Incredibly helpful. I now know my model came with stock 500K pots after reading a lot online that suggested otherwise. Well done.

Thanks. This is super helpful (I didn't know the trick about figuring out pot values and types). You can also do this without having to remove the output jack, which makes the whole process much easier. Just plug an instrument cable into the guitar and measure resistance across the tip and sleeve of the other end of the cable.

INCREDIBLY USEFUL! Thanks so much! My 1977 Les Paul Special came with 300k volume, 100k tone pots. Simply swapping the tone pots for 500k made all the difference in the world.

If you take a cable replacement end and keep it with your multi meter, you’ll never have to take off the jack cover. 😉 (I’ll even plug in a cable into it and then unscrew the sleeve from around the cable tip and use those for access (knowing it is rounded down for any connectivity interference).

Super useful! Thank you!

Great tutorial thank you!!!

Great video. When I first viewed your video, I wasn't convinced that the formula you presented was valid - I thought that it might have been a "rule of thumb." But, after working out the circuit equations, from first principles, I concluded that the formula is accurate. The only minor inconvenience with measuring resistance at the output Jack is that measuring a pickup resistance with the volume pot in circuit in will introduce a slight error of a few percentage points (in the hundreds of ohms range), but that's minor in the grand scheme of things. Sure beats removing covers to develop some ballpark values. Well done.

Thank you!

I just found your channel. Man, you are awesome ! Everything I wanted to know. I did buy a guitar that I can take apart, unlike that beautiful les paul style you have there. Im working on a Donner strat style. Ive done a few easy things and sure I will have plenty if questions for you, if you dont mind. What is that you wipe your solder iron tip on ? It looks like Brillo pad ? I did solder back in the 80s in a factory job but mostly I was in the machine shop, so I did have some knowledge, but need to get it back. Im gonna attempt the cable jack first because it seems to be where im getting buzz. I ordered one of those new 4 point types. I could see it was cheap China slapped together, no heat shrink or anything. Thanks for doing what you do. I may have a few questions along the way on building my Frankenstein strat.

Good stuff brother 👍👍

Thanks for that. you don't need to take the jack out. you can plug a patch lead or connector and take readings from that.

You have made me buy all the tools. Soldering kit, assorted tools, wires. Im kinda scared to use it. I need a junker guitar to work on

Thanks for a fantastic and informational video. I’m wondering if using a short patch cable would introduce too much resistance to get an accurate reading? It would let one avoid pulling the input jack.

You don't need to pull the Jack out . Plug a short able into the guitar, put the positive on the tip and negative on the barrel part of the plug

My guitar only has one volume knob, a 3 way toggle and two humbuckers… I followed the method for the bridge and neck pickups, and the final values I got were the same with a tolerance level of +/- 1 Did I do it right? Because, I’m lead to believe I have a 540k ohm potentiometer installed on my guitar; which will help with the high output pickups that I’m about to install 😊 Outstanding video once again, thank you for passing down the knowledge ❤

Hi there! Thanks for the info. Does this work for standard and 50's wiring? Thanks!

Thanks. Would the same readings and formulae be applicable for a Les Paul that is wired in a 50s wiring configuration?

if you put regular cable into jack you can do that measurements without unscrewing anything, I'll let you figure it out :P

Cool thank you very kindly. Now all I have to do is open the Strat pick guard to get to my pots.

Is the calculation the same if you want to see what the resistance for the pot is at somewhere other than max? Say for example you put the volume pot on 2 rather than 10, would the value be the resistance at that position divided by 4 minus the pickup value? I want to put a toggle switch in circuit that replaces the volume pot with a fixed resistor. That way I can switch between the variable vol pot level and a fixed level, rather than have to try and find the right spot while playing.

Thank you for your helpful videos! I have a problem with a guitar that I can’t figure out: the pickups read twice the resistance that they should. I’ve only measured them in the guitar because it’s a 335 style and I’ve been hoping I wouldn’t have to take it apart to figure this out. The pickups are supposed to read about 10k in the neck and 14k in the bridge, but the readings I’m getting are 20.1k in the neck and 29.8k in the bridge. Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

👍🏻👍🏻

My tone pots don’t really register when I move them up and down, it shows the max resistance , I think I got lucky once and it seemed to react as if it were linear taper But literally every other time with about 4 guitars the tone pots rating doesn’t move at all when I move it . Why does that happen? I’m trying to figure of my juniors infact have linear tapers or not for the tone

I do the same thing but I have a cord plugged in and just check at the open end.

Thanks for the video.. my duncan designed pickups read 15.7 bridge and 7.5 neck- sounds about right, but the pots volume value peak is only 19.5? Multiplied x4 as you suggested is way too🤔

This works well for measuring the resistance of the pickups but, in my guitar with a treble bleed circuit it will not properly read the total resistance of the circuit. Does this make any sense??

Would have been helpful to know what they should be

I suppose it's the same on single coils / Strat? Does 210 sound right for volume pot? Seems outside of tolerance.

Could someone explain why the resistance increases to a peak value and then decreases? Shouldn't the resistance be the highest at knob positioned at 10?

When I try this the digits on the multimeter jump around and end back at number one. Two different multimeters.

Your Bridge pickup mounting ring looks like it's backwards.

That's one beautiful top. What's the guitar? Useful info, thanks for the vid.👍🎶💕

Considering that there is NO need to remove the jack from the guitar, do you really believe that a D.C. MEASURMENT on a passive A.C. component is all that important?

How would this work on a 2 pot style? I assume you multiplied by 4 because of the 4 pots. Do I multiply by 2? Or 4 still? I did the math and I’m within the tolerances of 250k when I multiply by 2. And also 500k when I multiply by 4. How do I know which math is right?

Podrías poner subtítulos en español te sigo pero no entiendo muy bien te lo agradecería

My volume pot was measuring 195 peak , what does that mean? Obviously it’s not nearly an 800ohm pot! I’ve measured it 10 times and get exactly the same! Is the pot faulty?

There should be no need to remove the jack to access contact points. Simply insert a cable (of any length) and take the readings from either side of the divider insulation on the cable jack end.

Hola qué tal

Measuring pots in circuit was the mystery. Won’t the tone pots influence the readings?

It looks like your bridge pickup ring is turned around!!!!