Lets talk about pots

[TimmyPage]

When I changed my strat to HH recently, I pulled out and redid all of the electronics, this included 500k CTS Audio Taper pots. I know the pots they had in there previously were 250k Fender Audio Taper, and the taper on them was great, very musical.

These CTS ones on the other hand seem to have this extreme taper on them, they are at half volume by the time they're at 8 or so, and are practically off by the time they hit 5 on the volume knob. It makes them extremely hard to use musically, I feel like the are almost on-off switches with the way it's wired right now.

I've heard you can use resistors to change the taper a bit, but I wouldn't know where to start or what values to look at. Would this change the tone of the pots when they are turned all the way up?

I'm also open to suggestions about other brands or custom tapers ordered from specific companies. Part of me is kind of curious about the Duncan Bourns pots, as I've heard the taper is quite nice on them. Changing pots is a pretty cheap operation, all things considered so I'm willing to do either. Keep in mind that the RS superpots are kind of expensive, and even moreso when they have to be shipped overseas.

 

[DreX]

Re: Lets talk about pots

What type of humbuckers do you have in the guitar?

 

[njstoehr]

Re: Lets talk about pots

I pretty much exclusively use CTS pots and have never experienced what you describe. Not saying that you aren't experiencing it, just that I haven't. I would check the pots first as you may have accidentally been given Linear taper pots. Put a meter across the two outside lugs to measure the actual overall resistance of the pot (say 480k). Then put your meter across the one of the outside lugs and center lug. Measure the resistance with the "knob" turned half way down. If you get a reading roughly half of the overall, you have a linear, if it isn't, you have an audio taper.

Some people find a linear taper gives them the type of roll-off they are looking for, more gradual as the pot is turned down/up. Again, not my experience, but hey, this is about finding what works best for you.

Frankly I am not sure how you would change the taper of a pot using a resistor. I know you can change the value of a pot (say from 500K to 250k) by placing a resistor in parallel across the two outside lugs. This changes the perceived taper as well making the pot act more linear.

 

[IMENATOR]

Re: Lets talk about pots

I pretty much exclusively use CTS pots and have never experienced what you describe. Not saying that you aren't experiencing it, just that I haven't. I would check the pots first as you may have accidentally been given Linear taper pots. Put a meter across the two outside lugs to measure the actual overall resistance of the pot (say 480k). Then put your meter across the one of the outside lugs and center lug. Measure the resistance with the "knob" turned half way down. If you get a reading roughly half of the overall, you have a linear, if it isn't, you have an audio taper.

Some people find a linear taper gives them the type of roll-off they are looking for, more gradual as the pot is turned down/up. Again, not my experience, but hey, this is about finding what works best for you.

Frankly I am not sure how you would change the taper of a pot using a resistor. I know you can change the value of a pot (say from 500K to 250k) by placing a resistor in parallel across the two outside lugs. This changes the perceived taper as well making the pot act more linear.

I had no idea there would be other than linear pots. I just measured a 250k CTS pot (I got it as a Fender pakced pot I got at GC when I visited CA but I don't have the package anymore, it is just there in a back as a spare part) and it is non linear, half the way turn is way less than 125k. Also I just got a DiMarzio EP1200 labeled as "Custom Taper Potentiometer 250k" and this one behaves more like linear, around 125k in half way turn.

So I am kind of lost, since I remember getting those pots as a Fender label pack why did I get a non linear pot from a Fender product? Are volume and tone pots meant to be linear, non linear or wich one is what?


EDIT: This video not just clarifies why volume pot should be log, it also suggested me the idea sometimes pots may have devations (may be a quality issue?) from the expected log curve, that may be part of the issue for TimmyPage

 

[jake_xms3_punk]

Re: Lets talk about pots

is the pot an audio or linear? linear pots get louder in equal increasements like / . audio pots have more of a curve and increase the most between say 7-10

 

[njstoehr]

Re: Lets talk about pots

Audio and Log are the same thing essentially. They increase/decrease resistance on a logarithmic curve that is supposed to more accurately track/mimic the way the human ear hears volume increase/decrease. I would assume that the Fender pot is Log/Audio as a rule.

Pots are a lot like PUPs. They are a matter of taste. Some prefer using linear pots for volume as they feel it gives them a more gradual increase of volume across the entire sweep of the pot, and use log/audio pots for tone. This is what Gibson uses in their guitars out of the factory. I personally prefer it the other way around. Log/Audio Volume and Tone (or linear on tone if I am in a pinch). Standard pots are relatively inexpensive so it is worth trying each type to see what works best for you.

 

[jake_xms3_punk]

Re: Lets talk about pots

audio pots all the way for me too.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Lets talk about pots

When I changed my strat to HH recently, I pulled out and redid all of the electronics, this included 500k CTS Audio Taper pots. I know the pots they had in there previously were 250k Fender Audio Taper, and the taper on them was great, very musical.

These CTS ones on the other hand seem to have this extreme taper on them, they are at half volume by the time they're at 8 or so, and are practically off by the time they hit 5 on the volume knob. It makes them extremely hard to use musically, I feel like the are almost on-off switches with the way it's wired right now.

http://www.axesrus.co.uk/Medium-Shaft-CTS-Pots-p/ctslog.htm

Choose your options: 500K , Split Shaft and LINEAR for the Volume. Problem solved.

In a Les Paul:

http://www.axesrus.co.uk/Long-Shaft-CTS-Pots-p/ctsloglong.htm

Choose your options: 500K and LINEAR for the Volume. Problem solved.

Use the Audio taper ones for Tone only.

HTH,