There is no difference in SOUND between different brands of pots - only how long they will last, the feel, etc. Alphas are great for the price, but really - most pots will not wear out in normal usage. I buy mine from TAYDA.com
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Is there a better tone pot?
- Thread starter CT Corvette
- Start date
Thanks, everyone. I guess it wasn't a silly question. In terms of feel, I've liked the bases I've had where the pots had a little more resistance, but other than a few that have crackled, I've never been able to hear a difference in how they performed. And one this particular bass I tend to dial in the tone with the volume controls for each pickup more than the tone control, which I tend to leave right around the mid point. Anyway, appreciate the replies. I think I'll take the advice that sounds the most like what I am interested in and bring the tech a pot to install. Have a great day...
A tone pot is simply a pot. The same one used for the volume.
There are various upgrade pots. A Google search will help you out about them and price.
I've always used CTS pots for around $6 each. (Probably more now, inflation.) CTS makes "upgrade" pots. A little more expensive. So do other makers.
Sound? The sound of your pot is gonna depend on it's value. 250k (Fender) 500K. The higher the value, the brighter the sound. (Not all that much.)
Also, the capacitor value. Fender mostly used .05. But, higher or lower value can be used. Higher value rolls off more high end, lower rolls of less.
IMHO, I wouldn't get too hung up on pots. A cheap CTS pot can last for decades! (I have a 1966 Fender P Bass with original CTS pots. 59 yrs old.)
Joke..............
There are various upgrade pots. A Google search will help you out about them and price.
I've always used CTS pots for around $6 each. (Probably more now, inflation.) CTS makes "upgrade" pots. A little more expensive. So do other makers.
Sound? The sound of your pot is gonna depend on it's value. 250k (Fender) 500K. The higher the value, the brighter the sound. (Not all that much.)
Also, the capacitor value. Fender mostly used .05. But, higher or lower value can be used. Higher value rolls off more high end, lower rolls of less.
IMHO, I wouldn't get too hung up on pots. A cheap CTS pot can last for decades! (I have a 1966 Fender P Bass with original CTS pots. 59 yrs old.)
Joke..............
I have kinda standardized on all my basses:
Bourns or CTS, makes no difference to me. both are high quality and to my unsophisticated standards, interchangeable...
On passive single-coil basses (like a P-Bass, or Jazz Bass), I do 250k linear taper volume, and 250k audio taper on Tone.
I did have a bit of a tricky deal on one of my basses; I put in a pair of Delano Soapbars. They're individually switchable between series/single/coil/parallel.
I set it up for VVT (volume for each pickup, master tone) 500k pots all around. I played it that way for a couple months, but it felt too bright, strident if you will... I switched it my 250k LT vol. and 250k AT tone. That was too much the other direction. I finally resolved to leaving the 250's in for volume, and making the tone a 500.
The above is what I do, and from reading these posts for a while, it's a decently popular approach. Having said that, there are no rules to any of this, and there are a bunch of different versions of the correct answer. You could do worse than what I did, get a decent soldering iron and learn how to solder and then get your hands on a selection of potentiometers and experiment. - I didn't mention tone caps (capacitors) because the thread was specifically about tone pot, but yea, get some of those too. I'd recommend getting Orange Drop brand (or type, not sure which is correct, but they're orange.,.) start with the values .047uf (very popular), but also grab a 0.33, 0.22, maybe a 0.1, and see how that goes. Follow any wiring diagram from a reputable website; Bartolini; Lindy Fralin; Best Bass Gear. Then you can tweak to perfection, but not have to schedule into a repair shop and do without your bass while you wait for your repair. Not to mention saving money by taking care of it yourself!
Bourns or CTS, makes no difference to me. both are high quality and to my unsophisticated standards, interchangeable...
On passive single-coil basses (like a P-Bass, or Jazz Bass), I do 250k linear taper volume, and 250k audio taper on Tone.
I did have a bit of a tricky deal on one of my basses; I put in a pair of Delano Soapbars. They're individually switchable between series/single/coil/parallel.
I set it up for VVT (volume for each pickup, master tone) 500k pots all around. I played it that way for a couple months, but it felt too bright, strident if you will... I switched it my 250k LT vol. and 250k AT tone. That was too much the other direction. I finally resolved to leaving the 250's in for volume, and making the tone a 500.
The above is what I do, and from reading these posts for a while, it's a decently popular approach. Having said that, there are no rules to any of this, and there are a bunch of different versions of the correct answer. You could do worse than what I did, get a decent soldering iron and learn how to solder and then get your hands on a selection of potentiometers and experiment. - I didn't mention tone caps (capacitors) because the thread was specifically about tone pot, but yea, get some of those too. I'd recommend getting Orange Drop brand (or type, not sure which is correct, but they're orange.,.) start with the values .047uf (very popular), but also grab a 0.33, 0.22, maybe a 0.1, and see how that goes. Follow any wiring diagram from a reputable website; Bartolini; Lindy Fralin; Best Bass Gear. Then you can tweak to perfection, but not have to schedule into a repair shop and do without your bass while you wait for your repair. Not to mention saving money by taking care of it yourself!
I totally forgot about the "no-load tone pots" sold by Fender/CTS.
There is a notch at the very beginning of the pot where there is a total by pass of the tone pot for a slightly brighter sound. So, the signal goes direct from the volume pot to the jack. Turn past that notch and the tone pot works as normal. Only $10.
Invalid Link Removed
Genuine Fender 250K Pot Solid Shaft CTS Volume/Tone Guitar Control Potentiometer | eBay
There is a notch at the very beginning of the pot where there is a total by pass of the tone pot for a slightly brighter sound. So, the signal goes direct from the volume pot to the jack. Turn past that notch and the tone pot works as normal. Only $10.
Invalid Link Removed
Genuine Fender 250K Pot Solid Shaft CTS Volume/Tone Guitar Control Potentiometer | eBay
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