Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Bad pots?
- Thread starter MJ_Sotti
- Start date
An easier question to answer would be "What are the characteristics of good pots?"
To me a good pot is a rare thing, here are some qualities I look for.
1:It passes signal and measures very close to it's posted rating.
2:It tapers nicely in the situation in which it is applied.
3:It's completely sealed preventing dust and other crap from getting inside.
4:It is built like a tank.
To me most of the pots being manufactured today and all of the pots I've seen used in manufactured and as well custom higher end instruments, although in most cases functional fail to live up to the qualities I've listed above.
An example of a good pot IMO. would be an Allen Bradley, most of them at least.
Here's a couple pictures of AB (Allen Bradley) pots.
To me a good pot is a rare thing, here are some qualities I look for.
1:It passes signal and measures very close to it's posted rating.
2:It tapers nicely in the situation in which it is applied.
3:It's completely sealed preventing dust and other crap from getting inside.
4:It is built like a tank.
To me most of the pots being manufactured today and all of the pots I've seen used in manufactured and as well custom higher end instruments, although in most cases functional fail to live up to the qualities I've listed above.
An example of a good pot IMO. would be an Allen Bradley, most of them at least.
Here's a couple pictures of AB (Allen Bradley) pots.
I'd recently had some issues I thought were my pots. I'd cleaned them best I could but they always madw noise and started humming at certain settings. Before I got around to getting new ones my jack started going out so I replaced it first. As soon as I did all the noise disapeared and functionality of my knobs came back. My signal was also a lot hotter to. Just throwing that out there as a possibility.
An easier question to answer would be "What are the characteristics of good pots?"
To me a good pot is a rare thing, here are some qualities I look for.
1:It passes signal and measures very close to it's posted rating.
2:It tapers nicely in the situation in which it is applied.
3:It's completely sealed preventing dust and other crap from getting inside.
4:It is built like a tank.
To me most of the pots being manufactured today and all of the pots I've seen used in manufactured and as well custom higher end instruments, although in most cases functional fail to live up to the qualities I've listed above.
An example of a good pot IMO. would be an Allen Bradley, most of them at least.
Here's a couple pictures of AB (Allen Bradley) pots.
]
Agreed. Do they still make those? I haven't seen one for ages! (Quick check of internet reveals Allen Bradley pot division sold to Honeywell who doesn't seem to make them anymore. Also many used ones appearing on EBAY!)
These ARE the ultimate pot. Forget CTS cheapo crap! THESE are the one! They are sealed, built like tanks and best of all have a molded element that is extremely quiet and lasts for absolute EVER before they get noisy. Time was when they were commonly available military surplus. Military ones were even cooler as they were dipped in conformal coating and waterproof! They were the ultimate fader pots for heavy use mixers and the like.
The major downside of them, however, is that unlike most cheap pots where when they get noisy you just stick the snout of a poof-can in through a hole and poof noise away, these have no such holes and you have to pry the covers off them. This is much less than optimum. Better to just get new ones. But let me say that I've got a bass with a couple of these pots in it and after 50 (!) years it's only now starting to get noisy!
