Different types of pots?

[drbassman]

OK, what's the difference between audio and linear taper pots?  I'm shopping for some new pots and I was wondering whats up with these two choices.

[exiledarchangel]

Buy audio pots, linear are mostly for hi-fi stuff or effect pedals. Their difference is on their taper, on linear pots when you close it by 10%, you get 10% reduction in volume. On audio pots you get less volume drop on the start of the pot, and much more towards its end. That gives them better control when installed on musical instruments.

[Dave W]

And yet, on most models including the LP Standard, Gibson has used 300K linear pots for the volume pot since the early 1970s.

[Basvarken]

Audio is most often used for Volume.
Linear is most often used for Tone


That is because the human ear does not hear increase in volume in a lineair way but logarithmically.
If you'd use a linear potentiometer on a 0 - 10 scale, it would make the volume seem too loud already on 5.

Tonal differences are heard more linear.

[sniper]

think of log as audio taper

think of linear as linear taper and the last two (antilog and commercial log) on drugs

[drbassman]

Thanks guys.  As an audiologist (retired) I should have realized the difference right off, although most of my professional life was spent in the HTL and SPL world of hearing loss and dysfunction.  I prefer the logrithmic pattern to the linear.  BTW, I thought Gibson sued 300k linear on the tone controls of the LP basses?

On the cherryburst I just assembled, I used 500k on the vols and 300k on the tones, as I have before, and it sounds great (to my ears!).     Did I get it backwards?  I know I'm rusty, but I thought I had it right!

[the mojo hobo]

The pot values are not set by any rigid rules. If it sounds great you got it right.

[drbassman]

The pot values are not set by any rigid rules. If it sounds great you got it right.

I've been using 500k for vols and 300 or 250k for tones with hum buckers and they've been turning out great thus far.  So I'm sticking with it for now!

[dadagoboi]

I've been using 500k for vols and 300 or 250k for tones with hum buckers and they've been turning out great thus far.  So I'm sticking with it for now!

These are the optimum so far for me and what I've learned this year:

Vintage TBird and ThunderBuckers 500K audio for vol, 250K audio for tone.

Seymour Duncan SSBs 250k for all.  500k vol pots work like switches on them, either on or off.  SD specs 250K for ALL their pups AFAIK

Artecs 500K all.  Typical Asian spec.  Some spec linear for tone (SX for one)

EMG HZ 500K all. No spec I can find.

Bartolini is even worse at providing info, I used 500K pots on Jim's JAEbird, they sounded very muddy.

These are all passive humbucking pickups.

Corrections/Info welcomed.

[drbassman]

Thanks Carlo.  I'm on track thus far!  Your figures look good, especially with your experience.

[dadagoboi]

Thanks Carlo.  I'm on track thus far!  Your figures look good, especially with your experience.

Except for SD it was difficult for me to find info online from aftermarket pup manufacturers on what they recommend for pots.  It's strange since you'd think they design their pickups with specific pots in mind.  Maybe I didn't look hard enough.

[drbassman]

Except for SD it was difficult for me to find info online from aftermarket pup manufacturers on what they recommend for pots.  It's strange since you'd think they design their pickups with specific pots in mind.  Maybe I didn't look hard enough.

I had the same problem Carlo.  You just gotta keep looking and asking!

[SGD Lutherie]

As a pickup maker I'd like to say there is no right and wrong. I suggest 500k pots, but also point out that you can use 250k if you want a slightly warmer tone. Duncan likes that tone, but you can use his pickups with 500k pots. You sure need to with the JB!  You can use 100k if you want a very dark tone.

You can use higher values, like 1M if you want the least loading from the pot when its on 10.

As far as tapers, in some applications, like mixing two pickups on a Jazz bass, linear actually works better. The reason is that you are mixing two signals, and the pickups load each other. Log taper pots are good is you are actually going to do fades, but they aren't as good for small adjustments because they jump too fast past 8 or 9. Once you are lower than that, the pickup is overpowered by the other pickup.

And different manufactures tapers vary too. I like Bourns pots a lot.