Control Pot Guide

We get a lot of questions about Control Pots, so we have decided to provide this basic Control Pot Guide. While which pots are right for you and your project are always a matter of preference, hopefully this guide will point you in the right direction.

• Standard Pots come in 2 different general variations in the Taper. Audio Tapered Pots ("A" Pots) have a more gradual variance in the swell as the shaft is turned, while the Linear Tapered Pots ("B" Pots) have more of a sudden "drop off" when the shaft is turned. Standard Pots are also available in a variety of values (traditionally measured in Ohms). The rule of thumb for guitars is to use Pots rated at 250k for guitars using Single Coil pickups, or Pots rated at 500k for guitars that have dual coil Humbucker pickups. Guitars with Active Pickups are to be used with Pots rated at 25k.
• A Push/Pull Pot is basically 2 separate components (a standard pot, and a standard mini on/on DPDT switch) that are both controlled by the same shaft (turn it left to right, to operate the pot, OR,  pushing it in or pulling it up controls the switch). The potentiometer portion of the unit is wired just like any other pot (wire it straight for Volume, or add a Capacitor to use it as a Tone pot). The On/On portion of the unit functions and gets wired up like any other standard DPDT (Double Pole - Double Throw) Switch.

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