Guido Posted January 9, 2010 Posted January 9, 2010 Hi, I found this video on youtube. It's a Heritage H-150 with a RS Kit upgrade. I think this guitar sounds amazing. The guy actually won a contest they did on the RS website for the best video. Of couse it's not only the RS Kit while he won, first of all he won because he built it in a Heritage! The more I see this vide the more I want the same upgrade. Just amazing! What do you guys think?
212Mavguy Posted January 10, 2010 Posted January 10, 2010 I'm getting a super pot from them to stick in my h516 "Retchin' Gretschen," am torn whether to spend the large for one of their prewired 335 harnesses with the Jensen copper foil paper in oil caps for this guitar, it already sounds great with the stock heritage harness.
Spectrum13 Posted January 10, 2010 Posted January 10, 2010 I'm getting a super pot from them to stick in my h516 "Retchin' Gretschen," am torn whether to spend the large for one of their prewired 335 harnesses with the Jensen copper foil paper in oil caps for this guitar, it already sounds great with the stock heritage harness. Mav, Their pots also have a brass shaft which will not split like the alum. If you pull the controls and can view the value of the pots and caps... speak with Billy @ R&S - the super pots only come in 500 last I checked. If you have the little yellow caps I would suggest replacing with the jensens. My 2 cents.
golferwave Posted January 10, 2010 Posted January 10, 2010 The true 60's pickups the guy has in the Heritage are $445.00 on the RS website! I think I'd go with ThroBaks instead.
Kuz Posted January 10, 2010 Posted January 10, 2010 The true 60's pickups the guy has in the Heritage are $445.00 on the RS website! I think I'd go with ThroBaks instead. Amen, but their complete pots & caps replacement package can be had for around $80 (WHICH IS WORTH EVERY PENNY, TRUST ME!!!)
golferwave Posted January 11, 2010 Posted January 11, 2010 I'm with ya on that one Kuz. 500K pots and paper in oil caps are the only way to go, IMO.
212Mavguy Posted January 11, 2010 Posted January 11, 2010 Mav, Their pots also have a brass shaft which will not split like the alum. If you pull the controls and can view the value of the pots and caps... speak with Billy @ R&S - the super pots only come in 500 last I checked. If you have the little yellow caps I would suggest replacing with the jensens. My 2 cents. I do have the little yellow caps. If I get a magnifying glass I might be able to read them under strong light...one of the boogered things about this guitar is that a previous owner cut a hole in the back and installed a removable plate for easier access to electronics. Think all three of my Heritage guitars have the little yellow caps in them. Am strongly thinking about replacing the caps and pots in that 516 with an RS prewired thang, am waiting to hear it when the new pot comes in. The guitar does sound pretty impressive right now.
golferwave Posted January 11, 2010 Posted January 11, 2010 The yellow caps are the factory ones and I believe they're mallory caps. I'd recommend Sprague paper in oil caps.
fxdx99 Posted January 11, 2010 Posted January 11, 2010 So - a question of ignorance here. What do the pots/caps do to the sound?
Kuz Posted January 11, 2010 Posted January 11, 2010 So - a question of ignorance here. What do the pots/caps do to the sound? Randy, I usually don't buy into these after market mods, but WOW!!! 1. The pots will give you 70% more use of your volume knobs without the highend falling off (acts like a real guitar volume knob) 2. The tone knobs will be much more gradual as well, won't get muddy till turned to around 3 BUT THE BIGGEST improvement in my opinion is the tone of the bumble bee or Grey Tiger (the are exactly the same just look different) caps - the caps slightly decrease the piercing sharp highend (without effecting the enjoyable highends) AND OPEN UP THE VINTAGE UPPER MIDS THAT THE CATS FROM THE 60S & 70S HAD WITH THEIR LPs!!!!! These upper mids are Joe Walsh, Billy Gibbons, Peter Green, Beano, ect.... TONES that I couldn't get before. I don't want to over sell/promise these mods, but I say a solid 20-25% improvement in tone.
