Q: I’ve heard that changing my humbucker guitar to 500k pots will make the sound brighter. Is this true?
A: Assuming your guitar has pots lower in value than 500k, this is the case. Generally, 250k pots are used with single-coils, while 300k and 500k pots are used with humbuckers. So, for example, if you’ve installed humbuckers into a Strat or Tele, but kept the stock 250k pot, you will likely get a brighter tone if you switch the stock unit out for a 500k unit. Now, whether you prefer that tone or not is another, totally subjective question…