HenrikB Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 I'm thinking of replacing the stock electronics in my H-150 with a RS-kit. Do you guys have experience with these? Did you use long or short shaft?
DetroitBlues Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 They are expensive, but if you look at what they are using, you can piece together your own for a fraction of the price. There is some differences, like they have a CTS pot that is specially made for them. Not sure exactly whats so special, but you can buy the same components elsewhere....
fretless Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 I just did the rewire on a LP with a Jonesy kit http://www.heritageownersclub.com/forums/topic/18482-50s-style-diy-rewire/, the LP needed it be my Heritage has the good stuff so depending on your Heritage ( post a pic) it may not be a "upgrade" The reason you would want to go with Jonesy or RS is because they are able to test and check all the parts and reject ones that don't meet their specs . You can buy 100 CTS pots , caps and things and they'll test all over the map .
MartyGrass Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 I've had a couple of guitars with RS harnesses. And I've certainly changed out components on a few more. My advice is to not fix what isn't broken. Most of the time the stock components work fine but sometimes the roll off of the pot is erratic. That's when I'd get the soldering iron out.
kidsmoke Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 like they have a CTS pot that is specially made for them. Not sure exactly whats so special, but you can buy the same components elsewhere.... This is a question I have as well. I'm about to pull the trigger on this, and have been leaning towards a mojotone kit. I know they are well regarded with the amp kits, so it seems to me they MUST know their pots, and despite their reputation, they are a fraction of the cost of RS. What gives? I know some of you on the board have gone with RS and are "discriminating shoppers"...why did you go the RS route? henrikB, thanks for raising the issue! i didn't chime in on your other thread, but nice playing! fretless, I'm gonna look into the Jonesy kit!
NoNameBand Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 I have 6 guitars they did for me. Love RS. My H-150s used Short shaft. However, Billy will know what to put in to it. Just tell Billy the result you want and he'll know how to get it. They've done set-ups for me, fret work, electronics, intonation etc. Great people and great work. I highly recommend them.
DetroitBlues Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 I have 6 guitars they did for me. Love RS. My H-150s used Short shaft. However, Billy will know what to put in to it. Just tell Billy the result you want and he'll know how to get it. They've done set-ups for me, fret work, electronics, intonation etc. Great people and great work. I highly recommend them. Are they local to you or did you send them your gear?
NoNameBand Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 Are they local to you or did you send them your gear? About an hour drive each way.
Trouble Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 About an hour drive each way. I wish I was that close, my tech is out of commision for several months, I don't know who I'm going to use if I need some work done.
tbonesullivan Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 if you haven't yet, learn how to do your own setups. Stewmac has all the measuring tools, wrenches and lubricants you'll need. But the most important tool is your own hand. Find an action and relief setting that YOU like. It might be different for each guitar. For "shredder" guitars I'm going to want a lower action than I want on my Semi-hollows. but also every neck is different, so a higher action might feel better on some necks.
MartyGrass Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 if you haven't yet, learn how to do your own setups. Stewmac has all the measuring tools, wrenches and lubricants you'll need. That's great advice. You gotta understand your tools. And making adjustments is half the fun. There's a book written by a reporter who moved to the arctic region to learn about survival there. The first thing the natives made him learn was how to tear down and rebuild a snow mobile. This took a couple of months to master. Only then could he go out on the hunts. Why the emphasis on mastering the snow mobile? Simply put, survival. Why do you need to know how to set up your guitar? Well, maybe it's not survival, but you will feel better about the whole situation.
NoNameBand Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 Why do you need to know how to set up your guitar? Well, maybe it's not survival, but you will feel better about the whole situation. Though it may not be survival, it's really about learning what you want from your guitar. Getting to know your guitar and learning how to get what you want from your guitar instead of what somebody else thinks you should want and setting it up to their standards. Learn, define and achieve your own standards.
kidsmoke Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 hey guys, this is all good stuff! BUT....... in deference to the original poster (and because I'm eager to hear!) What is the reason that the RS wiring harnesses are worthy of such premium pricing? I trust that they're excellent, but are they twice as excellent, component wise, than the reputable competition? This has nothing to do with the skill of the tech's/luthiers who may be installing them. No doubt RS folks are top notch (jealous!)
