SwedishLuthier Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 Did a quick search but didn't find the answer (OK, could have used more than 7 minutes of searching ). I have a tone pot circuit in mind but I need a specific pot for that. As I haven't use blend pots before I need to check one thing: Does a 500K center click blend pot have the values 0-500K on the whole travel of the knob, or only from the end position to the center position? The last version makes most sense when blending between pickups or else you would have both volumes on 5 in the middle position. Anyone knows? And yeah, I could always shoot the sellers an email... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 It'll be the value of the pot from one end to the other. The centre-detent is only a mechanical index for those of us who like to feel where the midpoint of the pot's rotation is without having to look at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwedishLuthier Posted March 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 Thanks curtisa Just to be sure I understand correctly: If I have a 500K blend pot like this: http://www.stewmac.c...Blend_Pots.html it will still have a resistance in the middle that is roughly 250 K? If using them as a blend pot between two pickups it would than be like having a LP, placing the switch in the middle position and turning down both volume pots to 5, wouldn't it? It doesn't sound like Stumacs description "panning from one source to another, with both signals full at the center detent"! I just need to be sure as what I'm really looking for is a blend pot that goes from 500K for the first signal and 0 on the second in one end of the pots travel, to 0K for both signals in the middle position to 0 for the first signal and 500K for the second in the other end of the pots travel. I was assuming that was how blend pots worked, but if not I need to rethink this circuit layout Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mender Posted March 3, 2013 Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 ...I just need to be sure as what I'm really looking for is a blend pot that goes from 500K for the first signal and 0 on the second in one end of the pots travel, to 0K for both signals in the middle position to 0 for the first signal and 500K for the second in the other end of the pots travel.... That is exactly how the Stewmac pots work, and all other blend pots I've ever seen. Track 1 is 500k between centre and left, and short circuit between centre and right. Track 2 is the opposite way round. If the resistance was 500k evenly spread over the full range of movement end to end, then the centre detent position would be 250k from each end, giving only half volume on each pickup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted March 3, 2013 Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 That is exactly how the Stewmac pots work, and all other blend pots I've ever seen. Track 1 is 500k between centre and left, and short circuit between centre and right. Track 2 is the opposite way round. If the resistance was 500k evenly spread over the full range of movement end to end, then the centre detent position would be 250k from each end, giving only half volume on each pickup. Interesting. I opened up my Yamaha bass to verify the blend pot against what you've said, and it's fitted with a dual log/anti-log pot (mid point is 75% of full travel on each element). Horses for courses... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mender Posted March 3, 2013 Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 That is exactly how the Stewmac pots work, and all other blend pots I've ever seen. Track 1 is 500k between centre and left, and short circuit between centre and right. Track 2 is the opposite way round. If the resistance was 500k evenly spread over the full range of movement end to end, then the centre detent position would be 250k from each end, giving only half volume on each pickup. Interesting. I opened up my Yamaha bass to verify the blend pot against what you've said, and it's fitted with a dual log/anti-log pot (mid point is 75% of full travel on each element). Horses for courses... The Stewmac ones are linear, as are the two I have here, and each track definitely measures (within 5% tolerence) 500k from one end to centre. From the centre to the other end is virtually a dead short, no more than about 15 ohms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted March 3, 2013 Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 In the audio world the log/anti-log pot would be the "correct" implementation of panning between two sources, where at mid rotation you want the two channels to be attenuated slightly. At first sight the pot you describe would seem...uh, broken but on second reading in the guitar world it makes perfect sense - us string-twangers generally don't give a hoot about the correct combining of two pickups...Just make it loud! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwedishLuthier Posted March 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 Seems that I just need to order a few of the Stumac pots and have a go. Txs for the help guys If anyone is interesting, the idea is to combine a traditional tone pot function with a mid cut function (great for getting Tele-ish spank from HB guitars) that I today have in a push/pull pot (dow = trad tone, up = mid cut). Problem is that if I want to go from sligtly attenuated treble to full mid cut I need to both pull out the knob and adjust the pot instead of just spinning the knob to were the sound is best. But maybe there is a ready made solution for this so I don't have to invent the weel here. Anyone know? EQ stomp box maybe... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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