What is a resistor and would it be helpful to use?

KayXero · #1 11-09-2010, 08:54 AM

Simple nooby question. I bought caps and pots for my build and everything being put together. However, I noticed in the electronic components section of basspartsresource these lil resistor things. I tried to do some searching online and am wondering what do these little things do?

Do any of you guys use them inside your bass?

thanks.

PS - I did a title search and only found 16 results, none of which answered my question.

Rockman · #2 11-09-2010, 09:00 AM

... honestly if you don't know what a resistor is you probably should read up on what you are trying to do before you open your bass. Otherwise you are just doing guess work. Essentially every component in an electrical circuit is a resistor, some just act differently than others.

Jonyak · #3 11-09-2010, 09:03 AM

A resistor is the most basic electronic component. your pots are resistors.

I advise to get someone who knows what they are doing to do the work.

KayXero · #4 11-09-2010, 09:05 AM

I am not doing the electrical work. The local tech is. I am just wondering what each component does so I can get thorough knowledge on things. I could not find what exactly resistors do inside a bass and if bassists even used them.

I know about pots, caps, and how pickups work and I am trying to learn the resistors purpose as well.

As well as if any bassists here use them.

So if you know the answer to my original post, that would be most helpful of you to share with me.

Thanks

EDIT: http://basspartsresource.com/electrical_resistors.htm

those things

FunkMetalBass · #5 11-09-2010, 09:12 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistor

You generally wont find random resistors sitting inside of a bass unless they are a part of the preamp, in which case they'll be soldered onto a circuit board. This is why nobody is really answering your question - it's just not a common enough scenario to care about.

Your pots are variable resistors. They have a maximum potential resistance of (commonly) ~250k ohms. Sometimes (although very seldom), to get a slightly hotter output, some players will add a resistor in series with the pots. All this does is simulate a potentiometer with a higher resistance, but most times, it's better just to replace the potentiometer with one of the correct value so that the tapers of the potentiometer are more accurate.

Jonyak · #6 11-09-2010, 09:16 AM

A resistor resists the flow of electricity.

When put in parralell with capacitors they form filters, which is what the tone control on your bass is.

The pots on your bass are just adjustable resistors.

basses, do use them, but not neccessarily the discrete component version.

generaly the potentionmeter is the resistance portion of the filter (tone knob). as you turn the pot it changes the resistance thus changing thre filter frequency.

if you want to learn more about them look up Low pass filtering and High pass filtering.

Also here is a wiki on resistance in electronic circuits. electrical resistance.

Bassamatic · #7 11-09-2010, 09:23 AM

A resistor is like a fixed valve to slow down the electricity or reduce the pressure. It RESISTS the current flow of the signal. A pot is a variable valve like the one on your water faucet.

In an electronic circuit, resistors are used to control the level of the signal in different parts of the circuit. A resistor can be used together with other parts such as capacitors, coils and IC amplifiers to produce different results - louder, softer, more/less bass, more/less treble, etc.

Normally, there are no resistors in a passive bass.

basscheez · #8 11-09-2010, 09:27 AM

FMB, Adding a resistor in series with a pot will only decrease the output, or decrease the range (i.e. you'd still have some output with the volume at zero). Wouldn't make much sense. Resistors are occasionally added in parallel with a pot to adjust the taper, but very rarely.

KayXero, FMB's wikipedia link should tell you everything you need to know.

KayXero · #9 11-09-2010, 09:43 AM

thanks so much for your help guys. i am only becoming wiser the more i frequent this site.

wish there was a rep/thanks system so i could give kudos after being helped.

anyways have a good day

**line6man** · #10 11-09-2010, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockman

Essentially every component in an electrical circuit is a resistor, some just act differently than others.

This is nonsense.

While every component has some amount of resistance, capacitance and inductance, not every component is a resistor.
A capacitor is not a resistor, a diode is not a resistor, a transistor is not a resistor, etc...

And, of course, as others have said, resistors are arguably the most basic of all components, they resist the flow of electrons by dissipating them as heat energy.
A potentiometer is a resistor with a wiper that sweeps across it, such to vary the resistance.

johnboy65 · #11 11-09-2010, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by line6man

This is nonsense.

While every component has some amount of resistance, capacitance and inductance, not every component is a resistor.
A capacitor is not a resistor, a diode is not a resistor, a transistor is not a resistor, etc...

And, of course, as others have said, resistors are arguably the most basic of all components, they resist the flow of electrons by dissipating them as heat energy.
A potentiometer is a resistor with a wiper that sweeps across it, such to vary the resistance.

At first I thought "You D!%K"
But then I read the post and you are 100% correct