Electric guitar: why such heavy pots?What are Tone Pots / Potentiometers?What can I build into my guitar and...
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Electric guitar: why such heavy pots?
What are Tone Pots / Potentiometers?What can I build into my guitar and use the “tone pots” buttons to adjust?Guitar volume/tone potsMinimalist Electric Guitar RecommendationElectric Guitar Jack: How To Get A Nice FitCinematic/trailer heavy rhythm guitar soundBuying Electric guitarHeadphones for electric guitarHow to wire 1 humbucker to a 6 position rotary switch without tone and volume pots?Electric Guitar issue
From what I've seen the potentiometers in electric guitars tend toward the large sizes, in the sense of physical dimensions, but I don't understand why that should be. For example, wouldn't it be beneficial to strat-like designs to be able to use smaller cavities?
Again from my experience, large pots tend to be rated 0.25W, while other panel mount sizes might be 0.1W. The current from a passive pickup is almost the definition of a small signal, so wouldn't it make sense to use lower power components?
Is there an electrical reason for sticking with heavier pots, or are there other considerations?
electric-guitar electronics
asked 2 hours ago
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From what I've seen the potentiometers in electric guitars tend toward the large sizes, in the sense of physical dimensions, but I don't understand why that should be. For example, wouldn't it be beneficial to strat-like designs to be able to use smaller cavities?
Again from my experience, large pots tend to be rated 0.25W, while other panel mount sizes might be 0.1W. The current from a passive pickup is almost the definition of a small signal, so wouldn't it make sense to use lower power components?
Is there an electrical reason for sticking with heavier pots, or are there other considerations?
electric-guitar electronics
asked 2 hours ago
user1876058user1876058
82
New contributor
user1876058 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
From what I've seen the potentiometers in electric guitars tend toward the large sizes, in the sense of physical dimensions, but I don't understand why that should be. For example, wouldn't it be beneficial to strat-like designs to be able to use smaller cavities?
Again from my experience, large pots tend to be rated 0.25W, while other panel mount sizes might be 0.1W. The current from a passive pickup is almost the definition of a small signal, so wouldn't it make sense to use lower power components?
Is there an electrical reason for sticking with heavier pots, or are there other considerations?
electric-guitar electronics
asked 2 hours ago
user1876058user1876058
82
New contributor
user1876058 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
From what I've seen the potentiometers in electric guitars tend toward the large sizes, in the sense of physical dimensions, but I don't understand why that should be. For example, wouldn't it be beneficial to strat-like designs to be able to use smaller cavities?
Again from my experience, large pots tend to be rated 0.25W, while other panel mount sizes might be 0.1W. The current from a passive pickup is almost the definition of a small signal, so wouldn't it make sense to use lower power components?
Is there an electrical reason for sticking with heavier pots, or are there other considerations?
electric-guitar electronics
electric-guitar electronics
asked 2 hours ago
user1876058user1876058
82
New contributor
user1876058 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 2 hours ago
user1876058user1876058
82
New contributor
user1876058 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 2 hours ago
user1876058user1876058
82
New contributor
user1876058 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 2 hours ago
user1876058user1876058
82
asked 2 hours ago
user1876058user1876058
82
82
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user1876058 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
user1876058 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
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1 Answer
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The main reason is that guitar technology is permanently stuck in the 1950s, when smaller potentiometers just weren't available. (I'm sure they did exist, but only in specialised military applications which would probably have cost more than the entire guitar).
In fact, for the most part, electric guitars would work much better if they included modern parts (in particular, properly designed active circuitry), but unfortunately “vintage” is the word that sells best in the world of guitars.
Large pots do have the advantage that they can be more easily soldered by inexperienced people. And they are very robust even without extra reinforced mounting or bearings. Electrically speaking, they are no better or worse than small pots of decent quality – the power rating is indeed completely irrelevant for this application.
answered 1 hour ago
leftaroundaboutleftaroundabout
20.9k3890
Good point about soldering and mountings. I wonder if the main driver isn't economics; I suspect that if the combination of component cost and production costs were less for smaller pots, then that is what the big manufacturers would be using.
– David Bowling
1 hour ago
I have a volume pot on one guitar that is tight - so tight it's impossible to 'violin' with. Wonder why that is like it.
