Sharp volume drop off with new potentiometers

Chistopher said:
Psht...

You know I was thinking about this phenomenon and realized something. An analog volume pot works they way sound works, 10% volume will be half as loud. So take a guitar and set the volume knob to 7 and it's 70% as loud as it was on 10.

Seems on paper to work perfectly, but in terms of a band mix, 70% volume takes you from cutting through to being inaudible. Which is great if you want to use your volume as an effect or you play alone. Not as great if you use it to actually control your volume in a band mix.
Click to expand...

Don't quote me, but I think it's because in a passive guitar circuit the volume is a voltage divider, so as you turn down, it halves the voltage at each interval, which is a -3db decrease, which is what normal faders do and what is natural for the ear. I don't know if the intervals perfectly align with the numbers, but the general volume ramp that results sounds right to the ear IME.
 
Yeah, the taper of the pot is also affected by outboard stuff too. If you're saturating the input of your amp, rolling back from 9 to 10 is going to make less of a difference than if you're playing with plenty of left over headroom
 
Yes, the volume pot is a voltage divider in this case. Not sure if those numbers line up either but, I prefer log pots for volume and linear for tone, if I put in a tone control.
 
Ok, I installed the logarithmic pots the other day. Big difference in the usable range of the pots. I can still roll back to about 3 and get usable tones.
Thanks for the help guys!

I have another question.

Is there any reason to believe that the capacitor would have any effect on the taper of the pots?

I’m not trying to open a tone cap debate over the tonal aspects, just curious if they affect the taper at all.
 
Gtrjunior said:
I’m not trying to open a tone cap debate over the tonal aspects, just curious if they affect the taper at all.
Click to expand...

in part at some point of the rotation, but the things get complicated.

for sure you hear a clear difference if you wire the tone pot with standard wiring (connected to the VOL input lug) or 50s wiring (connected to the VOL central lug)
 
Gtrjunior said:
Ok, I installed the logarithmic pots the other day. Big difference in the usable range of the pots. I can still roll back to about 3 and get usable tones.
Thanks for the help guys!

I have another question.

Is there any reason to believe that the capacitor would have any effect on the taper of the pots?

I’m not trying to open a tone cap debate over the tonal aspects, just curious if they affect the taper at all.
Click to expand...

Tone capacitor doesn't change the taper of tone pots, if that's what you are asking. (I thought we were talking about volume pots here.). Or are you saying you have a treble bleed cap and are asking if that changes the taper of the volume pot?
 
beaubrummels said:
Tone capacitor doesn't change the taper of tone pots, if that's what you are asking. (I thought we were talking about volume pots here.). Or are you saying you have a treble bleed cap and are asking if that changes the taper of the volume pot?
Click to expand...

Yes, I’m still asking about volume pots.
No treble bleed. I wired it 50’s style.
 
beaubrummels said:
50's style has an effect on the volume. They interact. As you roll your tone, you might hear your volume change a bit. I don't think it changes the taper?, but it does interact.
Click to expand...

I watched a YouTube where a guy was explaining how they interact. It’s actually very interesting.
But I believe you are correct in that the taper is the taper. It is what it is IOW.
 
Just curious about this thread, I've always used audio pot for volume, so I experimented rewiring my tele with a 250K linear: it doesn't work at all for me there's a drop I can't manage
 
I just bought a vintage taper pot to experiment with. It is both specwise and in practice perfectly inbetween a linear and audio taper.

I don't know what I think of it yet, I've only used it at home so far.
 
^ Sounds cool.

marcello252 said:
Just curious about this thread, I've always used audio pot for volume, so I experimented rewiring my tele with a 250K linear: it doesn't work at all for me there's a drop I can't manage
Click to expand...

People will not stop with the hearsay on this topic lol. There's no drop with linear. Linear is linear. Audio has an abrupt drop when you turn down.
 
Clint 55 said:
People will not stop with the hearsay on this topic lol. There's no drop with linear. Linear is linear. Audio has an abrupt drop when you turn down.
Click to expand...

what hearsay ? I actually wired it

EDIT: ok I got it, english is not my language, I said drop, but it's not drop, I rephrase it, "there's a volume level curve I can't manage" , anyway, a bit rude comment
 
Last edited:
Chistopher said:
I just bought a vintage taper pot to experiment with. It is both specwise and in practice perfectly inbetween a linear and audio taper.

I don't know what I think of it yet, I've only used it at home so far.
Click to expand...

When you get a chance to live with it for a while, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.
 
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