Audio or Linear tone pot?

[jonasaberg]

I figured I'd swap the pots in my Larrivee for some CTS 500K ones.
I know I should get a 500K Audio for volume but what about the tone pot (only one)? Audio or linear, any difference?
I originally thought I'd get some of both and experiment but I can't seem to find a dealer that has them both.
Oh, and if you Google "pot" and "dealer" you get a bunch of sites completely unrelated to guitars. Who would've thought?

[Jack Napalm]

Generally you would use a linear pot for tone and gain and an audio taper pot for volume. But experimentation is when some of the cool things happen. You can use a linear pot for volume but your level would be hard to control.

[Newc]

www.guitarelectronics.com
www.stewmac.com
www.guitarpartsresource.com
www.guitarpartsdepot.com

Never search Google or any other "everything" engine for something as vague as "pot" and "dealer". Really, I thought that would be common sense.

Try "guitar parts" or "guitar electronics".


Linear vs Audio Taper pots: I can never remember which is which, but one will give you a steady decrease/increase when turned and the other cuts down quickly.

Going from 10 to 1 you get a smooth fade with one type, but the other drops sharply when you get to 7, and from 6 to 1 there's no real noticeable change.

[Bengal65]

Also, I found these folks for someone needing high quality 25K ohm replacements for EMG's or Livewires etc. or any other related electronics.

http://www.tubeampparts.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=A&Category_Code=AP

[Sunbane]

Jackson uses audio taper for both, don't they?

[krimson]

I have a Kramer with what must be a Linear Taper Volume pot and it drives me crazy. You can't back off the volume without it completely dropping off.

[Axewielder]

Jackson uses audio taper for both, don't they?

That's what I always thought (not 100% sure though). I use audio tapers for both on new projects.

[Rich#6]

I just bought a bunch of audio pots for tone and voume for a bunch of my guitars. Guitar electronics only sells audio pots in 500k unless you buy the minis.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

you should try the "Super Pot" from http://www.rsguitarworks.net/rsstore...roducts_id=388 i really like them a lot. they are top of the line CTS pots.

[Axewielder]

I just bought a bunch of audio pots for tone and voume for a bunch of my guitars. Guitar electronics only sells audio pots in 500k unless you buy the minis.

What's the deal with those mini pots anyway? I've always wondered what guitars those fit on.

[CharvelRocker]

What's the deal with those mini pots anyway? I've always wondered what guitars those fit on.

I've seen them on Strats a fair bit, probably because they take up less space and leave more room in the tight cavity for wiring or batteries. I do believe they are used in amps and other pieces of stereo equipment as well due to their small size.

On a side note, if I had an amp with an overly touchy volume control (a millimeter makes a difference between whisper quiet and ear splitting), what kind of pot does it have and should I replace it with the opposite type.

[dg]

You should use audio taper for the amp volume. This site explains it pretty well:

http://www.westlabs.com/Pots.HTML#Taper

Sound volume works on a logarithmic scale, and that's how audio taper pots work, so the ear perceives a smoother increase or decrease in volume as you turn the knob.

[straycat]

rsguitarworks upgrade kits are the way to go.Go to their site and see who uses them you'll be surprised.