Looking for a specific 500k pot

[Mononoaware]

Could anyone point me toward a decent 500k no-load pot with a detent when you're at the end of the sweep? I have a no-load on one of my guitars that I like, but it'd be nice to have it click when it's all the way open.

Maybe a better question--is this actually even a thing??

[Mr. B]

It may exist, but I've never seen one. Some pots (especially stacked versions) will have a center detent mid-sweep, but I've never seen one with the detent in one end of the sweep. You kinda know when you are at one end of the sweep because the knob stops turning.

[Mikelamury]

I've never seen one either, I've came across 500k no load pots(CTS, Borns) but never with the detent, for some reason you only find those on the 250k no load pots.

[Mononoaware]

It may exist, but I've never seen one. Some pots (especially stacked versions) will have a center detent mid-sweep, but I've never seen one with the detent in one end of the sweep. You kinda know when you are at one end of the sweep because the knob stops turning.

Yeah, funny thing, that. I've noticed that they stop spinning, too.

Still, a notch would be nice. As Mikelamury said, Fender makes 250k pots like this, but maybe us humbucker dudes are s.o.l. Worth asking, I guess.

[Clint 55]

It's no load, you don't need 500k, just use 250k. From 10 to 9 on a 250k no load is a seamless transition.

[Mononoaware]

I thought about that. But I usually hang out at 6-9 on a 500k, with the no-load as a Nigel Tufnel switch of sorts. Wouldn't no-load to 250k be a jump?

[Clint 55]

Not only is it not a jump, but you have to really listen to hear the difference between 9 and 10. You could use a linear sweep pot if you want more play in the top brighter portion of the sweep.

[GuitarDoc]

All this talk about no-load pots. Someone clue me. I've never seen a pot that wasn't 0 ohms when fully open.

[ArtieToo]

When a volume pot is on "10", the pup see's it as a 500k resistor, in parallel with an amps 1M input Z. That's a total "load" of 333k. If you do a no-load pot, the pup see's only the 1M. Detectable, but so subtle it's not worth the trouble, IMHO. But then again, folks swap an A5 mag for a UOA5. Probably even more subtle.

[jeremy]

not once have i ever liked having a no load pot in a guitar ymmv

[Mononoaware]

not once have i ever liked having a no load pot in a guitar ymmv

Indeed, like anything, ymmv. I'm not evangelizing for them.

But I have one particular ash-bodied guitar that really benefits from a boost in the uppermost frequencies sometimes, and the no-load fixes the problem neatly.

[Clint 55]

When a volume pot is on "10", the pup see's it as a 500k resistor, in parallel with an amps 1M input Z. That's a total "load" of 333k. If you do a no-load pot, the pup see's only the 1M. Detectable, but so subtle it's not worth the trouble, IMHO. But then again, folks swap an A5 mag for a UOA5. Probably even more subtle.

What is really subtle here is the op likes the top of the sweep of a 500k tone pot. While there is very little transition tone wise from 9 to 10 on a 250k no load tone pot. So the top of the sweep of a 500k tone pot is all 'color'. While, I admit there is a perceivable tone to this top of the sweep 500k tone pot, my advice is still to just use a linear 250k no load tone pot if you want to get one with that detent.

[Mononoaware]

What is really subtle here is the op likes the top of the sweep of a 500k tone pot. While there is very little transition tone wise from 9 to 10 on a 250k no load tone pot. So the top of the sweep of a 500k tone pot is all 'color'. While, I admit there is a perceivable tone to this top of the sweep 500k tone pot, my advice is still to just use a linear 250k no load tone pot if you want to get one with that detent.

It might be a solution, and I appreciate the suggestion. I'll give it a shot if I can find a linear 250 with a detent. The Fenders are log, but maybe someone else makes one.

And maybe I'll just stick with what I got. In the end, it's not a big deal, just a quality-of-life thing that I was hoping someone would have an answer for.