what do you do with the little tab that sticks up on the alpha pots?

[Snoogles]

there's a little tab on the side of the pot that sticks up. i've always cut them off, but i'm wondering if they're supposed to go into the wood in order to anchor the pot?

what's the real deal?

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: what do you do with the little tab that sticks up on the alpha pots?

Snip snip.

EDIT - They're a real PITA when building effects pedals, as they have to be snipped off or cause the pot to seat funny. I've put enough into pedals that cutting them off is just my default reaction to seeing them.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: what do you do with the little tab that sticks up on the alpha pots?

Snip or push her into the wood.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: what do you do with the little tab that sticks up on the alpha pots?

I try to push them into the wood if possible. On pick guards, I snap them off with a pair of pliers or the very tip of my wire strippers.

 

[Stratman]

Re: what do you do with the little tab that sticks up on the alpha pots?

I junk the entire Alpha pot and buy CTS...

 

[CTN]

Re: what do you do with the little tab that sticks up on the alpha pots?

Yell at it and call it names until it crumbles apart like a wet cake.

 

[Snoogles]

Re: what do you do with the little tab that sticks up on the alpha pots?

I junk the entire Alpha pot and buy CTS...

i would have, but i couldn't find any push-pulls. and i think the shaft is too large for the holes. and i didnt want to drill them bigger

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: what do you do with the little tab that sticks up on the alpha pots?

Alphas are fine; don't worry about it. CTS are pretty crappy these days anyhow, compared to truly well made pots.

 

[Artie]

Re: what do you do with the little tab that sticks up on the alpha pots?

They're anti-rotation tabs. So you can tighten down the nut without the pot rotating. Most people don't get it. I love 'em.

 

[trevorus]

Re: what do you do with the little tab that sticks up on the alpha pots?

If you have the measurement, you can make the hole or divot that they are supposed to go into. That'll keep them from rotating.

 

[Securb]

Re: what do you do with the little tab that sticks up on the alpha pots?

I remember the good old days when musicians would have a whole different discussion when the word "pot" was in play.

 

[LLL]

Re: what do you do with the little tab that sticks up on the alpha pots?

I remember the good old days when musicians would have a whole different discussion when the word "pot" was in play.

The Y2Ks for you?

 

[LLL]

Re: what do you do with the little tab that sticks up on the alpha pots?

I've wondered this myself. Now I know....

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: what do you do with the little tab that sticks up on the alpha pots?

Pushing them into the wood would be simple if:
A) The pot it's molded into weren't so flimsy on the side you'll be pushing from
and
B) The guitar was such a POS that one could push a low-grade piece of metal into it.

Once, and only once, did I get lucky and dig out a divot with a small flathead screwdriver and a quick blow from a hammer that was the right size and location for that little tab. For the other 3-dozen such pots I've had, I found it infinitely easier to just clip them off with a pair of wire cutters. Oftentimes, they can simply be bent off with a pair of pliers. However, you're just as likely to decapitate the pot that way.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: what do you do with the little tab that sticks up on the alpha pots?

I know that they're supposed to be anti-rotation tabs . . . But does anyone crank hard enough on their guitar knobs to actually need them? I've never had a problem with the clipped ones myself.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: what do you do with the little tab that sticks up on the alpha pots?

They work great to keep the pot from rotating. But you really need to drill a small depression in the guitar body in the correct spot to fit the tab when the nob is in the correct rotational position. Don't EVER try to create that depression by hitting a screwdriver with a hammer...You may end up with a noticeable mark on the front of your guitar, or worse yet, a crack in the wood/finish.

The biggest problem with them, however, is that they are too big and blunt to just push into a guitar with relatively good quality wood. If you try to "sink" it in place by screwing the nut on, you can actually damage the pot by pulling the shaft up.

I find that just clipping the tab off with my diagonal cutters works very easily. With proper use of lock washers, the nut can be tightened sufficiently to keep the shaft from rotating without having to tighten too much, thus causing no damage to the pot or the guitar.

It would be kinda nice if those tabs were much smaller and sharply pointed so they could be just pushed into even hard woods.

 

[kilphody]

Re: what do you do with the little tab that sticks up on the alpha pots?

I remember the good old days when musicians would have a whole different discussion when the word "pot" was in play.

I was told I smelled like the pied piper of sour diesel last night. LOL

PC

 

[jake_xms3_punk]

Re: what do you do with the little tab that sticks up on the alpha pots?

I just bend it back. I've never had a problem with rotating pots that are screwed down tight enough.