– Tim
1 hour ago
@DavidBowling regardless of whether you use big pots or small ones on a single SMD board: the price is such a small fraction of the whole guitar that manufacturers won't make decisions based on that – not if any change to the status quo might drive off a significant number of the usual vintage fanatists. Pretty sure small pots would actually make the guitars slightly cheaper to manufacture, but not enough to make up for the drop in sales.
– leftaroundabout
1 hour ago
1
@leftaroundabout -- I doubt that most people buying guitars have any idea what the power rating of the pots is. The cost of the smaller component might be cheaper, but this could be offset by other factors; in a production setting less error-prone installation of the pots would be a significant cost factor.
– David Bowling
1 hour ago
1
@DavidBowling of course the buyers wouldn't have any idea about the power rating. Or anything else, for that matter. But the salespersons in the guitar shops would know that that guitar has eekie modern tiny pots, and tell some nonsense about that this sounds “colder and thinner” than the good old ¼W ones to customers who ask. In particular if the guitar with the small pots is a bit cheaper.
– leftaroundabout
1 hour ago
|
show 3 more comments
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1 Answer
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The main reason is that guitar technology is permanently stuck in the 1950s, when smaller potentiometers just weren't available. (I'm sure they did exist, but only in specialised military applications which would probably have cost more than the entire guitar).
In fact, for the most part, electric guitars would work much better if they included modern parts (in particular, properly designed active circuitry), but unfortunately “vintage” is the word that sells best in the world of guitars.
Large pots do have the advantage that they can be more easily soldered by inexperienced people. And they are very robust even without extra reinforced mounting or bearings. Electrically speaking, they are no better or worse than small pots of decent quality – the power rating is indeed completely irrelevant for this application.
answered 1 hour ago
leftaroundaboutleftaroundabout
20.9k3890
Good point about soldering and mountings. I wonder if the main driver isn't economics; I suspect that if the combination of component cost and production costs were less for smaller pots, then that is what the big manufacturers would be using.
– David Bowling
1 hour ago
I have a volume pot on one guitar that is tight - so tight it's impossible to 'violin' with. Wonder why that is like it.
– Tim
1 hour ago
@DavidBowling regardless of whether you use big pots or small ones on a single SMD board: the price is such a small fraction of the whole guitar that manufacturers won't make decisions based on that – not if any change to the status quo might drive off a significant number of the usual vintage fanatists. Pretty sure small pots would actually make the guitars slightly cheaper to manufacture, but not enough to make up for the drop in sales.
– leftaroundabout
1 hour ago
1
@leftaroundabout -- I doubt that most people buying guitars have any idea what the power rating of the pots is. The cost of the smaller component might be cheaper, but this could be offset by other factors; in a production setting less error-prone installation of the pots would be a significant cost factor.
– David Bowling
1 hour ago
1
@DavidBowling of course the buyers wouldn't have any idea about the power rating. Or anything else, for that matter. But the salespersons in the guitar shops would know that that guitar has eekie modern tiny pots, and tell some nonsense about that this sounds “colder and thinner” than the good old ¼W ones to customers who ask. In particular if the guitar with the small pots is a bit cheaper.
– leftaroundabout
1 hour ago
|
show 3 more comments
The main reason is that guitar technology is permanently stuck in the 1950s, when smaller potentiometers just weren't available. (I'm sure they did exist, but only in specialised military applications which would probably have cost more than the entire guitar).
In fact, for the most part, electric guitars would work much better if they included modern parts (in particular, properly designed active circuitry), but unfortunately “vintage” is the word that sells best in the world of guitars.
Large pots do have the advantage that they can be more easily soldered by inexperienced people. And they are very robust even without extra reinforced mounting or bearings. Electrically speaking, they are no better or worse than small pots of decent quality – the power rating is indeed completely irrelevant for this application.
answered 1 hour ago
leftaroundaboutleftaroundabout
20.9k3890
Good point about soldering and mountings. I wonder if the main driver isn't economics; I suspect that if the combination of component cost and production costs were less for smaller pots, then that is what the big manufacturers would be using.
