Vol vs tone pots question

[budda]

can you use the same type of pot (say 500K linear) for volume as well as tone pots?

I need to know before i go about collecting the electronics for my singlecut

and if anyone has some 500K linear taper pots they wouldnt mind sending me for a small fee, that'd be cool too!

[cev]

You can use linear pots for volume, but the volume curve will be a bit funny. Why can't you get audio taper pots?

[All_¥our_Bass]

Yeah for volume you'd want logarithmic pots, rather than linear. They will sound better, not in quality(crackle hiss, noise, etc.) but the rate of taper is based on how we hear things, which is NOT linear. Linear will work correctly and not .... up any electronics, but logarithmic will sound much more natural when you turn then down or up.

[budda]

good to know! cheers gents

[rectifryer]

You guys, whats the best quality pots out there?

I have a k7, so you should know why I'm rewiring everything lol.

[yellowv]

Originally Posted by rectifryer

You guys, whats the best quality pots out there?

I have a k7, so you should know why I'm rewiring everything lol.

CTS. The Dimarzio pots are good as well.

[auxioluck]

By the volume curve.....do you mean how when I turn my RG up from 0, it's nothing, and then all of a sudden there's noise? No fade from 0 to 1 or 2?

[cev]

Just in general, how the pot responds. Like, if you have it turned halfway, you expect to get half the volume and you expect the volume to change smoothly as you turn it. An audio taper pot will do this.

A linear taper pot, if used for volume, will stay almost the same when turning it, until it suddenly jumps near the end (I don't remember if this happens while turning up or while turning down, but either way it's bad).

[All_¥our_Bass]

^
That explains why my bass's volume pot isn't smooth. If I turn it down it's the same for a moment than a big drop, and then it smoothly fades away. Same when turning up (except in reverse) nothing, smooth rise in volume and then a jump.

[damigu]

^^ as they said, logarithmic (AKA audio) taper for volume and linear taper for tone is the ideal setup.

however, it depends on how you use your volume knob. most people just use it in kill-switch fashion; either full on or fully off. if that's how you do it, then it doesn't really matter what type of pot you throw in the volume position.

[All_¥our_Bass]

Even though I'm not a blues player, I still do the 'turn-down-distortion-with-volume-knob' manouver (yes, I do it on bass too ) and perfer log pots greatly for this, I should really swap my bass pot out when I get around to it. But luckily my Kittythulhu already has a log pot that works wonderfly.

[damigu]

my friend uses a volume pedal for that maneuver instead (placed before the amp and any effects). it allows him to accomplish it without stopping picking for even an instant.

[All_¥our_Bass]

^ I would do that, but I don't have a volume pedal.
Also, I've gotten out of the habit of fiddling with the volume knobs as of late cause I've set my expression pedal on my multi to control the amount of gain on my 'heavy' patches.