vol pot /tone pot signal "opening" problem

[mst]

Hello guys,

so here is my problem. I have a guitar with some fender noiseless pickups, i went for the 1 MEG logaritmic volume and the 500k linear tone pots configuation

problem is, the volume opens everything between 2 and 3, and the tone the same.

wiring is ok, nicely done ( i have a bit of soldering experience) and the Log/linear for vol/tone is respected.

Where am i wrong? I would like to go for an audible usable opening of both

 

[Artie]

Can you elaborate a bit on what you mean by "open"? Generally, that term means a signal connection has broken. As in, "the connection is open."

 

[mst]

Can you elaborate a bit on what you mean by "open"? Generally, that term means a signal connection has broken. As in, "the connection is open."

hello! no sorry, by "open" i mean the way the opt opens the signal while turning it.

Problem is the signal is opened 1000% going from 2 to 3 in the pot instead of an even opening across the whole pot turning space

 

[Artie]

Got it. A 1 meg volume pot is part of the problem. I think if you try a 500k pot, you may solve your problem.

 

[magillver]

Hey Artie, is it possible that the OP has the pot wired backwards? I've never really tried it (but I'm about to), but I'm thinking that the log sweep would be associated between the center and one or the other of the outer lugs, and that it wired in reverse, it would reverse the logarithmic curve? I'll try it, and repost...

 

[magillver]

Just confirmed the above hypothesis with my DMM, try wiring between the center lug of the pot, and the opposite lug than what you're currently wired to, of that makes any sense...

 

[GuitarDoc]

By "backwards", if you mean changing the ground lug to the other outside lug then the pot will work in reverse for lefthanded players.

 

[mst]

Hello guys, a little update made on your suggestions

- wiring the pot in reverse, yes it solves the problem in the sens that now the pot opens everything from 8 to 10 instead from 2 to 3.
- the 1 MEG pot is actually advised for fender noiseless pickups, changing to 500k will make me lose high end. That said the opening is the problem, i dont see why lowering the value will help me

ciao!

 

[mst]

another thing, any suggestion about the tone? same opening problem there

 

[playas]

Any chance you may have the tone cap wired so that they are doing something strange?

Eg. If you take the tone pots and caps completely out of the circuit does the volume still act the same?

I'm no expert - just a suggestion to rule things out.

 

[beaubrummels]

Could use linear for volume and log for tone to solve this. it's counter-intuitive but has the smoother range for both controls. (Not everyone agrees or sees it that way, sometimes the differences aren't as dramatic as you would expect, but if your pots are behaving like on-off switches, try swapping to linear for volume and log for tone.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8dp9clGe-I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjDwjXN9auY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8SHJvmpNZE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRUobVmNKko