where to get REAL 500k pots,not undrated ones

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Re: where to get REAL 500k pots,not undrated ones

How is this EVH mindwise? Ed had a 500k pot and wired it up, I highly doubt he measured and tried to find one within -/+ 5k of 500k lol
 
Re: where to get REAL 500k pots,not undrated ones

If I'm not mistaken you cannot buy +/- 20% pots in bulges and select those that are within 10% or 5% or 1%, as the pots that vary less than 10% are priced as being within 10% and so on. Also, even high gain pickups have AC impedance in the 30-50k ohms which makes any pot more than ten times that pretty much non loading as far as the pickup is conserned. Non loading means that they have little to no effect on the pickup signal when set to "10".

Also, almost no pots are really logarithmic; they have two "linear" carbon lines inside than approximate the logarithmic curve in their operation.
 
Re: where to get REAL 500k pots,not undrated ones

I hate to be a *****bag, but pot values do matter and they make a difference.

I hate to be a *****bag, but pot taper matters and makes a difference.*
*That is, if you use them. If they're always on ten, then it doesn't matter.


BEFORE swapping pickups to get a different tone/feel. I'd measure your pots to see where you're at. If your pickups are muddy sounding, the pot values could be too low; swap in some higher value pots and you'd really be surprised @ the difference.

And we're probably talking less than $50 for a meter & soldering iron rig from somewhere like radioshack - which work just fine - and some new pots to try out.

LOTS of bang for your buck in the tone and response department of your INSTRUMENT.
That's what it is after all right, an instrument, a tool to make music, so why not try to maximize the utility and control of it.

There ARE places that sell pots with tighter tolerances and special tapers - they're still reasonable cheap.

All the above is from my own personal experience, making changes to my gear and others - not a bunch of stuff I read on the internet, or an opinion based on a bunch of stuff I read on the internet.

That being said, I LOVE the pots that came in one particular Squier Strat I have. That git now has a P90s in the neck and bridge position and the stock single coil in the middle. She goes from mean to lean like no body's business with the pots that came in it.

If She was too brittle, or too muddy, the 1st thing I'd do is measure those damn pots.
My point? That it's not about how much $ something costs. If it works, it works. And if it doesn't - figure out why not, but have a good methodology in your process.

If my 85 yr old grandmother called (or anyone) and asked me to help figure out why she can't get her computer to work. My first question would be "Is it plugged in?" I wouldn't drive over there, tear out the motherboard and start lookin for broken traces.

Now let's all go play some music!!!!
.... after we've all measured our pots of course. -kidding
 
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Re: where to get REAL 500k pots,not undrated ones

Plenty of people contend there is a difference in using 500k range pots and 250 k, also dependent on what pickup is being used; relevant to the clarity/tone of the guitar
100k variance is getting towards halfway betwwen the two. This will make no difference? I doubt this.

A 500k pot that varies any more than 5% is rubbish in my opinion.
10% = 50k or + or - 25K. Still way too much variance.

:cool2:
 
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Re: where to get REAL 500k pots,not undrated ones

I don't know; I haven't played with it much. What I would like is a smoother pot that's easier to turn fast with smaller knobs. I usually put CTS pots in my guitars; some of them are kind of stiff.
 
Re: where to get REAL 500k pots,not undrated ones

Jessie's ghost said:
I don't know; I haven't played with it much. What I would like is a smoother pot that's easier to turn fast with smaller knobs. I usually put CTS pots in my guitars; some of them are kind of stiff.
Click to expand...

Contact cleaner or drip a bit of metholated spirits down the shaft. This can often loosen them up.:cool2:
 
Re: where to get REAL 500k pots,not undrated ones

Low_fidelity2100 said:
Haha...I have seen guitarists on forums complain about some ridiculous **** before, but this is by far the weirdest....Did you Seriously post this?

hahaha....Jesus Christ...Why don't you measure the number of Wraps on your strings next? the EXACT impedance of your pickups (check each coil while your at it, to make sure they're even)? Measure your guitar cables to make sure you are getting EXACTLY 10ft. Not a millimeter less?! How about counting the number of wraps on the tuning peg when trying out guitars?
If any of those things aren't perfect, you should probably just throw that **** right in the garbage, cause thats obviously what it is, Garbage.

