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  #1  
Old 06-22-2010, 10:29 AM
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How-to: Custom Concentric Pots

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If you've ever had a bass that just wouldn't look right with an extra control hole and you've been dying to try a new preamp that had one too many knobs, you've probably thought to look up a concentric pot.

The trouble with that plan is the fact that some preamps have a different value of pot for each of the two controls. I built a StingRay 2-band clone (thanks to the efforts of UncleFluffy doing the board layout and getting a run made up) and put it in an external box but decided that I wanted one in my Warmoth P for good. Rather than carry around a box, I figured I'd just install one.

There are only 3 holes in the pickguard, one is the jack and one is the concentric volumes (V-V-T config) for the PJ config on that bass. The last hole, and the reason I'm here, is the passive tone pot. I have three options. (I'm wiring the preamp at full volume and using the stacked knobs I already have)
1. Drill for a side jack and just install the 2-band in the tone and jack holes.
2. Drill another hole in the pickguard (thanks mikezimmerman).
3. Find a concentric pot for the treb/bass of the 2-band.

On the StingRay 2-band, the treble control is a reverse log 1Mohm pot and the bass control is a log 100Kohm pot. Good luck finding that mix on a concentric pot without having to find 1000 other people with the same issue or... not?

This does NOT work with all types/brands of pots, but there are quite a few that it does work just fine with (this one happens to be an Alpha build up, but CTS pots are usually easier to do this with its just harder to find some of these crazy values in a CTS pot). This is also not something to be undertaken lightly. Its a fairly hard thing to do right. If you screw up, its your fault





Things required:

2 individual pots of the correct value (same manufacturer/series/model).

1 concentric pot of any value as long as its the same manufacturer/series/model as the 2 above.

Drill with 5/16 or 3/8 drill bit.

Very small flat blade screwdriver for prying up the crimp tabs.

A small pair of short needle nose pliers to reapply crimping force to crimp tabs.



I've only included reassembly photos, you should be able to get an idea how this came apart from the reassembly of it.


Step 1: Getting the new wafers



Some pots are easy. Others, like these alpha pots, are stamped onto the control stem and require careful drilling to free the wafer.

The case in the picture is an old stomp project that is now being used as a jig to hold the pots for drilling. I highly recommend something metal for this so you don't drill through your hand.

It is critical that all the pots used, both the individual and the concentric are from the same manufacturer AND series/model.

I forgot to mention that some pots are constructed in such a way that you can saw off the top of the pot (just go through the threaded part) and you can free the wafer that way..

Be VERY sure not to touch the side of the wafers that have the resistive material on them. If you do, your pot will be scratchy in no time...


Step 2a: Assembly



After disassembling the new target concentric pot you can start to reassemble your frankenpot.

There was a tiny bit of drilling required to get this spindle free, but since its all held together with clips, you're not going to need any crazy MacGyver-skills with a small spring to keep things in their place.

Basically you just take the old wafer out, and put the new one in. Remember that the outer ring on the knob side is the pot wafer closest to the knobs.

Just make sure that all of the wipers fall within the right areas and adjust any that don't. You have about .1mm max of wiggle room here. There is also an inner track with 1-2 wipers as well so check down in there too.

YES I kow there is a hair in the pot in the picture, I removed it way later when I checked these pictures!


Step 2b: Put the clip on






Step 2c: Put the center shaft clip on



Put the inner shaft through and place its clip on the shaft. Its really hard to see small here so take a good look in the large size picture. Its a small brass clip.


Step 3: Replace the inner cover



Replace the cover of the first pot level. You want to try and get your tabs to look like they did before you pried them up. Make sure things are tight and don't wiggle at all.




Step 4: Repeat with next level



There is a 50/50 chance that this one won't require a clip, depending on the manufacturer. Then crimp the cover for this one, just like the last one.

You can also install this wafer 180 degrees out to make soldering easier later (these Alpha pots are symetric). Its completely up to you.


Step 5: Done! (and test!!)





Once you're done crimping you'll want to break out your ohm meter and check your work. The outer two lugs should read the value of the wafer and both the outer two lugs, when read from the middle (wiper) lug, should read the position of the wiper.

Then install just like you would a regular pot.

Instead of paying a ton of money for a single custom pot (or buying a few hundred/thousand just to get one), you can make your own as needed. Total cost for this pot, including shipping: $16. The concentric was purchased on ebay (was a A250Kohm), the two others were bought from Mouser. Don't forget to save the wafers taken from the concentric pot, you never know if you might need one in the future
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Last edited by JackANSI : 06-28-2010 at 02:23 PM.
  #2  
Old 06-22-2010, 03:23 PM
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Cool! Of course, you could also have just drilled another hole in the pickguard (like all of us adding J pickups to our P-basses did back in the day), but this looks a lot more fun and creative!
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  #3  
Old 06-22-2010, 03:37 PM
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That is a perfectly viable option..

I was trying to keep the 2 knob - 1 jack 'look' of a regular P though
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  #4  
Old 06-22-2010, 03:44 PM
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dan electro used those concentric pots with that same setup i believe. amazon is out of them but allparts has them i am sure

http://www.amazon.com/Danelectro-Sta.../dp/B001AN6CNU

how does the preamp work in the pedal. that is what i am interested in making but didn't know if it would do much if the vbass had 250k pots and cap already in it.//
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  #5  
Old 06-22-2010, 03:50 PM
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It works just fine as a pedal, didn't matter if the bass had active or passive tone control already. I tried it with all the basses in my sig and it never flinched.

The Danelectro stacked one is $18 before shipping too Plus I can't find out if its the right log/rev-log combo.