Kuz Posted January 11, 2010 Posted January 11, 2010 So - a question of ignorance here. What do the pots/caps do to the sound? Randy, I usually don't buy into these after market mods, but WOW!!! 1. The pots will give you 70% more use of your volume knobs without the highend falling off (acts like a real guitar volume knob) 2. The tone knobs will be much more gradual as well, won't get muddy till turned to around 3 BUT THE BIGGEST improvement in my opinion is the tone of the bumble bee or Grey Tiger (the are exactly the same just look different) caps - the caps slightly decrease the piercing sharp highend (without effecting the enjoyable highends) AND OPEN UP THE VINTAGE UPPER MIDS THAT THE CATS FROM THE 60S & 70S HAD WITH THEIR LPs!!!!! These upper mids are Joe Walsh, Billy Gibbons, Peter Green, Beano, ect.... TONES that I couldn't get before. I don't want to over sell/promise these mods, but I say a solid 20-25% improvement in tone.
iim7v7im7 Posted January 11, 2010 Posted January 11, 2010 +++++ I too put the RS Guitarworks super pots, .022uf grey tigers, 1950s wiring with Lollar Imperials in my H535 and the useable volume range is outstanding (Kuz's point). Randy, I usually don't buy into these after market mods, but WOW!!! 1. The pots will give you 70% more use of your volume knobs without the highend falling off (acts like a real guitar volume knob) 2. The tone knobs will be much more gradual as well, won't get muddy till turned to around 3 BUT THE BIGGEST improvement in my opinion is the tone of the bumble bee or Grey Tiger (the are exactly the same just look different) caps - the caps slightly decrease the piercing sharp highend (without effecting the enjoyable highends) AND OPEN UP THE VINTAGE UPPER MIDS THAT THE CATS FROM THE 60S & 70S HAD WITH THEIR LPs!!!!! These upper mids are Joe Walsh, Billy Gibbons, Peter Green, Beano, ect.... TONES that I couldn't get before. I don't want to over sell/promise these mods, but I say a solid 20-25% improvement in tone.
bolero Posted February 19, 2010 Posted February 19, 2010 interesting; I bought an RS wiring harness with caps etc & didn't like it, put the stock Heritage one back in it's a '93 H150 though, so maybe the parts they used back then were different than now?
Thundersteel Posted February 19, 2010 Posted February 19, 2010 I HATE it when they call H150s/H157s Les Pauls!
mark555 Posted February 19, 2010 Posted February 19, 2010 +++++ I too put the RS Guitarworks super pots, .022uf grey tigers, 1950s wiring with Lollar Imperials in my H535 and the useable volume range is outstanding (Kuz's point). So, my question is simple. If they make so much difference, why are they not built with them in as standard?
Spectrum13 Posted February 19, 2010 Posted February 19, 2010 So, my question is simple. If they make so much difference, why are they not built with them in as standard? Couple of reasons. If you keep your tone and volume on 10 (or 11) It will not make any difference what the taper or cap value are. RS supercaps are CTS made to RS specs and the shafts are brass instead of Alum the Alum shafts break easier but does not alter the sound. Heritage changed to CTS pots in 2009 I assume after finishing off the WDs. Paper in Oil caps cost more and not everyone hears the difference so why stock a $4 part when you can use a $.10 part. 1200 guitars a year times two adds up. Modern vs 50's wiring is a matter of which shortcoming in the interaction of tone and volume controls you want to put up with. Plus it gives the "can't leave well enough alone" guys something to play around with.
hiro Posted February 19, 2010 Posted February 19, 2010 Thanks for the tips regarding the pots and tone . . . I have to read up on that . . . but first gotta learn how to set up a guitar . . . I HATE it when they call H150s/H157s Les Pauls! LOL I was H150 Les Paul, that sounds off
bolero Posted February 20, 2010 Posted February 20, 2010 something for everyone to try is the vintage wiring...that made the biggest change on my gtr when I put in the RS harness, the volume "clicked" onto 10, audibly....it wasn't a smooth swell as I rolled back or brought it back up. so maybe the traces on the pots are shaved at the end to make resistance = 0? also I have reversed magnets ( a la peter green ) & found it harder to adjust smoothly between the 2 pickups in the middle position, probably due to the same thing. I lost a lot of variability & the increment of volume change was large...an audible step vs a smooth taper I didn't notice much difference from the stock Heritage pots rolling the volume way down, but as I said I already had the vintage wiring....I do prefer that by far!! the overall tone & everything else wasn't significantly different, in fact I preferred the small yellow Heritage caps, they were closer to the vintage bumble bees I have in 2 other gtrs *edit* thought I'd elaborate !!
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