DreamSeller Posted August 3, 2006 Report Share Posted August 3, 2006 If you take a dual gang pot and wire up one pickup so that its turned down when its turned left and wire the other one the opposite way so its turned down when its turned right? -Dream Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primal Posted August 3, 2006 Report Share Posted August 3, 2006 Thats all a blend pot is... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreamSeller Posted August 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2006 Really, So why are there specific pots for sale as blend pots if a dual gang pot will work the same? -Dream Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primal Posted August 3, 2006 Report Share Posted August 3, 2006 I don't know where you are looking for pots at, but Stewmac doesn't sell both dual gang and blend pots. Some companies probably label them blend pots so as not to confuse people (which seems to have failed stupendously). With guitar, you also run into the need for fairly specialized values, such as 250K, 500K, 1M, etc. My local radioshack doesn't sell dual ganged pots with those values. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreamSeller Posted August 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2006 (edited) Thanks for clearing that up, I didint realise that they were one in the same. -Dream Edited August 3, 2006 by DreamSeller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeAArthur Posted August 3, 2006 Report Share Posted August 3, 2006 Thanks for clearing that up, I didint realise that they were one in the same. -Dream Despite the opinions expressed, a dual pot and a blend pot are not one and the same. A dual pot is exactly what the name implies. Two complete normal pot sections on a single shaft. A normal pot section has the internal resistive strip in a continuous fashion through out the rotation of the shaft. So if you consider a 100K linear pot, you are able to get a variable resistance value - for example zero resistance at zero degrees of rotation through to a maximum of 100K at 320 degrees. I am not quite sure what the maximum degree of rotation is on a pot, but let's assume it is 320 degrees. So a dual pot will have two of these sections on a single shaft. With a blend or pan pot, the resistive strip only extends halfway through the pot section. The other halfway is a conductive strip that doesn't vary resistance. The other pot section is constructed the same way, but in a mirror image fashion. So if the resistance part covers 0 to 160 degrees in one section, the other section has the resistive strip covering 160 to 320 degrees of rotation. This may be hard to picture, so here is a table showing what resistance change would happen if you connected up a linear dual pot and a blend/pan pot with the correct wiring for the purpose of blending two pickups together: 0 160 320 <--- degrees of rotation 0 50K 100K <--- dual pot 100K 50K 0 0 100K 100K <--- blend/pan pot 100K 100K 0 The difference is simple - the dual pot will give have both pickups roughly at half volume at 160 degrees. Either side of 160 would have one pickup increasing and the other decreasing. The blend pot will have both pickups at full volume at 160 degrees. Either side of 160 will have one pickup remaining at full volume while the other pickup decreases. ONLY the blend pot has the capability of giving you both pickups at full volume, the dual pot does not. The total resistance value does not matter - it is a construction difference, not a resistance difference. You can get either style in different values, although some are more common than others. BTW - useless info here: the Fender TBX control is a Blend pot using one 1Meg section and one 250K section. For additional info, you might check this thread: http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=24245 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primal Posted August 3, 2006 Report Share Posted August 3, 2006 Despite the opinions expressed, a dual pot and a blend pot are not one and the same. Sheesh, no need for the sarcastic remark, JoeAArthur. I would have much preferred a simple "No Primal, you are wrong." Anyway, I hadn't even thought about the difference in the resistive strip. While that is different, it is indeed true that both pots are mechanically the same, and can be used for the same purpose, although with a loss of performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeAArthur Posted August 3, 2006 Report Share Posted August 3, 2006 Despite the opinions expressed, a dual pot and a blend pot are not one and the same. Sheesh, no need for the sarcastic remark, JoeAArthur. I would have much preferred a simple "No Primal, you are wrong." Anyway, I hadn't even thought about the difference in the resistive strip. While that is different, it is indeed true that both pots are mechanically the same, and can be used for the same purpose, although with a loss of performance. Sheesh Primal - the remark wasn't meant to be sarcastic, but since I now see you were the only one posting I can understand why you might feel that way. I stated it that way because I saw there was more than one post with the same opinion and YES, I didn't take the time to categorize them to individuals. Rest assured, I will continue to be as equally careful in the future. Ok Primal, you are wrong. It is not "indeed true" that both pots are mechanically the same. There is a difference in construction as I pointed that out in the positioning of the resistive strip inside the pot sections as well as the extent of the resistive strip that is being positioned. But I do agree that visually, they look the same. "used for the same purpose, although with a loss of performance". Well, I can't disagree. After all, that would equally apply to a gun and knife... a hammer and screwdriver... a bottle opener and corkscrew... a car and tricycle. Hey guy!! Seriously, nothing personal ever intended. Take care! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primal Posted August 3, 2006 Report Share Posted August 3, 2006 Sheesh Primal - the remark wasn't meant to be sarcastic, but since I now see you were the only one posting I can understand why you might feel that way. I stated it that way because I saw there was more than one post with the same opinion and YES, I didn't take the time to categorize them to individuals. Rest assured, I will continue to be as equally careful in the future. Ok Primal, you are wrong. It is not "indeed true" that both pots are mechanically the same. There is a difference in construction as I pointed that out in the positioning of the resistive strip inside the pot sections as well as the extent of the resistive strip that is being positioned. But I do agree that visually, they look the same. "used for the same purpose, although with a loss of performance". Well, I can't disagree. After all, that would equally apply to a gun and knife... a hammer and screwdriver... a bottle opener and corkscrew... a car and tricycle. Hey guy!! Seriously, nothing personal ever intended. Take care! No worries! And I was considering the placement of the resistive strip as an electrical characteristic, rather than a mechanical one, since technically the PLACEMENT of the strip is the same, its just that the electrical resistive properties along the strip differ. But, thats getting too deep into technical bumbo-jumbo that I don't claim to know. Anyway, suffice it to say, they would both work, but save yourself time and effort and just buy the pot you need rather than the pot you can get easily on-hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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