Edit: that Danelectro is B100Kohm-A1Mohm, not the right one for this application.
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Last edited by JackANSI : 06-24-2010 at 07:58 AM.
  #6  
Old 06-22-2010, 07:29 PM
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So if I'm in need of a concentric with a blend on top...?
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I don't think the wife would buy the "I need to take off this knob and put a whole new bass under it" story.
  #7  
Old 06-22-2010, 08:01 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FunkMetalBass View Post
So if I'm in need of a concentric with a blend on top...?
A blend is already two pots. Are you looking for blend plus another function? That would be three pots.
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Old 06-22-2010, 08:15 PM
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A 500k blend pot + a 50k pot. Kind of 3, but most blend pots are usually in a slightly larger single-pot housing.
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I don't think the wife would buy the "I need to take off this knob and put a whole new bass under it" story.
  #9  
Old 06-23-2010, 04:44 AM
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Revolutionary, good sir. Thanks for explaining this in detail.
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  #10  
Old 06-23-2010, 08:22 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FunkMetalBass View Post
A 500k blend pot + a 50k pot. Kind of 3, but most blend pots are usually in a slightly larger single-pot housing.
Depends on the company, but alpha makes a two sided blend pot that is actually only slightly longer since its actually two pots back-to-back. I don't think I've come across any others that do it like that though.. It is three actual resistive wafers and technically three pots..


The blend pots you're probably after (for the mid sweep on the OBP3?) look like this when done:






Same process detailed above. If you can find the right balance pot, the balance will have to be on the center(top) knob. You might need to use some creativity (or solder/sanding, or CA glue, etc) to match the center spindle size up with the wiper on the balance pot. The blend pot in the picture also has a hex socket drive out the back so in theory you could put one more pot in line (as long as it was supposed to turn with the balance pot).

You can mix just about any pots that have the same mounting flange (the part with the threads)
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Last edited by JackANSI : 06-23-2010 at 08:31 AM.
  #11  
Old 06-24-2010, 10:02 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JackANSI View Post
Depends on the company, but alpha makes a two sided blend pot that is actually only slightly longer since its actually two pots back-to-back. I don't think I've come across any others that do it like that though.. It is three actual resistive wafers and technically three pots..


The blend pots you're probably after (for the mid sweep on the OBP3?) look like this when done:






Same process detailed above. If you can find the right balance pot, the balance will have to be on the center(top) knob. You might need to use some creativity (or solder/sanding, or CA glue, etc) to match the center spindle size up with the wiper on the balance pot. The blend pot in the picture also has a hex socket drive out the back so in theory you could put one more pot in line (as long as it was supposed to turn with the balance pot).

You can mix just about any pots that have the same mounting flange (the part with the threads)
Can you recommend a source for the pots you used for the dual 500k linear/concentric/50k?
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I don't think the wife would buy the "I need to take off this knob and put a whole new bass under it" story.
  #12  
Old 06-24-2010, 11:04 AM
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Did you have to rout your bass deeper to get that thing to fit? I'm guessing it might be too deep for many basses.
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  #13  
Old 06-24-2010, 11:34 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BurningSkies View Post
Did you have to rout your bass deeper to get that thing to fit? I'm guessing it might be too deep for many basses.
It's only slightly larger than a typical concentric pot. The way I see it, if you can fit a push/pull pot in your bass, you can fit a concentric/bend.
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I don't think the wife would buy the "I need to take off this knob and put a whole new bass under it" story.
  #14  
Old 06-24-2010, 01:12 PM
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Originally Posted by FunkMetalBass View Post
It's only slightly larger than a typical concentric pot. The way I see it, if you can fit a push/pull pot in your bass, you can fit a concentric/bend.
Its actually 1mm or so shorter than a push-pull pot...
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Old 06-24-2010, 03:59 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JackANSI View Post
Its actually 1mm or so shorter than a push-pull pot...
Still shorter, and I currently have push/pulls in every bass that will be getting this mod.

But seriously, can I get a recommendation for a supplier for the frankenpot you made?
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I don't think the wife would buy the "I need to take off this knob and put a whole new bass under it" story.
  #16  
Old 06-24-2010, 06:42 PM
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The single/blend one? I don't know anyone that makes those or has them for sale. Ill put up links tomorrow to where I got the pots used here, I'm on my Droid right now and don't have those invoices handy.
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  #17  
Old 06-25-2010, 08:54 AM
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I purchased the blend pots from http://www.futurlec.com/PotRot.shtml (thread/shaft length doesn't matter, you'll be using what comes on the concentric pot)

The concentric ones were from ebay from this guy: http://myworld.ebay.com/azjman/

I'd pick up 2 of the blends if its your first time attempting this, also get two of the right value single pot from futurlec to refit the concentric. (you'll still be under $10 shipped at futurlec)

Also be aware that the concentric's middle shaft is much smaller than the blend's and I had to improvise a filler for the blend wiper with a cotton ball and CA glue. This is only because you are not using the wiper that came with the concentric (like the detailed wafer-only swap above), you're swapping in a new wafer and wiper.
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Last edited by JackANSI : 06-25-2010 at 09:28 AM.
  #18  
Old 06-25-2010, 09:48 AM
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*gulp* Sounds difficult.

Well, I'll see what I can do. The eBay seller is local, so I might be able to drive down today and pick some up.
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I don't think the wife would buy the "I need to take off this knob and put a whole new bass under it" story.
  #19  
Old 06-28-2010, 08:41 AM
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*gulp* Sounds difficult.

Well, I'll see what I can do. The eBay seller is local, so I might be able to drive down today and pick some up.
If you give it a shot be sure to put up some pics
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  #20  
Old 06-28-2010, 08:46 AM
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Will do. I'm just afraid that, once I get into his shop, I'll feel the need to buy a mighty mite neck, a mightymite tele body, and some hardware for that custom Jim Root sig tele I'm mentally designing.
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