Pot Taper

horsehead

OK...so....I've got some new pots put in my Les Paul as all my wiring and everything was naff (don't ask!) but I've seen that when using a fuzz pedal, there is a significant drop (like off the end of a cliff) when I turn down. I wanted to be able to have a gradual reduction in the fuzz to get that kind of Hendrix fuzzy clean, but it's not really possible with the taper on these pots...what's the difference etc what's the options etc?

wackojacko

There are a few options.

1) Change pots from log/audio to linear (with a sudden drop you have audio by the sounds of it) whereas linear pots have a gradual, even volume sweep.

2) If your Les Paul is currently wired in the "modern way", then swap the capacitors over to the "50 style" which reduces the drop off/retains high end frequencies better as the volume is rolled back

3) If you want to  stick to the modern setup, add a treble bleed to each volume pot.

That's what I would do anyway. I'm sure there are plenty of ideas on the FB.

Corvus

The taper on pots varies which can be a pain, the CTS I just put in my build are steeper fall-off than others I've had, though the treble bleed setup helps. To me that's essential, keeps the clarity there and the roll-off works better. Different schemes like parallel or series resistor can affect how the pot tapers as well.

The fuzz can have an affect too I think, leastways the Fuzz Factory unmodded has really steep fall-off. Whereas my others do that lovely thing of going chimey, cleanish etc much nicer.

Danielsguitars

I've tried loads of cts pots Inc tvt's 
I don't like any audio taper in the volume so I only use linear volume pots and 50's wiring which seems to clean up better 

horsehead

Any goods places to get good linear pots please? 

ICBM

Anywhere that sells Gibson 300K Linear pots - Thomann do, among others. 500Ks seem quite hard to find in the right combination of quality, long bushing (which you need for a Les Paul), and split shaft… although I haven't looked very hard.

If you don't want to do that you can modify the taper of an existing Log pot using an extra resistor, although you won't get very close to a linear taper without drastically lowering the effective overall resistance as you turn down.

SteveRobinson

AllParts stock them, or I thought they did! I can't find them on their site now.

AxesRUs then!
http://www.axesrus.co.uk/Long-Shaft-CTS-Pots-p/ctsloglong.htm

ICBM

SteveRobinson said:

AllParts stock them, or I thought they did! I can't find them on their site now.

AxesRUs then!
http://www.axesrus.co.uk/Long-Shaft-CTS-Pots-p/ctsloglong.htm

Aha! I didn't spot those.

I still have something to complain about though  - they say "The main aspect of all CTS pots is that they’re made in the exact same way as they always have been" - which is bollocks. The quality is nowhere near what it was in the past, and in particular they've stopped fitting the circlip round the shaft outside the bushing (you can see that in the pic) which means that it's quite easy to push the whole shaft out through the back of the pot when you're fitting the knob… the only thing holding it in place is the four little metal tabs on the casing. You need to make sure you support the back of the casing when you're pushing the knob on.

They're also 100% wrong - as usual - about using linear pots for tone. They do not give "more accurate" control, they do the exact opposite and act nearly like a switch at the bottom end of the travel.

[/rant]

p90fool

ICBM said:

SteveRobinson said:

AllParts stock them, or I thought they did! I can't find them on their site now.

AxesRUs then!
http://www.axesrus.co.uk/Long-Shaft-CTS-Pots-p/ctsloglong.htm

Aha! I didn't spot those.

I still have something to complain about though  - they say "The main aspect of all CTS pots is that they’re made in the exact same way as they always have been" - which is bollocks. The quality is nowhere near what it was in the past, and in particular they've stopped fitting the circlip round the shaft outside the bushing (you can see that in the pic) which means that it's quite easy to push the whole shaft out through the back of the pot when you're fitting the knob… the only thing holding it in place is the four little metal tabs on the casing. You need to make sure you support the back of the casing when you're pushing the knob on.

They're also 100% wrong - as usual - about using linear pots for tone. They do not give "more accurate" control, they do the exact opposite and act nearly like a switch at the bottom end of the travel.

[/rant]

Wis'd, I broke a brand new CTS pot last year just pushong the knob on - the whole thing fell to bits.

I put if back together and bent the little tabs back over, but it was not as robust so I binned it.

I can't seem to get volume pots to last more than three months these days, they used to last me ten years.

WezV

Yeah, I have had a few where the back has just pushed out slightly and introduced a bit of play, and some fall apart totally.  Seems to have suddenly happened a lot in the last year or so

now I know it's fine, just support the back.... but putting new tone knobs on a 335 has become quite a risky job

ICBM

WezV said:

Yeah, I have had a few where the back has just pushed out slightly and introduced a bit of play, and some fall apart totally.  Seems to have suddenly happened a lot in the last year or so

now I know it's fine, just support the back.... but putting new tone knobs on a 335 has become quite a risky job

You probably need to make some sort of wooden block on a flexible metal wire, to fit between the back of the pot and the back of the guitar, that you can poke in through the f-hole to support it… it's a faff. All because they stopped fitting a little circlip - presumably just to save money - very annoying.

Danielsguitars

I was trying to fit speed knobs recently and they just wouldn't go on the cts pot easily and sit where I want them, drill bit and pillar drill sorted that out, you shouldn't need to push that hard imo

WezV

My process for fitting guitar knobs has not changed in the last 20 years.  I am applying no more force than I ever have. 

The pots have changed and now will not withstand any more than a gentle push

The first ones I noticed going wrong did not fall apart, and still worked. But they had a bit of vertical movement almost like a push pull pot... the shaft was able to move in and out of the pot by a small amount.  When I looked closer there was a gap between the casing and the 4 tabs were slightly bent.  

ICBM

customkits said:

I was trying to fit speed knobs recently and they just wouldn't go on the cts pot easily and sit where I want them, drill bit and pillar drill sorted that out, you shouldn't need to push that hard imo

Were they far-east-made knobs?

WezV said:

My process for fitting guitar knobs has not changed in the last 20 years.  I am applying no more force than I ever have. 

The pots have changed and now will not withstand any more than a gentle push

Exactly. The pots are now poor.

I think some of the specialist resellers still order them with the circlip, although you'll pay a premium for them.

It does piss me off when companies downgrade a perfectly good product just to save a tiny bit of money, and in the process destroy the quality.

Danielsguitars

ICBM said:

customkits said:

I was trying to fit speed knobs recently and they just wouldn't go on the cts pot easily and sit where I want them, drill bit and pillar drill sorted that out, you shouldn't need to push that hard imo

Were they far-east-made knobs?


I think they were from wd music and for cts size pots, I just didn't like how much I had to push knowing how they can fall apart
Crap really, it never used to happen

horsehead

IS there a good reliable supplier of them then? Allparts & axeRus are not the best. I know that bare knuckle pickups carry some but charge a forune!

normula1

Axecaster are good.

http://www.axecaster.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=11&zenid=a37cb9c951d6dac6e2f02d51181ee9cd