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FDP Forum / Guitar Mods, Repairs, and Projects / Audio & Log pots

Malcolm

Edmond, OK

Apr 10th, 2012 12:08 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
How can you tell them apart? I mean they look the same.

Can you do it with a meter? And if so, what settings are used?

Edited to clean it up
(This message was last edited by Malcolm at 08:01 PM, Apr 20th, 2012)

Peegoo
Contributing Member
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That chicken

is WRONG, baby.
Apr 10th, 2012 02:58 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Generally, a modern audio/log taper pot is marked with an A, e.g., A250K (audio/log, 250K Ohm). A linear taper pot many times is marked with a B, such as B500K (linear taper 500K Ohm).

How to tell with a meter? Set the pot to mid-point of rotation. With your meter set to Ohms, measure from the center tap to each outside leg. If both measurements are close in reading--it's a linear pot. If they're markedly different--it's an audio/log pot.

wrnchbndr
Contributing Member
*******

New Jersey

The otters threw me out
Apr 11th, 2012 07:17 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Just to be sure that you are on the right track, Audio and Log parts are the same. Linear pots are the different ones but these can be used for tone controls if you want. Linear and logarithmic are the often confused. A linear pot is exactly that -- its a linear progression of the value of the pot -- a 25% rotation of the pot equals 25% of the pot's value... -- and they are generally not appropriate for volume controls.

Peegoo
Contributing Member
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That chicken

is WRONG, baby.
Apr 11th, 2012 10:11 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Gibson installed 300K linear taper pots for volume controls on my LP gold top. Goobers! I'm going to send them rookies an email directing them to this thread. Did they just start building guitars last week or something?

FunkyKikuchiyo
Contributing Member
***

New England

Apr 11th, 2012 10:32 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
"Goobers! ... Did they just start building guitars last week or something?"

Actually, it is possible that isn't too far off from the truth. Managers and supervisors are typically hired more for their education or managerial experience rather than music industry experience and often they won't even play guitar. Instrumentation is a world all of its own, and what seems obvious to us is strange to others (we could have a whole thread on that!).

Plus, I'm going to venture to guess that the turn over at Gibson is pretty darn high... So, perhaps whoever made that call indeed had only been working there a week!

wrnchbndr
Contributing Member
*******

New Jersey

The otters threw me out
Apr 11th, 2012 12:01 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
...and I need to correct myself a little. Generally speaking, you can correctly call and audio pot a log pot, but, you can not always call a log pot an audio pot because there are different types of lorarithmic tapered pots that would not all be appropriate for a volume control on a guitar.

Peegoo
Contributing Member
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That chicken

is WRONG, baby.
Apr 11th, 2012 02:34 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Dude. You need a hobby.

OH...this IS your hobby!

=o)

Malcolm

Edmond, OK

Apr 11th, 2012 02:43 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
So Peegoo
I knew Gibson used 300k pots, but you're saying they used the wrong type?

Peegoo
Contributing Member
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**********

That chicken

is WRONG, baby.
Apr 11th, 2012 03:30 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Yeah. Audio/log pots are much better for volume controls. Linear pots are great for tone controls. So, a Les Paul should have two of each. The LP I'm talking about here had four linear pots. A goof at the electronics station, is all.

wrnchbndr
Contributing Member
*******

New Jersey

The otters threw me out
Apr 12th, 2012 06:08 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
...livin the dream by the seat of my pants

Peegoo
Contributing Member
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**********

That chicken

is WRONG, baby.
Apr 12th, 2012 03:09 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Dude! Those are not dreams! They're poo!

Malcolm

Edmond, OK

Apr 20th, 2012 08:13 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
How would you tell if a pot has a value of 250k/500k/1 meg?
(Since I know how to tell which is what kind of pot)

Peegoo
Contributing Member
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**********

That chicken

is WRONG, baby.
Apr 20th, 2012 08:43 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Mal,

Look on the case. Usually it's stamped into the metal. Sometimes it's printed on the phenolic plate on the front (see linked pic).

If there are no markings, disconnect at least one of the outside legs (1 or 3) and measure across legs 1 and 3 with a meter set to read Ohms. That will tell you the value of the pot.

Most pots are not precisely the rating advertised. Some vary as much as 20%--usually to the lower side rather than over the rating.
Printed variation.

Malcolm

Edmond, OK

Apr 21st, 2012 08:57 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Peegoo,

Thanks again! Never can learn too much.

Did you take that pic, or is it a file pic? Good looker either way.

Peegoo
Contributing Member
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**********

That chicken

is WRONG, baby.
Apr 22nd, 2012 06:28 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
It's a pic from the Web. Here's another that shows how tabs are numbered.
Bourns potentiometer

telezebub

Ontario, Canada

i lacquered my tweed jacket
Apr 23rd, 2012 12:00 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
i just bough a gibson tribute with p90's and its too dark.
even with the volume and tone aimed - not bright enough.
should i just replace the volume knobs with 500k pots. currently both volume pots are 300K according the specs on the website.

Peegoo
Contributing Member
**********
**********

That chicken

is WRONG, baby.
Apr 23rd, 2012 02:03 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Yeah, stock, they are 300K. The tone pots can stay 300K...but a swap to 500K will brighten it up a bit, but only with the volume dimed.

You could try a treble bypass mod ("treble bleed") on the volume pots before you swap in the 500s.

Another thing you can try is to jack up the pickups a bit. That brings out the trebles.

Yet another thing to try is to use a brighter string. Some nickel formulations are a bit "browner" sounding.

amphead4

Cincinnati, USA

Apr 23rd, 2012 02:08 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search Topic
Try a different cord.

FDP Forum / Guitar Mods, Repairs, and Projects / Audio & Log pots

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