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Post subject: 500k vs 250k pots
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 6:27 am
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I understand that it's personal preference and that 500k pots are generally brighter.

But I don't quite understand why... despite reading all of the technical info on how they work that I can find.

Surely regardless of the pot value, it only applies when the volume or tone is reduced, otherwise the pot is in the fully open position where the signal is essentially bypassing the pot anyway. I must be wrong, because everyone says they change the sound dramatically. Can anyone explain why this happens when the wiper inside the pot is at the signal end in simple terms?


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Post subject: Re: 500k vs 250k pots
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 12:43 pm
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Pots resistor is alway solder to ground. The other end ( wiper ) follow the knob .

At guitar maximun volume you have a 500k to ground or 250 k to ground . Low guitar volume you have less than 500k or 250k

Short answer ; smaller is the pot value more frequency go to ground/ is loss at ground


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Post subject: Re: 500k vs 250k pots
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 1:32 pm
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How does that effect the tone on the tone pot? Is it just less variation in tone or does it still effect the tone when the pot is wide open?


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Post subject: Re: 500k vs 250k pots
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 6:33 pm
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I listened to a guy on utube saying the better way is just a switch and he was a "teacher" who had his guitars that way. He just used the amp tone controls 'cause the pots color the sound out, or something!?!
Then there's that pot that switches out when you reach the and and go past the notch.
This can get real involved!

Didn't someone say "If it works don't fix it!?!

More later.


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Post subject: Re: 500k vs 250k pots
Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 1:28 am
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vseager wrote:
How does that effect the tone on the tone pot? Is it just less variation in tone or does it still effect the tone when the pot is wide open?



It affect tone even the pot is wide open , not easy to heard . That is why Fender made "no load tone " on some Stratocaster


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Post subject: Re: 500k vs 250k pots
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 3:50 am
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Think of electricity as water, the wires are pipes; the ground is like a drain. The current is always looking for the quickest way to ground. The cap is a frequency filter, high frequency will pass through the cap to ground, low frequency will not. The tone pot restricts the flow to the cap, if you use a higher value pot for the tone, it will cause more high frequency signals to back up and go through the vol pot and out to your amp. The high frequency’s give you your "bright" tone. I hope this makes sense and does not sound condescending :)

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Post subject: Re: 500k vs 250k pots
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 6:20 am
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omar59 wrote:
Think of electricity as water, the wires are pipes; the ground is like a drain. The current is always looking for the quickest way to ground. The cap is a frequency filter, high frequency will pass through the cap to ground, low frequency will not. The tone pot restricts the flow to the cap, if you use a higher value pot for the tone, it will cause more high frequency signals to back up and go through the vol pot and out to your amp. The high frequency’s give you your "bright" tone. I hope this makes sense and does not sound condescending :)



Not bad ,

My two cents ;

A volume or tone pot send always some signal / sound / frequency to ground .
A 250 k send more to ground than 500 K . A 1 meg send less than 500 K .

With the wiper you take the greater part ( not all ) of these signal / frequency /sound end send it where you want . A guitar will send it to an amp


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Post subject: Re: 500k vs 250k pots
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 3:07 pm
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stratele52 wrote:
omar59 wrote:
Think of electricity as water, the wires are pipes; the ground is like a drain. The current is always looking for the quickest way to ground. The cap is a frequency filter, high frequency will pass through the cap to ground, low frequency will not. The tone pot restricts the flow to the cap, if you use a higher value pot for the tone, it will cause more high frequency signals to back up and go through the vol pot and out to your amp. The high frequency’s give you your "bright" tone. I hope this makes sense and does not sound condescending :)



Not bad ,

My two cents ;

A volume or tone pot send always some signal / sound / frequency to ground .
A 250 k send more to ground than 500 K . A 1 meg send less than 500 K .

With the wiper you take the greater part ( not all ) of these signal / frequency /sound end send it where you want . A guitar will send it to an amp


Thank you, and yes the vol pot will always send some of the signal to ground. 8)

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