NoNameBand Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 hey guys, this is all good stuff! BUT....... in deference to the original poster (and because I'm eager to hear!) What is the reason that the RS wiring harnesses are worthy of such premium pricing? I trust that they're excellent, but are they twice as excellent, component wise, than the reputable competition? This has nothing to do with the skill of the tech's/luthiers who may be installing them. No doubt RS folks are top notch (jealous!) They're parts/components, wire and assemblies are superior to the rest. Most of what is out there are not up to the same specs including the CTS pots are of a higher standard in tolerances, tone caps are much better. I have priced the parts separately and it is cheaper to get the assembly from RS. Call Billy (859) 737-5300) and he can really drill down to the advantages.
MartyGrass Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 Why are they worth the extra money? In my case it was this simple- Billy. He came up with a unique harness for me that minimized treble roll off in my master volume. For the average Heritage, stock works well usually.
JackBaruth Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 I have the RS Jimmy Page kit in a sunburst H-150 and it sounds great. I don't know if it's a good value, but we're not talking about buying a $25,000 PRS Dragon here. The time saved in buying their pre-soldered kits is highly useful to me. Yes, I've done my own wiring in an H-150 and I was annoyed and concerned the whole time I did it.
Spectrum13 Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 5 Heritage guitars 5 RS kits. Tell Billy what you are looking for and install it. Quality parts and expect advice. Order during the holidays or one of their sale and get 20% off.
GuitArtMan Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 They're parts/components, wire and assemblies are superior to the rest. Most of what is out there are not up to the same specs including the CTS pots are of a higher standard in tolerances, tone caps are much better. I have priced the parts separately and it is cheaper to get the assembly from RS. Call Billy (859) 737-5300) and he can really drill down to the advantages. Not to be a pain in the rear (ok, I like being a pain in the rear) but their 550K "Super Pots" are 10% out of spec 500K pots, hardly precision (which is plus or minus 1%) by any stretch of the imagination. The "Luxe" caps they sell (ok others sell them too) are just surplus paper and oil caps with a cover on them to make them look like the vintage parts they are supposed to emulate. How many people have CTS pots specially made for them anyway? RS? ACME Guitar Works? Dr. Vintage? More? My guess is their pots are standard run of the mil CTS pots that CTS just knows what they are looking for. "Hey we can sell all out +10% pots to RS and they'll sell them as 'Super Pots'". I've gotten good and bad pots from RS. Just as I have from ACME, WD, All Parts, Warmoth, etc. I haven't seen or heard anyting that makes me feel the RS pots are superior to the CTS pots I can buy elsewhere for half the price. When I asked a "what is your favorite pot" question over at TGP the RS evanglesits came out in full swing, but many like myself felt there is more than a bit of snake oil threre. I had many saying they prefer Bourns or Alpha to CTS. Some even -gulp- recomended the Alesandro pots. Talk about wallet numbing! FWIW I love the pots in my Tom Anderson guitars. Smooth, even taper, nice positive feel, never a failure in many years of playing. Tom uses Alpha pots btw.
bolero Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 I installed an RS kit on my '94 H150 and much preferred the stock Heritage components....swapped them back in!!
DetroitBlues Posted July 18, 2012 Posted July 18, 2012 hey guys, this is all good stuff! BUT....... in deference to the original poster (and because I'm eager to hear!) What is the reason that the RS wiring harnesses are worthy of such premium pricing? I trust that they're excellent, but are they twice as excellent, component wise, than the reputable competition? This has nothing to do with the skill of the tech's/luthiers who may be installing them. No doubt RS folks are top notch (jealous!) time and effort to peice together a specific kit for the sound you're looking for.... Plus they advertise specially designed POTS by CTS for their kits as well...
