CTS pots - type - help.

Miquel12

Hi

I bought CTS pots :

EP4385 250k 1408 CTS

EP4385 250k 1332 CTS

Which would be linear ? only one should be for the tone. 

Any help please? Thanks

Michal

ICBM

EP4385 is an Allparts code and both pots are 250K Log, which is what you want. (You can use Linear for volume if you prefer it but it doesn't work well for tone.)

The 1408 and 1332 are date codes, for the 8th week of 2014 and 32nd week of 2013.

Miquel12

Thanks, so they are both the same? I thought only one was to be linear. 

ICBM

Yes, they're both the same although they were made about 6 months apart, so they might have come from two different boxes!

Log works well for both volume and tone. Some people prefer Linear for volume, especially if only playing clean - there is less of a drastic drop when you roll back from 10 to 8 or 9. Very low values of linear can work for tone controls (100K or 50K usually) but if you use a 250K Linear for tone it does nothing from 10 down to about 3 and then suddenly turns off.

Miquel12

Thank you!

Another question if I may - I'm sitting with baja tele wiring but i've got three way switch only. is the neck green cable going to earth or what? did I co.. up by buying three way switch?

ICBM

It only matters if you want the 'series' sound. If not, just wire it like a standard Tele and connect the green wire to ground.

You could actually try *not* connecting it to anything if you find the neck pickup too dull-sounding. It will be a bit noisier but also brighter.

Miquel12

Thanks guy. Neck sounds lovely - there is a lot of wood so it's nice and rich.

Bridge sounds thin though... Ill try additional capacitor (0.01 tweak) and see how it is.