HELLO EVERYBODY,

I want to buy a new potentiometer! in my search i found two kinds, no-load and load , please somebody tell me the diference!

Hi TOMAS POBLADOR,

The "no-load" tone pot works just like a normal pot from 1 to 9, but at 10 the pot has an indent position in which the pot is disconnected from the circuit, resulting in an "open" circuit for the tone control. The pickup will have no tone pot connected when the no-load pot is in the 10 position, allowing the most brightness possible.

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---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

You can make a regular pot into a no-load very easily, just wont get the detent at 10. I dont really like no-loads on single coils, I find they make it REALLY TREBLE heavy, I do like them w/humbuckers though. Its too bad it doesnt work with a Volume pot.

WHY do you want to buy a new potentiometer? Is the old one broken? Are you replacing a volume control or a tone control? Your answers will determine what type you should use.

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Bill

Why you want a new one is a good question. If you don't like the taper, you can use different resistors between two lugs, it'll change the taper. If you wannt a no-load; take it apart.
1) pull the 4 tabs that hold the back cover off, et it to the side.
2) turn the knob all the way to the 10 position, pull it apart just enough so you can see where the copper "fingers" that ate connected to the knob itself. Take note of where they are @ the 10 position.

3) now you want to either grind, scrape, or cover the metal etching the copper fingers touch to make contact with. A dremel tool will work, but don't go to far past the etching. I use clearnail polish because its easier, and will interupt the current fine. Make sure its just where the copper fingers touch @10, you don't want to loose the ability to roll off thehighs anywhere but at the 10.
4) put it back together.

You now have a no-load tone control. Note; this only works son the tone control, it won't work on the volume.

As for pots, I've used them all, and the best CTS pot is the Bourns Low-Friction, its an EVH part. Its not jsut that it makes volume swells really easy (I can go from 1-10 with a flick of my pinky), they have the best & most consistant (from one pot to the next) taper I've used.

Only issue I have with these pots is that they only come in solid shaft. They don't make a split shaft, fo fenders normal knob covers won't fit.

That's why I hate the standard wiring of a strat that has the bridge pup wired completely open! No wonder people complain of strat single coils sounding like ice picks!

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"Epitaph on a blues musician’s tombstone: “I didn’t wake up this morning”" Davy Knowles


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+100

I oviously agree. That's why I put a post up on how I can't undrstand why they do that; the bridge pickup is the 1 pickup out of the tree that can really benefit from a tone control. Of course I was shouted down by all the appologists saying I don't know what I'm talking about, and some load about how early dender amps didn't recreate some high frequency, but how long did that peoblem last? And other guitar builders put in bridge tone controls. Whatever. They do sound too bright to me. I know a lot of tele players like it. I've put in many 1Meg pots, so they'd be even brighter.