Best Pots

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Best Pots

MEC (as all manufacturers) makes some high-end potentiometers, but the guitar level stuff appears to be about the same as any other.

No need to over think it.

Tone Man (no affiliation) seems to have the best pricing on premade harnesses.

https://www.tonemanguitar.com/store/...roducts.html#/

Yeah, that pricing is great.
I’ve seen these kits at twice that price.

[neville.sc]

Re: Best Pots

Agree with c.t.s. or Bourns, been looking at s/d Bourns on ebay, only lets you order 2 at a time, need 6. Think I will settle on Bourns.

[neville.sc]

Re: Best Pots

I have just brought back 3 new M.E.C. pickups for my Framus strato ,should have got pots as well. M.E.C. pots are 37 euro each, Bourns seem a good option.tip, go to Marknuekirchen in summer.!

[neville.sc]

Re: Best Pots

warwick music. or Framus. or H.P. WILFER HIMSELF. OR GOOGLE M.E.C.

[Darg1911]

Re: Best Pots

If you want a pot with a conductive plastic element and you're in the states, Bourns has the 82 and 95 series pots. They're rated for 100,000 rotational cycles. No information given for taper of the log taper versions. Guitar Electronics sells them from about $10 - $20, depending on series and type. Never tried one or seen them in person. The conductive plastic pots that I do have experience with (not for guitar) have a very smooth rotation but rotational torque is higher than anything I've used for guitar. Bourns may have altered that for these instrument series pots. I'll probably try one at some point just out of curiosity. But I'm really happy with the 6 dollar CTS 30% tapers for volume.

[Zombiwoof]

Re: Best Pots

I've also noticed the shaft diameter affects the fitment on the knobs when using Bourns pots. I used them on one of my Les Pauls, and the knobs I had really didn't fit right. They didn't fully seat, and looked as though they were too high from the guitar body. Toneman was selling speed knobs he said would fit properly with Bourns pots, and they did. They just fit better and looked better on the guitar.

It's not the shaft diameter unless you bought the metric version, it's the knurling on the pot shaft. They use the coarse knurling (18 spline) vs. fine knurling (21 spline) of the U.S. spec knobs like Gibson and Fender use. Stew Mac knobs are mostly 18 spline coarse knurl and will work with them, but it does cut down on your options for knobs. You have to buy ones that are specifically coarse knurled. They should have made the guitar pots with fine knurl IMO, so they would work with more common knobs available on the market.
Al

[Jacew]

Re: Best Pots

MEC (as all manufacturers) makes some high-end potentiometers, but the guitar level stuff appears to be about the same as any other.

No need to over think it.

Tone Man (no affiliation) seems to have the best pricing on premade harnesses.

https://www.tonemanguitar.com/store/...roducts.html#/

it seems MEC has now regular style guitar pots as well with good pricing. No reasonably priced push-pulls though...

[neville.sc]

Re: Best Pots

German made MEC for the win. Most reliable.

I just got some M.E.C. pickups for my framus strato, very close to original, told by many they are good. they are made for framus, & have the logo, they were 85 euro each, now 125. the pots are 37 euro ea, not cheap. you can buy direct from warwick /framus vintage, freight is the killer.

[morglan]

Re: Best Pots

For years I always used CTS pots when upgrading wiring harnesses. For my kit built Jr, I wanted a low friction pot, so I decided to try Bourns.

The Bourns pots, compared to the CTS pots I've always used have a MUCH nicer sweep--i have useable sounds from 1-10 on both the volume and tone knobs, with a much nicer taper than the CTS pots (yes, comparing audio taper to audio taper).

I will probably not buy any more CTS pots.

[NegativeEase]

Re: Best Pots

For years I always used CTS pots when upgrading wiring harnesses. For my kit built Jr, I wanted a low friction pot, so I decided to try Bourns.

The Bourns pots, compared to the CTS pots I've always used have a MUCH nicer sweep--i have useable sounds from 1-10 on both the volume and tone knobs, with a much nicer taper than the CTS pots (yes, comparing audio taper to audio taper).

I will probably not buy any more CTS pots.

Is that a functional of the values of the pot or identical values (Resistance and Taper being equal) in your assessment?

[neville.sc]

Re: Best Pots

now found M.E.C. pots, happy to use them, pickups are M.E.C. so should be cool. 12 euro, better than 37 euro, not heard too many complaints about M.E.C. just down the road from Framus in Marknuekirchen.

[neville.sc]

Re: Best Pots

Went all out & got M.E.C. pickups are M.E.C. so it should all work well, also lead to believe M.E.C. last longer. There is a belief that if it,s German it,s great.I drive a toyota,thats great too. What you hear eh?