Seriously, some of you guys really need to chill the **** out...hahaha
Click to expand...

:banghead:wow...i can tell you absolutely have no clue on how to build a high end guitar,in fact you have no business being around guitars period,if i could,i would banished you and anyone else who agrees with your moronic,statements....do us all a favor and stay away from guitars period,play the kazoo, play your 1 inch skin flute,what ever,just stay away from the guitar you dumb ass newb.

listen up son,it's time for school.... having under rated pots is a HUGE thing,it's like playing your guitar with half the volume turned down....now,that doesn't sound good,does it?.....no it does not,electronics are a HUGE part of the guitar.
did you think it was a magic tone fairy that made all the guitars sound good? lol

it's all about the electronics,no one with a functional brain cell can argue that,period.
this rant is not directed at you per say,it's the clueless ignorance that you represent.

next time before you post,get a f***in clue.
thank you
 
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Re: where to get REAL 500k pots,not undrated ones

Muscle relaxer?
 
Re: where to get REAL 500k pots,not undrated ones

^ what I would do if I'm you... I would put a resistor of 500k and other of 440k ohms... Let us know if you can hear the difference. Seriously.
 
Re: where to get REAL 500k pots,not undrated ones

LtKojak said:
If you're getting CTS pots, that's the ones to get:

EP088 500K 0946 CTS

Not even one of the several hundreds I've gotten over the years measured less than 500K.

Once I got 50 of the Di Marzio branded CTS pots... NOT EVEN ONE of those went over 480K... mostly 440-475K.

HTH,
Click to expand...

interesting,i heard the same thing about those dimarzio's at 10 bucks a pop,it's too risky to order them.
the pots i initially had were cts,all parts brand
model number#epo86 0946 cts....stay away from all parts,and stew mac,they all apparently sell crap pots.if someone had a different experience,by all means do tell.

anyway,today went to another shop,and bought genuine fender cts pots...made in taiwan lol
model #38950 0640 cts

this time i could test them,cause they weren't shrink wrapped,and the findings were varied.....i tested 8.....of the eight...three were a pinch over 500k,just perfect, much better then before but still no quality control,on the ratings.
i needed 6,so i'll be back this week to talk to the tech,he wasn't in when i was there.
i will be sure to ask for that model # you posted
thanks,bro
 
Re: where to get REAL 500k pots,not undrated ones

kramer.geetar said:
How is this EVH mindwise? Ed had a 500k pot and wired it up, I highly doubt he measured and tried to find one within -/+ 5k of 500k lol
Click to expand...

think again,eddie dubbed himself a tone chaser,he does take wild chances,and does unorthodox methods for getting tone,but he is very self schooled when it comes to building hot sounding guitars.

he built the frank,that we all know and love in 74,when a super strat didn't even exist,also he was direct mounting pick ups ages ago.... he put brass blocks on the map.

theses are features he has in his guitars.
kinda hard to believe a guy with a smoke hanging off his headstock, is this knowledgeable.lol
btw evh has a sweet mid.
 
Re: where to get REAL 500k pots,not undrated ones

crguti said:
^ what I would do if I'm you... I would put a resistor of 500k and other of 440k ohms... Let us know if you can hear the difference. Seriously.
Click to expand...

hmmm.....if it works i would do this...have u done this?,is this a proven method?....explain
 
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Re: where to get REAL 500k pots,not undrated ones

Little Robert said:
I hate to be a *****bag, but pot values do matter and they make a difference.

I hate to be a *****bag, but pot taper matters and makes a difference.*
*That is, if you use them. If they're always on ten, then it doesn't matter.


BEFORE swapping pickups to get a different tone/feel. I'd measure your pots to see where you're at. If your pickups are muddy sounding, the pot values could be too low; swap in some higher value pots and you'd really be surprised @ the difference.

And we're probably talking less than $50 for a meter & soldering iron rig from somewhere like radioshack - which work just fine - and some new pots to try out.

LOTS of bang for your buck in the tone and response department of your INSTRUMENT.
That's what it is after all right, an instrument, a tool to make music, so why not try to maximize the utility and control of it.

There ARE places that sell pots with tighter tolerances and special tapers - they're still reasonable cheap.

