Pot considerations?

Chalky

Best? CTS? Are the cheaper mini CTS pots as good as the full size versions? Best place to buy say a dozen of them?

impmann

In my experience - top end CTS all the way. Cheaper stuff is ok but doesn't have as nice a taper to it, meaning you are less likely to enjoy the playing experience and also the cheapies do wear quicker.

ICBM

Mini pots are never as good as full-size ones.

streethawk

Chalky said:

Best? CTS? Are the cheaper mini CTS pots as good as the full size versions? Best place to buy say a dozen of them?

500k, long or short shaft, 250k, spilt shaft or solid?

FelineGuitars

Years ago I would have said CTS or CGE , but CGE stopped making them so it looks like CTS ...or maybe Bourns

Chalky

Buying them to improve cheap guitars so probably short shaft, and a mix of 500k and 250k @streethawk. Any preferred supplier for this sort of stuff or just google/ebay the cheapest?

streethawk

Chalky said:

Buying them to improve cheap guitars so probably short shaft, and a mix of 500k and 250k @streethawk. Any preferred supplier for this sort of stuff or just google/ebay the cheapest?

If you do any Epi's, you'll likely have to bore out the holes a bit to get CTS pots through them.

Some Squiers don't have deep enough cavities for an Oak/CRL style switch or sometimes even full size pots.

I have a more recent Squier strat here that was more roomy than my old affinity tele, but it still needed a smidge routing out to fit a big capacitor in. Something to bear in mind.

Retail is around £5.50 per standard CTS pot. I'll PM you with some options. 

ICBM

I would always rout out a guitar like that to fit better-quality components - or even just take a chisel to it - it's not much work and I wouldn't want to be limited to poor-quality parts for the sake of some woodwork you'll never see when the guard is back on.

I wouldn't do it for a cap though, since cap type makes no difference and there are plenty of tiny types that will work perfectly.

DrBob

ICBM;829588" said:

Mini pots are never as good as full-size ones.

That being the case, and It undoubtedly is why is it so difficult to get hold of full size push pull pots ?
It's almost like the thought is 'well it's doubling as a switch, don't really need it to function well as a pot ' ...

axisus

My favourite pot by a mile is a PRS one that I put into my Angel Tele. You can buy them I think, I seem to recall that they are about £16 though!?!

ICBM

DrBob said:

That being the case, and It undoubtedly is why is it so difficult to get hold of full size push pull pots ? 

It's almost like the thought is 'well it's doubling as a switch, don't really need it to function well as a pot ' …

I know, and this is very frustrating. A long time ago CTS made a full-size 500K Log push-pull with a long bushing, ideal for Les Pauls etc, although the switch was only a SPST (limited to coil-splitting one pickup, basically). They discontinued them and very foolishly I only bought a couple from Allparts… I should have taken all their remaining stock. It's the only push-pull I've ever found with a really good taper on the pot section.

streethawk

ICBM;832971" said:

I would always rout out a guitar like that to fit better-quality components - or even just take a chisel to it - it's not much work and I wouldn't want to be limited to poor-quality parts for the sake of some woodwork you'll never see when the guard is back on.

I wouldn't do it for a cap though, since cap type makes no difference and there are plenty of tiny types that will work perfectly.

I'd already soldered it up and would not be denied. Used a chamfer bit and a cordless drill.


The older tele affinity didn't have much wood to play with and I'd advise caution with something like that. Squier really improved components and such after 2013 iirc.

ESchap

ICBM said:

DrBob said:

That being the case, and It undoubtedly is why is it so difficult to get hold of full size push pull pots ? 

It's almost like the thought is 'well it's doubling as a switch, don't really need it to function well as a pot ' …

I know, and this is very frustrating. A long time ago CTS made a full-size 500K Log push-pull with a long bushing, ideal for Les Pauls etc, although the switch was only a SPST (limited to coil-splitting one pickup, basically). They discontinued them and very foolishly I only bought a couple from Allparts… I should have taken all their remaining stock. It's the only push-pull I've ever found with a really good taper on the pot section.

you can get shorter shaft DPDT CTS here ... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CTS-500K-DPDT-PUSH-PULL-POT-BY-MOJOTONE-MO13014-/121769955315?hash=item1c5a0e0ff3:g:MiQAAOSwstxVaEm7

I've just ordered two for an ES loom and they are very nice indeed.   Good positive push pull action, log taper comparable with their normal fare.  Interestingly the body is made of aluminium so you are advised to solder earths to the locating tab on the top of the pot. 

OilCityPickups

DrBob said:

ICBM;829588" said:

Mini pots are never as good as full-size ones.

That being the case, and It undoubtedly is why is it so difficult to get hold of full size push pull pots ?
It's almost like the thought is 'well it's doubling as a switch, don't really need it to function well as a pot ' ...

I sell the CTS full size push pulls on my Oil City site  

ESchap

 would have bought them from you @TheGuitarWeasel, had I known.

OilCityPickups

And as I posted in the made in UK section, I can make up full harnesses to suit using these and other CTS components. :-)

Chalky

How much for the made up looms? Can't see them on your website.

Mkjackary

Never liked it myself, always been more of a booze guy.

OilCityPickups

Chalky said:

How much for the made up looms? Can't see them on your website.

Not gotten around to putting up looms on the site ... I am being a very busy bunny at the moment ... but happy to quote for anything you may need :-)

ICBM

TheGuitarWeasel said:

I sell the CTS full size push pulls on my Oil City site  

Most useful to know .

OilCityPickups

ICBM said:

TheGuitarWeasel said:

I sell the CTS full size push pulls on my Oil City site  

Most useful to know .

They are brilliant quality, and make the Alpha ones feel like Christmas cracker novelties. They are a tad bulky, and may need a little work for those with tight cavities (fnar fnar), but they are engineered  to last a lifetime.