[RayBarbeeMusic]

Well not exactly.  The lower ground resistance drops the high end more.  250k in series is 250k in series, but 250k in series with a 550k pot when turned down is brighter than 250k in series with a 380k pot turned down.  It gets complicated, but  the best rule of thumb is, higher value, sharper and larger resonant peak.  Lower value, broader and smaller resonant peak.

[Rarelake]

Is it me, or do all the pickups in the Andy Timmons wiring scheme see 250k to ground, even though all pots are 500k? There are 2 500k volume knobs...

https://d2emr0qhzqfj88.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/diagrams/AT300.pdf

[darkbluemurder]

According to that scheme all positions see 250k to ground except for the position which has the bridge humbucker alone - that one sees 500k to ground.

Cheers Stephan

[RayBarbeeMusic]

250k load on a cruiser bridge is going to be pretty dark.

[Rarelake]

Thanks for the quick replies.

It looks like the bridge still sees 250k in that diagram, as it is always connected to the neck/middle pot outside lug as well. Have any of you tried this exact wiring, or the AT-1 with 250k vol / 500k tone? Cruisers with 250k volume sound good to me.

[greenlion]

Why worry about 250K vs 500k pots? Cruisers are not like the Area and Virtual Vintage pickups. Cruisers are made to work with 500k pots, just like humbuckers. Here is what the Dimarzio wiring instructions for Cruisers say: "500K is the most common resistance value most guitar companies and players employ with humbuckers for both volume and tone controls. Using 250K controls will result in a little warmer sound and a slight drop in power."  With the Area and Virtual Vintage pickup lines, it says "All models were designed to work with 250K controls. For a brighter overall sound, try 500K controls."

[darkbluemurder]

Very interesting. Now DiMarzio specify 250k for both volume and tone on both Cruiser models in the tech sections.

Whatever - it is personal preference anyway. I have a Cruiser neck model in the neck spot of one telecaster with a 280k volume pot and a 250k tone pot. Sounds right to me in that guitar. Had the Cruiser bridge model in another guitar also in the neck spot with 500k volume and tone controls - sounded too bright and hollow and had too much squirk on the pick attack, in particular on the 1st and 2nd strings. A lower pot value would have made it sound more pleasing to my ear. 

Cheers Stephan 

[Rarelake]

Yes, agreed, Cruisers sound a little harsh with a 500k volume, IMO. I'm assuming the AT-1 and Cruisers with 250k volume and 500k tone will sound better than with all 500k, but there is only one way to find out!

[darkbluemurder]

but there is only one way to find out!

+1. Please report your results.

Thanks,
Stephan

[greenlion]

You can use 500k pots for volume and tone for your humbucker and then solder a 500k resistor from the switch lug where your Cruiser is attached to ground to make the Cruiser "see" 250k pots. Best of both worlds. I have done this with the Area single coil I have in my HSH Ibanez RG's middle position. Works great. (I used 560k resistors because I like the singles a little brighter) This video shows how the resistor works:
https://youtu.be/SJZ2Do7Ywx0

[darkbluemurder]

Yep - that is what I would have done had I kept the Cruiser in that guitar. I have since put in a Firebird pickup- that one works fine with 500k pots.

Cheers Stephan