k?As I mentioned above i think the stock humbucker is pretty damn good,so I dont mind leaving it in there and I dont want to sacrifice those lovely cleans.I have seen vids of a few people with the AT-1 installed in the silo but they always had a single coil sized humbucker in the neck as well.There may have been a similar thread on here i read a while back but couldnt find it at short notice(in work).Any help is much appreciated.Cheers
- Thread starter danaconda
- Start date
Steve Nukather
Well-known member
I'd stick with 250K.
Siddius
Well-known member
If you are playing stuff with more soaring leads, I would say yes. Mine didn't feel usable for what I do until I changed the pot and bridge bucker.
So when you changed the pots to 500k and the bridge humbucker,how did the single coils sound?I have read that single would get painfully bright with 500k pots.
agt
Well-known member
Options:
1) Install the AT-1 and leave the 250k ohm pots intact. Simplest. If this satisfies you, case closed. If not ...
2) Install the AT-1 and change pots to 500k ohms. If the single coils sound good, done. I have used 500k ohm pots w/ true single coils and loved the results. And not loved the results. Depends on the guitar. If not, revert to option 1. Or go to 3 ...
3) Buy a new blank HSS pickguard, an extra Molex connector, 500k ohm pots, an AT-1, two Dimarzio bridge Cruiser pickups, and install a treble bleed mod for the true Timmons experience. Keep the original pickguard assembly stock in case you ever want to go back. The cost is a bit higher, but you have the best of both worlds.
I have done option 3 (except I have an Area 58 in the middle) and love the tones from my Silo Special.
Good luck.
1) Install the AT-1 and leave the 250k ohm pots intact. Simplest. If this satisfies you, case closed. If not ...
2) Install the AT-1 and change pots to 500k ohms. If the single coils sound good, done. I have used 500k ohm pots w/ true single coils and loved the results. And not loved the results. Depends on the guitar. If not, revert to option 1. Or go to 3 ...
3) Buy a new blank HSS pickguard, an extra Molex connector, 500k ohm pots, an AT-1, two Dimarzio bridge Cruiser pickups, and install a treble bleed mod for the true Timmons experience. Keep the original pickguard assembly stock in case you ever want to go back. The cost is a bit higher, but you have the best of both worlds.
I have done option 3 (except I have an Area 58 in the middle) and love the tones from my Silo Special.
Good luck.
Siddius
Well-known member
I have a silhouette. not a special, so I couldn't tell you about the neck pickup. I still like the neck + middle tone, but it was admittedly nicer with the 250k. Again, if soaring leads is what you are after, then I would say 500k pots would be great, but, then again, you might just want a slightly hotter and brighter pickup than you originally thought in order to get that soaring while sticking with the 250k pots. It also doesn't clean up quite as well with the 500k pots - but, mind you, I am going through a super high gain amp - though with the 250s I could still clean up well while in high gain mode.. I've got a Bare Knuckle Painkiller in the bridge. It can definitely scream.
Ya ive decided to stick with 250k pots for now.Just to hear how it sounds.Should have it wired up some day this week.Im looking for a hotter bridge pickup but also looking to warm the tone up a fair bit.Its a tad bright through my mark v.Although i think thats a mark v issue.I dont think I like mesa tubes as my tone knob is on like 5-6 and the presence on the amp is nearly off.They seem to be brighter than other tubes.