All the above is from my own personal experience, making changes to my gear and others - not a bunch of stuff I read on the internet, or an opinion based on a bunch of stuff I read on the internet.

That being said, I LOVE the pots that came in one particular Squier Strat I have. That git now has a P90s in the neck and bridge position and the stock single coil in the middle. She goes from mean to lean like no body's business with the pots that came in it.

If She was too brittle, or too muddy, the 1st thing I'd do is measure those damn pots.
My point? That it's not about how much $ something costs. If it works, it works. And if it doesn't - figure out why not, but have a good methodology in your process.

If my 85 yr old grandmother called (or anyone) and asked me to help figure out why she can't get her computer to work. My first question would be "Is it plugged in?" I wouldn't drive over there, tear out the motherboard and start lookin for broken traces.

Now let's all go play some music!!!!
.... after we've all measured our pots of course. -kidding
Click to expand...

word....amen to that,couldn't of said it better myself.
 
Re: where to get REAL 500k pots,not underrated ones

Re: where to get REAL 500k pots,not underrated ones

briggleman said:
I like people like you. I can sell all of my crap to you. A ebayer's dream come true. I have a guitar I would like to sell you. The volume controls are not balanced very well, creates some weird tones sometimes but that should not bother you. OH, the neck has some extra relief in it, that I cannot get just right, but again that should not bother you. OH, two of the frets are off by a mm or two, again that should not bother you. Don/t worry about the brand name, has nothing to do with quality control, so I just sanded it off, should not bother you.

OH, and the rest of you that agreed with him. I can make extra guitars so you can have one too!!!!!! I can't wait for you guys to grow up!!!!
Click to expand...

sooooo true.....too funny lol
 
Re: where to get REAL 500k pots,not undrated ones

Funkfingers said:
Hey. We are talking about relatively crude electronic components here. IMO, manufacturing tolerances of plus or minus five percent would not be unreasonable. The OP appears to be expecting zero percent tolerances.

The only time that I have ever bothered to put a meter on a pot was when something appeared to be wrong with it. Even then, I was testing for evidence that the resistance taper was operational, NOT ascertaining the exact resistance value. That would be like counting the number of flakes in your breakfast cereal packet.

Personally, I am more bothered about how smoothly the pot shaft rotates and how well it controls the valve saturation on my amplifier. In both of these respects, I have always found CTS to be good.
Click to expand...

if you always found your cts pots to be good,then your pots are a high rating,either that or your tone deaf and can't hear the difference lol

seriously,if you ever played a guitar with bad pots,you would know....something isn't quite right....it is nothing like counting the number of corn flakes lol

it's more like waking up in the mourning and realizing your missing a testicle,you would notice a missing testicle wouldn't you? lol
 
Re: where to get REAL 500k pots,not undrated ones

i used to buy CTS pots from Wymore Guitars. i want a 600k+ pots for my neck HB and John Wymore(a forum member BTW) tweaked a high value(550k+) CTS pot to around 650k for me. He also measures every pot he sends to the closest value possible to the value you want and he can tweak it if you want. Wymore Guitars is under new ownership so i don't know if they still do this.

the 650k pot made a difference BTW.
 
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Re: where to get REAL 500k pots,not undrated ones

black sunshine said:
:banghead:wow...i can tell you absolutely have no clue on how to build a high end guitar,in fact you have no business being around guitars period,if i could,i would banished you and anyone else who agrees with your moronic,statements....do us all a favor and stay away from guitars period,play the kazoo, play your 1 inch skin flute,what ever,just stay away from the guitar you dumb ass newb.

listen up son,it's time for school.... having under rated pots is a HUGE thing,it's like playing your guitar with half the volume turned down....now,that doesn't sound good,does it?.....no it does not,electronics are a HUGE part of the guitar.
did you think it was a magic tone fairy that made all the guitars sound good? lol

it's all about the electronics,no one with a functional brain cell can argue that,period.
this rant is not directed at you per say,it's the clueless ignorance that you represent.

next time before you post,get a f***in clue.
thank you
Click to expand...

I like THIS post. :naughty:
 
Re: where to get REAL 500k pots,not undrated ones

Always had a great deal with rsguitarworks.net Quality pots all the way and some very cool caps too.
 
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