Wiring Q - Audio or linear taper pots?

[warlok]

I think I've been thinking about this wrong. Or maybe not.. I always thought that linear taper pots were for volume cause when you turn it down, it turns off. And an audio taper pot was for tone cause it doesn't turn off, just changes resistance (or something) to alter the sound (or something like that). Am I wrong?

I ask because I just rewired My SL1 (dimarzio sent me the diagram) that has a bridge and a neck pup, volume, tone, and a 3 way switch. Volume knob is doing as it should but the tone is also acting as volume. Turn the tone down and sound goes away. I looked and both the volume and tone are the same part number CTS 500K pots. So I assumed that the tone pot was the wrong type but looking around the net, I see people debating which is better for what and using both linear and audio for volume and/or tone. So, is it the wrong pot or is it maybe how I wired it?:think:

Edit.. Oops, probably should be in Tech Q&A..

[Trussrod]

You should use audio taper pots. If you use linear pots the volume or tone adjustment will stop at about half a turn of the knob. AT pots are designed to adjust only what the human ear can hear.

[dg]

Post a pic of how you have it wired. It should only be sending the high frequencies to ground, but it sounds like its grounding your whole signal. Do you have a cap wired in like this one:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=HSS_1v_1t_5w

[warlok]

They're Dimarzio's so it's a bit different (.022uf on the counterclockwise lug) but I got it figured out. The lug where the cap is was grounding against the case of the pot. Fixed and it's working now. Now I need to replace the screwed switch. Are blade switches a standard distance between the mounting screws?

They're EP086 500K Audio Taper pots so I guess I'm good. But still sux that I've been thinking about it wrong for quite a while now.

[Musician78]

I think so, only because I have replaced several switches on several guitars and never had an issue... I have however, found out that the screw size is sometimes different. Not much, but enough.

[84sups]

They should both work just a little differently. A linear taper will still work but you need an audio taper for the volume and linear for the tone. Just hope I dont have it backwards

[warlok]

Cool. Now I need the rest of the pots and switches for the Pro and I can stop wiring stuff..