leeranya Posted October 17, 2006 Report Share Posted October 17, 2006 http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_p...-Pull_Pots.html so, if I have two humbuckers, I can put in a blend pot instead of a pickup switch so that when it's all the way to one side it'll have only sound from the neck pickup, and when all the way to the other way only from the bridge pickup, and when in the middle sound from both pickups together, blending them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 17, 2006 Report Share Posted October 17, 2006 Yeah, they're like opposed volume pots as you described. Essential items on basses in my opinion as pickup switches don't dial enough in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeranya Posted October 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2006 (edited) cool, so I'll have that on my guitar (not a bass) what's the difference between rotary switches and blend pots? rotary switches are like normal switches only that you have to turn them to change modes and they turn a certain amount of degrees and clicks in positions? Edited October 18, 2006 by leeranya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted October 18, 2006 Report Share Posted October 18, 2006 yep...answered your own question... rotary switches are switches you turn...on advantage is that they often come with adjustable numbers of positions and more switch options...not always the easiest to use, they click from one position to another...prs used them so they can't be that bad! As for blend pots, they are two pots that turn together...most commonly found in the balance control of your stereo, turn one way for left, the other for right!...in a guitar, one way bridge other neck say, same idea. You can even get them with a centre click so you know where the middle is by feel which would be cool. Still you have to be quick if you want to switch from one to the other...got to turn the knob all the way around! On my strat I have one of the tone controls as a dedicated volume for the middle pickup. Along with phase switching and a change of wiring, the result is that I can dial in as little or as much of that flavour as I want to any pickup selection. The end result also allows me the use of all pickup combinations, plus variations of the amount of middle pickup, with this control and a three way selector...ironically, or combinations but the middle pickup alone...oh well! I love the sound of combined pickups and for recording and such, these types of controls are really neat... hope that helps...enjoy... pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeranya Posted October 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2006 yep...answered your own question... rotary switches are switches you turn...on advantage is that they often come with adjustable numbers of positions and more switch options...not always the easiest to use, they click from one position to another...prs used them so they can't be that bad! As for blend pots, they are two pots that turn together...most commonly found in the balance control of your stereo, turn one way for left, the other for right!...in a guitar, one way bridge other neck say, same idea. You can even get them with a centre click so you know where the middle is by feel which would be cool. Still you have to be quick if you want to switch from one to the other...got to turn the knob all the way around! On my strat I have one of the tone controls as a dedicated volume for the middle pickup. Along with phase switching and a change of wiring, the result is that I can dial in as little or as much of that flavour as I want to any pickup selection. The end result also allows me the use of all pickup combinations, plus variations of the amount of middle pickup, with this control and a three way selector...ironically, or combinations but the middle pickup alone...oh well! I love the sound of combined pickups and for recording and such, these types of controls are really neat... hope that helps...enjoy... pete I suppose the one that's on stewmac doesn't have a center click... can I make it click into three different positions somehow but still allow it to be "between" clicks? how? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 19, 2006 Report Share Posted October 19, 2006 The detents aren't like set positions on a switch, they're just tactile feedback that your pot is at a certain position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 Well, you still need a master volume on there, right? In which case, doesn't it make sense just to have a volume pot for each pickup? For a two pickup guitar, that is. I know Rickenbacker adds a blend pot for the neck and middle pickups on some of their guitars. Does the blend pot have the same influence on tone --like turning down a volume pot will cut some of the highs, does that happen with a blend pot? (I'm just starting to research this, this happened to be the first post that came up). I've also been wondering if it makes sense--or if it's possible-- to have a switch on there anyway, so that the blend pot is activated only in the center position. That way you still have quick access to single pickup mode. Any idea of how to wire that? (with a mini-switch, preferably). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 (edited) Indeed. A master volume is very useful. Equally, you could tone tap the master signal or each individual pickup. Changing the phase of one pickup is also an option. All open up your tonal palette hugely. Mickguard, you could quite easily add a high pass capacitor to both of the blend pots opposed stacks so your treble maintains a more uniform apparent volume as you blend. That's also something I hadn't thought of! Very cool. Will have to try that one. Edited October 22, 2006 by Prostheta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 Your suggestion is entirely possible, but I hate three and five-way switches :-D Somebody much more patient than I might be able to solve this one for you. I get halfway through soldering one of those SOBs and decide to change to a toggle :-/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 I'm just trying to put together a fall-back option in case my pickup combination doesn't work out (that is, in case one pickup runs much hotter than the other, and I can't adjust the volume balance..in theory, they should go well together). I'm not really all that much of a fiddler--tend to look for one sound and stick with it all night long. Ideally, I'll be able to get away with a on-on-on mini switch (cause I like the way they look on a guitar). I'd be tempted to go with two volume pots though. But I happen to have a blend pot here, see... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 Well, if you're feeling adventurous then mount some small trimmer pots onto some veroboard to even out the levels of your pickups before sending the signals to your controls. Never done it before myself, but it would be the first thing I'd try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 Well, if you're feeling adventurous then mount some small trimmer pots onto some veroboard to even out the levels of your pickups before sending the signals to your controls. Never done it before myself, but it would be the first thing I'd try. Trimmer pot...what would one of those look like? I suppose I could use a mini pot and hide it inside the control cavity. Unless there's something even smaller, that lets you set a fixed level? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 (edited) http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?TabID=...0&doy=23m10 These are the ones I would use. Cermet denotes ceramic/metallic construction, so I'd search on "preset potentiometer" or "trimmer pot" at your location discrete electronics component supplier. Thinking about it, you could probably just add it onto the end of your volume pot for the pickup you're wanting to attenuate as a resistive bias instead of as an "additional preset volume pot". For example, you usual volume pot is wired as wiper (centre tag) output, one outer tag earthed and the other hot to the signal. If you added the preset pot as an adjustable resistor in series from signal to the "hot tag" then you have your solution. For a 250k pot I hazard something like a 22k trimmer unless you want serious attenuation. For a 500k, a 47k trimmer or 100k for serious trimming. Either that or lower your pickups into the body a bit Edited October 23, 2006 by Prostheta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted October 24, 2006 Report Share Posted October 24, 2006 Either that or lower your pickups into the body a bit Heh heh...Like I said, I'm just looking for options in case adjusting the pickup height doesn't work --the neck pickup will be mounted to the wood, so only the bridge will be adjustable. But there's an optimum distance from the strings for that pickup, so there's not all that much leeway. But I'm leaning toward installing the blend pot from the get-go, and forgetting the switch. The blend pot I have is marked: 1Z250k 2Z250k TU 0247 --it has the center detent...I'm assuming it's a true blend pot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cknowles Posted October 24, 2006 Report Share Posted October 24, 2006 Pretty cool stuff here. I was wondering if you've already got your wiring done? Or is this a theoretical discussion? If 2 HB's are wired similar to Les Paul, the volume pots can be wired to operate independantly when the pickup switch is in the center position. This gives you the blending option without altering the outward appearance of the guitar. Wiring examples are available at GuitarElectronics.com Standard LP style wiring Alternate Wiring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 24, 2006 Report Share Posted October 24, 2006 The blend pot I have is marked: 1Z250k 2Z250k TU 0247 --it has the center detent...I'm assuming it's a true blend pot? Each gang is marked to denote the track taper, direction and total track resistance. 1Z250k means 250kΩ, Z for logarithmic taper (suitable for volume applications) whereas the 1 and 2 denote forward or reversed. Not sure which as it might depend on the manufacturer. Yes, it is a blend pot :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.