Volume pot value for Stellartone

[BassmanAK]

From this: Fender Hot Rodded Tonestyler P-Bass - YouTube

Reading the comments, it seems that the guy used a 1M ohm volume control with the logic that it helps the Stellartone work more effectively.
Is this the case, or is a 500K just fine and dandy?

 

[BassGyver]

Here is the full review in french in the onlybass.com forum
Invalid Link Removed

On page 2, there are soundclips with 1M and 500k volume pot. Kasscolet says there is no audible difference between the 2 values.

 

[line6man]

The Stellartone doesn't care what pot values you have.

 

[T-34]

Well it cares. Try to put a 25K pot there

But probably not in the case where you replace a 500K by a 1Meg

 

[BassmanAK]

Here is the full review in french in the onlybass.com forum
Invalid Link Removed

On page 2, there are soundclips with 1M and 500k volume pot. Kasscolet says there is no audible difference between the 2 values.

I love how Google Translate reads like a French person talking...

Thanks for the tip.

 

[packhowitzer]

I have a tonestyler in my Gedgy Lee jazz. The tone pot was all that was changed. I don't know the value of the two volume pots, but it sounds great to me.

 

[line6man]

Well it cares. Try to put a 25K pot there

But probably not in the case where you replace a 500K by a 1Meg

A 25k pot would simply decrease the output impedance to the point that you would sound like crap. That's more of an issue with resistive loading against the pickup coils than the functionality of the tone control.

To my knowledge, the Tonestyler is simply a network of different RC filters. The behavior of each filter is certainly going to change as you alter the signal impedance, but you will just have slightly different effects from each position. The exact behavior of each filter is going to change with different pickups, and combinations of pickups in the signal path, anyways. It's quite difficult to pin down the exact frequency cutoffs, given the frequency-dependent nature of a complex impedance, and the fact that the impedance also changes with control settings.

1M Ohms is a rather uncommon pot value in basses, for two reasons. First off, the majority of players find some amount of resistive loading against the pickup coils to be desirable. (Though a lot of people prefer minimal resistive loading for a brighter tone.) Second, in some cases, the taper of the control comes into question with a very high value pot, since a series resistance is added between the pickup and output, that increases very quickly as you start to roll the volume down.

 

[BassmanAK]

I was thinking of sticking to a 500K anyway, just wanted to see if anyone else had experience. The video does sound a bit clacky to me, especially on the J soloed.
And volume sweep will be somewhat important, so 500K it is...

 

[T-34]

A 25k pot would simply decrease the output impedance to the point that you would sound like crap. That's more of an issue with resistive loading against the pickup coils than the functionality of the tone control.

To my knowledge, the Tonestyler is simply a network of different RC filters. The behavior of each filter is certainly going to change as you alter the signal impedance, but you will just have slightly different effects from each position. The exact behavior of each filter is going to change with different pickups, and combinations of pickups in the signal path, anyways. It's quite difficult to pin down the exact frequency cutoffs, given the frequency-dependent nature of a complex impedance, and the fact that the impedance also changes with control settings.

1M Ohms is a rather uncommon pot value in basses, for two reasons. First off, the majority of players find some amount of resistive loading against the pickup coils to be desirable. (Though a lot of people prefer minimal resistive loading for a brighter tone.) Second, in some cases, the taper of the control comes into question with a very high value pot, since a series resistance is added between the pickup and output, that increases very quickly as you start to roll the volume down.

Not trying to be too picky, but:
You're forgetting the pickup is an inductance, they form not an RC but RLC network together with stellartone's capacitors, producing different resonant frequency peaks. Loading the RLC with additional resistive load will reduce the Q of the network (flatten the peak), there could be audible difference depending on how much load you introduce...

 

[T-34]

line6man, I've read your post again, and I believe we're talking about the same things actually

 

[Ric5]

250k ohm pots are usually used with single coil pickups and 500k ohm are usually used with humbuckers.

As far as I know Fender uses 250k ohm pots in the p-bass and the jazz bass.

 

[T-34]

Right. But there is no much "science" behind these values, just a habit.
Yes, 500K pots will preserve more high frequencies but by pretty small margin, probably not audible at all (certainly not in the mix)

 

[line6man]

Not trying to be too picky, but:
You're forgetting the pickup is an inductance, they form not an RC but RLC network together with stellartone's capacitors, producing different resonant frequency peaks. Loading the RLC with additional resistive load will reduce the Q of the network (flatten the peak), there could be audible difference depending on how much load you introduce...

I was talking about the Stellartone, itself, which is an RC filter network. (Or so I've heard. Could just be capacitors, so I don't want to make assumptions when I'm not yet certain.) The pickups are indeed an LCR resonant circuit with an inductive impedance.

 

[T-34]

I was talking about the Stellartone, itself, which is an RC filter network. (Or so I've heard. Could just be capacitors, so I don't want to make assumptions when I'm not yet certain.) The pickups are indeed an LCR resonant circuit with an inductive impedance.

Sure, that's why I was telling in my last post that we're talking the same matters. Reading carefully helps understand we're not disagreeing at all

 

[bongomania]

Interesting... I had assumed the Tonstyler was a varitone, which contains an inductor. But you're saying it's just the RC part of a varitone? Glad I didn't buy one.

 

[T-34]

No, there is no inductor there. It is still very useful though, just not doing the same thing as varitone