Question about pots in 1998/1999 Blues 90

[LeeATX]

Hi friends, I'm very much a newbie on this site. I've done as much research as I can and I also checked GAD's site of reviews and I didn't see one specifically on a Blues 90. But I'm curious as to what pots came stock on a late 90's Guild Blues 90. Anyone have any idea?

The reason I ask is because when I look at the back of the tone pots, they are just solid gray and there are no markings of brand or 250, 500, etc. Like most people, the stock ceramic Duncan P-90's weren't to my liking. Harsh and when played both clean and gritty, it just sounds like there's a "blanket over the amp", that kind of thing. Sooo...I swapped magnets to Alnico V thinking that would change it significantly. Not so. Still the same basic sound. Maybe a bit more brightness and jangle from the Alnicos, but nowhere near where I'd hoped it would be. Before I spend significant $$ on some new pickups, I thought I'd make sure it has 500K pots, but I can't tell anything about these pots. Thank you in advance!

 

[GAD]

I have a very expensive Historic Les Paul that was spec’d with 500k pots and it sounded terrible even with two sets of boutique PAF copies. When I pulled them they all measured in the 400-430k range. I swapped them all out for The Art of Tone 525k pots and now it’s a monster. Regardless of what they should be, they might just be out of spec.

As for Blues-90s, I have two of them and a custom shop Bluesbird-90 and even the custom shop needed the pickups replaced. I put in a set of antiquities and it’s an all around better guitar. I want to say that era has Mexican pots in it, but I don’t know that I’ve measured them. I’ll check when I get back to my computer.

 

[SFIV1967]

The reason I ask is because when I look at the back of the tone pots, they are just solid gray and there are no markings of brand or 250, 500, etc.

The marking should be on the side, from the top you see nothing.
As GAD already said, those pots were made by CGE in Mexico for WD Music (hence the WD marking) but CGE does not exist anymore.
To me they were very cheap pots.
24mm DIA., 3/8”-32 (9.525mm) thread, 24 spline, 1/2" Bushing height, 1/4" (6.3mm) top part length, total shaft length 3/4”, 20% tolerance...
In my normal Bluesbird the codes were:
Pot code Neck Volume and Neck Tone: 19-WD500
Pot code Bridge Volume and Bridge Tone: 98-WD500
Not sure what the 19 or 98 stands for.
The normal Bluesbird used 4 times 500kohms, not sure if the Blues 90 used 250kohms maybe?



I opened one and that is what they look like inside, you can't even replace the wafer as it is printed on the bottom plastic.



So I repaced them with much higher quality Toneshaper CTS pots.
It's a bit hard finding the exact right mechanical size however for the Bluesbird top thickness, I had to adjust the mounting height using a few different thickness sizes of nuts and washers to adjust the perfect height for each of the four knobs at the end. Makes sense to test the mounting for each pot on the guitar before you solder the harness together again.

Ralf

 

[LeeATX]

Very helpful information. Thank you kindly, Ralf!!!

 

[lungimsam]

Blanket over the amp describes a humbucker sound.

 

[SFIV1967]

That's my mid 2000 one with the new Toneshaper CTS pots, but again, it is a normal one not a Blues90. I also added two NOS mustard caps (both 22nF) I still had.



Somebody made a wiring diagram that also showed 500kohms pots and .02mF =(22nF) caps with a Blue 90 heading:



Ralf

 

[LeeATX]

Thanks for the replies! As suspected, a change in pickups made all the difference in the world. I realize these (mine) are likely MIM pots, but they sound good enough to my ears now that I've upgraded pickups. It sounds like a killer P-90 guitar should sound now. Cheers fellas!

 

[SFIV1967]

Thanks for the replies! As suspected, a change in pickups made all the difference in the world. I realize these (mine) are likely MIM pots, but they sound good enough to my ears now that I've upgraded pickups. It sounds like a killer P-90 guitar should sound now. Cheers fellas!

Which pickups did you choose?

Ralf

 

[LeeATX]

Which pickups did you choose?

Ralf

Kent Armstrong vintage A5 in bridge and GFS in neck. Sounds great. Started with budget route first, but this summer (I'm a school teacher) I'll probably go all in and get a set of Rio Grande pickups and may as well upgrade to top notch pots as well. But for now, it's a rockin' machine that I'm very happy with!

Honestly, I played it A/B back and forth comparing it to my original 1956 Les Paul Jr., and the Armstrong is surprisingly "close" in overall sound quality to the vintage Gibson. I thought there would be a huge difference. There's definitely a noticeable difference, but it's not nearly as big a difference as I thought it would be. It's like the Armstrong obviously doesn't sound as big, rich, and robust as the Gibson, but it still sounds really good in its own way. I'll be putting the neck pickup in this coming weekend. But I'm mostly a bridge pickup player.

 

[SFIV1967]

Kent Armstrong vintage A5 in bridge and GFS in neck.

Just in case. that would be the bridge one I guess:

Kent Armstrong Vintage Series Classic Soap P-90 Pickup

Kent Armstrong® Vintage Series Classic Soap P-90 PickupThis classic Kent Armstrong designed P-90 produces the fat, rich single coil tone that a vintage P-90 is known for. This pickup sounds great in either low, medium or the highest of high gain situations enabling it to be used in a wide...

www.wdmusic.com

And the neck I guess:

GFS Alnico Vintage Wound Soapbar Cream Pickup

Ralf