Tone Pots: Audio or Linear taper?

syscokid

syscokid

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Opinions or facts on the performance between a audio taper or a linear taper pot used for the Tone control... anybody?

I'm experimenting with my (PGK) SG Junior. Originally, the pots are a 500k audio taper Volume pot and a 250k audio taper Tone pot feeding a P90. I'm trying a 500k linear pot for the tone, and I'm not digging it any more than the 250k audio pot that was in there originally. Should I expect a 500k audio taper be significantly different from a 500k linear?
 
It may be different, but in sweep not tone, I think.
As we know, the 500k should seem brighter than the 250k.
You might sense a wider usable sweep between the 500k and 250k values.
I think the taper will just alter the way the sweep is perceived.

the cap value should have a significant effect on how much treble is rolled off; a wider frequency band will be affected as well with larger cap values.
My tele tone knob is horrible: almost all the change is it rolls dark from about 2 down to zero.
Been meaning to look into it, but I have just been playing other guitars instead.

THis is a pretty good discussion:
Audio Taper vs. Linear Taper (whats what) and Cap Questions...
 
It is a matter of opinion. I like to dial in a sound exactly, others want a quicker change. It depends what you're looking for.
 
To me the answer is 'yes' to 'audio or linear taper'. There is no correct answer - it's what you like, prefer, or possible a circuit may prefer. Kind of like guitars. If you like 'em - play 'em...
 
jtcnj said:
It may be different, but in sweep not tone, I think.
As we know, the 500k should seem brighter than the 250k.
You might sense a wider usable sweep between the 500k and 250k values.
I think the taper will just alter the way the sweep is perceived.

the cap value should have a significant effect on how much treble is rolled off; a wider frequency band will be affected as well with larger cap values.
My tele tone knob is horrible: almost all the change is it rolls dark from about 2 down to zero.
Been meaning to look into it, but I have just been playing other guitars instead.

THis is a pretty good discussion:
Audio Taper vs. Linear Taper (whats what) and Cap Questions...
Click to expand...

JT, I put 4 bourns Audio taper 500 tone n volume pots in my Faded special Sg with 50's wiring and a .022 and . 015 cap in. My preference is for my volume pots to start at 0 and when I roll em on like for swelling, they roll evenly. Like basically 0-2 is 0 to beginning to hear sound and from2-6 gets louder n 6-10 brings it on. But it seems, my experiences with either Gibson CTS or these Bourns pots seem like 0-4 or 5 is like 0. Then 4 or 5 -10 brings on noticsnot to full volume. Then of course the reverse when lowering volume.
 
Apparently it was not the tone pot that was not giving me what I think I should have. It was the value of the capacitor. Allow me to explain...:
My Sg Junior has a Kinman P90. One of my Hamers has a set of Kinman P90s. When I roll back the tone pot to zero, I still want to hear a useable sound when the amp is overdriven. I originally thought that the cap value on my SG Junior was a .047uF. When I removed it, I was surprised that it was a .022uF. Since the Hamer with the Kinmans is giving me what I want and expect from the tone control at zero... why do they sound very different? Fortunately I have pics of the Hamer's control cavity and its components, and bingo there it is: a .015 cap! The SG Junior now has a .015uF tone cap and all is good in syscokidland. The 500k linear pot for the tone control is staying. On to the next crisis... :rolleyes2:
 
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Sysco, I sure don't know anything much past rudimentary electronics thanks to my reading, you tubing and DonP and IvanH teaching me stuff.
It looks like I was onto something above when I asked you about the caps.

Glad you fixed it.
 
I used CTS linear volume pots in the Wrat for the first time and I like them. Also used 3300pf caps for tone, it just shaves a little bit off the highs.
 
I’ve always used audio taper pots for both volume and tone.

However, for my Jackson mods I tried liner taper tone pots. I kind of like the way they behave with rolling off the tone.
 
gball said:
This for me. I like audio taper for Volume and Linear for Tone.
Click to expand...
I'm the opposite, I like Linear for the volume & audio taper for tone. I do have Linear tone controls on my SG & can live with (too lazy to change them out). I like Linear volume controls (with humbuckers) so the roll off isn't all crowded in the 7-10 range, giving finer control over how hard I'm hitting the front of the amp. That said, all audio taper pots aren't equal, with the actual taper of the pot ranging from like 10% to 30%, depending on manufacturer. Cheers
 
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Cheers Ivan. Now get your lazy but over here and help me put in a water heater at my girlfriend's house.
Oh yeah, it is only raining and freezing raining a little bit today and tomorrow of course. Makes it fun working by myself down in a mud filled hole under her house that one might call a " basement"

Oh Yeah, Bournes Audio taper for all 4 of my pots in my Faded SG. Might like trying a pair of linears for Volume tho
 
That water heater sounds like a mission Chilli, take care not to catch chill. You'll notice quite a difference with Linear volume pots. Say, like to get the same effect as turning down to 7 with an audio taper pot you need to go down around 3 with a linear. I like them though. Cheers
 
ivan H said:
That water heater sounds like a mission Chilli, take care not to catch chill. You'll notice quite a difference with Linear volume pots. Say, like to get the same effect as turning down to 7 with an audio taper pot you need to go down around 3 with a linear. I like them though. Cheers
Click to expand...
That’s my reason too. I like to have a lot more “usable” range.
 
Ha.. It's funny how the "puzzle piece" to my dilemma was the cap and not the pot. I think I'm going to try the original 250k Audio tone-pot again, and compare it with the 500k linear.
 
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