NoNameBand Posted July 18, 2012 Posted July 18, 2012 time and effort to peice together a specific kit for the sound you're looking for.... Plus they advertise specially designed POTS by CTS for their kits as well... CTS pots are manufactured and sold at a +/-20% tolerances. That means with a 500ohm pot, it may actually be anywhere between 400-600ohms. This can have a dramatic effect of the tone of the guitar (brighter/darker tone). Many think the tone "Bright/Dark" may be the limitations of the pups when in some cases, it's the wiring/pots kit. Some companies offer lower tolerance (+/- 10%) CTS "Premium" pots. At RS Guitarworks, they actually test/measure each pot (and write the ohm value on the pot) before installing and guarantee the set is matched, balanced and the ohms are correct. If it matters enough to get top quality parts/pots, then it should matter that they are what you expect them to be, not +/- 20%.
kidsmoke Posted July 18, 2012 Posted July 18, 2012 time and effort to peice together a specific kit for the sound you're looking for.... Plus they advertise specially designed POTS by CTS for their kits as well... Mojotone, as a case in point will do the same. They will consult regarding special specs for the location of pots/switches/jacks. They offer a variety of popular caps for you to select from, and will consult with you to help you decide....all at no extra cost and they are 1/2 as much as RS...... (and they use CTS) "They" aren't Billy, and I don't doubt, based on recommendations and reputation (and success getting his brand out there) that he's exceptional. CTS pots are manufactured and sold at a +/-20% tolerances. That means with a 500ohm pot, it may actually be anywhere between 400-600ohms. This can have a dramatic effect of the tone of the guitar (brighter/darker tone). Many think the tone "Bright/Dark" may be the limitations of the pups when in some cases, it's the wiring/pots kit. Some companies offer lower tolerance (+/- 10%) CTS "Premium" pots. At RS Guitarworks, they actually test/measure each pot (and write the ohm value on the pot) before installing and guarantee the set is matched, balanced and the ohms are correct. If it matters enough to get top quality parts/pots, then it should matter that they are what you expect them to be, not +/- 20%. THIS, on the other hand, is a huge issue, I agree. Is it that hard for a shop to do that sort of due diligence on a kit? I'd assume that this is S.O.P. when dealing with the voltages and whatnot of an amp build, and therefore, S.O.P. on wiring harnesses. I'm way out of my league on this stuff though. I really don't know the first thing about the physics involved, I can only parrot info I've read about a hundred times. That's why I'm counting you yous guys!
Hfan Posted July 18, 2012 Posted July 18, 2012 if you haven't yet, learn how to do your own setups. Stewmac has all the measuring tools, wrenches and lubricants you'll need. But the most important tool is your own hand. Find an action and relief setting that YOU like. It might be different for each guitar. For "shredder" guitars I'm going to want a lower action than I want on my Semi-hollows. but also every neck is different, so a higher action might feel better on some necks. Tbone, you do your own fret levels and crowns? Ron Kirn has a thread on the tele forum with complete instructions, I've been tempted, one day I'm going to get the tools and practice on some cheap guitars. Lots of guys have gone that route and report great results.
kidsmoke Posted July 18, 2012 Posted July 18, 2012 I have 6 guitars they did for me. Love RS. My H-150s used Short shaft. However, Billy will know what to put in to it. Just tell Billy the result you want and he'll know how to get it. They've done set-ups for me, fret work, electronics, intonation etc. Great people and great work. I highly recommend them. So he'll know the length and dimensions based on Make/model? I notice you've got a 535 in the stable NoName... That's what I'm looking at.
DetroitBlues Posted July 18, 2012 Posted July 18, 2012 So he'll know the length and dimensions based on Make/model? I notice you've got a 535 in the stable NoName... That's what I'm looking at. They are supposed to.
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