Wiring upgrade query

mark_jwedge

I’m looking to upgrade the wiring harness on my PRS se Tremonti. I was just wondering, is it best to up grade just the pots and caps or the switch and jack as well?

ICBM

What's wrong with the existing ones? I'm pretty sure PRS use pretty decent ones in the SEs.

If there's a weak point it will be more likely to be the jack than anything else. Replace it with a US-made Switchcraft - only.

Second would be the switch, and again I would only use a Switchcraft.

The pots will be fine unless there's something you don't like about the taper.

The caps make no difference whatever.

mark_jwedge

@ICBM I haven’t played the guitar in a long while and recently dug it out again and have given it a bit of an overhaul with some new pickups, a few cosmetic things and a gotoh wrapover bridge with adjustable saddles. Over time the pots have got very noisy with a lot of crackling. Haven’t  been able to stop it with using servisol so thought about changing them. Plus I use a single channel amp and roll the volume back for clean and the pots that are in there seem to produce a very dark tone very quickly when rolling down.

The switch and jack are fine, hence my wondering if it would be worth replacing them at all. Would prefer not to if there is nothing to be gained from it as it would save a bit of money and work!

ICBM

In that case it does sound like you need new pots. It's worth changing the jack as well, all far-east ones are junk. The switches are usually OK though.

The bigger problem may be that in a guitar with that Les Paul-type arrangement, the amount of shielded cable is quite large, and the stuff they use in Korea seems to be fairly high-capacitance. This will give a fairly dark sound when you roll off the volumes, even with better pots.

You may be better rewiring it to "50s" wiring, that seems to preserve treble a bit better.

mark_jwedge

@ICBM ah, I see. I have managed to find a short shaft switch craft switch pre wired with braided wire. Would that help solve the capacitance problem?

ICBM

mark_jwedge said:

@ICBM ah, I see. I have managed to find a short shaft switch craft switch pre wired with braided wire. Would that help solve the capacitance problem?

Yes, if that's replacing all the cabling between the pots, switch and jack.

thegummy

If you get a tapered reamer - 

You will be able to use CTS pots in your SE. Couldn't be easier enlarging the holes, just takes a couple of turns of that tool and it's perfect.

normula1

You can get metric shafted CTS pots now.