Audio or linear Taper?

Longjonlebon

Hey! 

So I’m wondering what you all think about: where and when to use audio or linear taper pots?

From what I’ve read strats and teles seem to use audio taper on both volume and tone, but someone on a forum was saying Gibson used linear on both, then another forum said a jazzmaster used linear for volume and audio for tone…and now I’m just confused.

I do get the difference btw…it’s more of an implementation question, and I’m sure there are some different theories out there.

Thanks,

Jon

Winny_Pooh

Audio taper for everything. I can't think of a good reason to use linear taper unless its in certain sections of an amplifier circuit. 

Jonathangus

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/251901/

Cirrus

Winny_Pooh said:

Audio taper for everything. I can't think of a good reason to use linear taper unless its in certain sections of an amplifier circuit. 

I prefer linear volume pots on guitar - you can get finer control of the high end roll off from the extra loading of the pot 7-10, and then when playing clean or low gain I find the volume drop off below that better matches my expectations. Audio taper vol pots drop too much too fast - especially on a strat with vintage output pickups, by 7 I'm getting lost in the mix.

Obviously it's very rig and music dependent

SteveRobinson

Cirrus said:

Obviously it's very rig and music dependent

Log where you use a lot of gain and need your sound to clean up when you back off a bit; linear when you're playing mostly clean for the fine control.

Funkfingers

Longjonlebon said:

another forum said a jazzmaster used linear for volume and audio for tone…and now I’m just confused.

Jazzmaster and Jaguar are unusual in using some of each. The Lead Circuit pots (near the output jack socket) are 1Meg audio taper. The Rhythm Circuit roller pots are Linear with weird resistance values. 

To be honest, the abrupt manner in which 1Meg pots roll off towards zero means that arguments over linear versus logarithmic resistance taper are moot. Unfortunately, changing to another resistance value detracts from the sound. I live with the Fender offset models as George and Leo intended them.

Longjonlebon

Thanks all, a great range of answers and lots more to think about. Really appreciate you taking the time to help.