Telecaster replacement pots audio and linear 250k/500k

lines

Hi Guys,

Need to replace the pots in a telecaster.
Am i correct in thinking that an audio CTS for example is best to use for the volume pot and a linear pot is best used for the tone?

I have read discussions on using a 250k for the volume as the highs from the single coils are already present but use a 500k for the tone?

Interested to know your thoughts!

Thanks in advance.

CasperCaster

Dead simple for me - 250K log (audio) for both pots on my Tele's, plus 47nF for the tone cap. They just work right for me - no treble bleeds, no 'Gibson 50's wiring', no other tricks.

Funkfingers

CTS (or better) A250k pot (2 of), .022uF cap. No treble bypass network. No TBX. No No-Load. Maybe, a Fender Greasebucket. 

Roland

Three comments, and three different answers. For a Telecaster with single coil pickups I use 250 audio taper pots for both volume and tone, and either a .022 or .033uF capacitor depending on how bright the guitar sounds. I do use a .001 treble bleed capacitor, but without a resistor in either series or parallel, because I like the tone to get warmer when I turn up for a solo.

bbill335

there are no hard and fast rules. some pickups (or some people) need to squeeze out all the treble they can with 1m pots and a 22 cap. Tradition says two 250k audio pots and a 47 cap. 

I briefly played a late seventies tele ('78 I think) that had 1m pots and it wasn't much more trebly than the parts tele I just put 250ks in (with some mojo 52 pickups, for reference). I would start with the usual 2x250k audio, 47uf cap and adjust depending on what you want more or less of.

ICBM

Don’t use a linear pot for tone unless you want all the useful range right at the bottom of the turn - always Log. Volume can usefully be either Log or linear depending on how fast you want the volume to roll off below full up.

500K volume will make a traditional Tele bridge pickup quite shrill, so I would use 250K. A 500K tone will give you slightly more top-end at full up than £250K, but a slightly less useful sweep below that.

lines

Some very useful insights, thanks guys!

jaymenon

ICBM said:

Don’t use a linear pot for tone unless you want all the useful range right at the bottom of the turn - always Log. Volume can usefully be either Log or linear depending on how fast you want the volume to roll off below full up.

500K volume will make a traditional Tele bridge pickup quite shrill, so I would use 250K. A 500K tone will give you slightly more top-end at full up than £250K, but a slightly less useful sweep below that.

I agree with ICBM.

Common wisdom is 'Log for volume, Linear for tone',

It doesn't work for the tone where everything then happens between 0 and 3.

Log pots for both, if you want a smooth taper on volume and tone pots. The entire range 1-10 becomes useable.