– David Bowling
1 hour ago
I have a volume pot on one guitar that is tight - so tight it's impossible to 'violin' with. Wonder why that is like it.
– Tim
1 hour ago
@DavidBowling regardless of whether you use big pots or small ones on a single SMD board: the price is such a small fraction of the whole guitar that manufacturers won't make decisions based on that – not if any change to the status quo might drive off a significant number of the usual vintage fanatists. Pretty sure small pots would actually make the guitars slightly cheaper to manufacture, but not enough to make up for the drop in sales.
– leftaroundabout
1 hour ago
1
@leftaroundabout -- I doubt that most people buying guitars have any idea what the power rating of the pots is. The cost of the smaller component might be cheaper, but this could be offset by other factors; in a production setting less error-prone installation of the pots would be a significant cost factor.
– David Bowling
1 hour ago
1
@DavidBowling of course the buyers wouldn't have any idea about the power rating. Or anything else, for that matter. But the salespersons in the guitar shops would know that that guitar has eekie modern tiny pots, and tell some nonsense about that this sounds “colder and thinner” than the good old ¼W ones to customers who ask. In particular if the guitar with the small pots is a bit cheaper.
– leftaroundabout
1 hour ago
|
show 3 more comments
The main reason is that guitar technology is permanently stuck in the 1950s, when smaller potentiometers just weren't available. (I'm sure they did exist, but only in specialised military applications which would probably have cost more than the entire guitar).
In fact, for the most part, electric guitars would work much better if they included modern parts (in particular, properly designed active circuitry), but unfortunately “vintage” is the word that sells best in the world of guitars.
Large pots do have the advantage that they can be more easily soldered by inexperienced people. And they are very robust even without extra reinforced mounting or bearings. Electrically speaking, they are no better or worse than small pots of decent quality – the power rating is indeed completely irrelevant for this application.
answered 1 hour ago
leftaroundaboutleftaroundabout
20.9k3890
The main reason is that guitar technology is permanently stuck in the 1950s, when smaller potentiometers just weren't available. (I'm sure they did exist, but only in specialised military applications which would probably have cost more than the entire guitar).
In fact, for the most part, electric guitars would work much better if they included modern parts (in particular, properly designed active circuitry), but unfortunately “vintage” is the word that sells best in the world of guitars.
Large pots do have the advantage that they can be more easily soldered by inexperienced people. And they are very robust even without extra reinforced mounting or bearings. Electrically speaking, they are no better or worse than small pots of decent quality – the power rating is indeed completely irrelevant for this application.
answered 1 hour ago
leftaroundaboutleftaroundabout
20.9k3890
edited 1 hour ago
answered 1 hour ago
leftaroundaboutleftaroundabout
20.9k3890
answered 1 hour ago
leftaroundaboutleftaroundabout
20.9k3890
answered 1 hour ago
leftaroundaboutleftaroundabout
20.9k3890
20.9k3890
Good point about soldering and mountings. I wonder if the main driver isn't economics; I suspect that if the combination of component cost and production costs were less for smaller pots, then that is what the big manufacturers would be using.
– David Bowling
1 hour ago
I have a volume pot on one guitar that is tight - so tight it's impossible to 'violin' with. Wonder why that is like it.
– Tim
1 hour ago
@DavidBowling regardless of whether you use big pots or small ones on a single SMD board: the price is such a small fraction of the whole guitar that manufacturers won't make decisions based on that – not if any change to the status quo might drive off a significant number of the usual vintage fanatists. Pretty sure small pots would actually make the guitars slightly cheaper to manufacture, but not enough to make up for the drop in sales.
– leftaroundabout
1 hour ago
1
@leftaroundabout -- I doubt that most people buying guitars have any idea what the power rating of the pots is. The cost of the smaller component might be cheaper, but this could be offset by other factors; in a production setting less error-prone installation of the pots would be a significant cost factor.
– David Bowling
1 hour ago
1
@DavidBowling of course the buyers wouldn't have any idea about the power rating. Or anything else, for that matter. But the salespersons in the guitar shops would know that that guitar has eekie modern tiny pots, and tell some nonsense about that this sounds “colder and thinner” than the good old ¼W ones to customers who ask. In particular if the guitar with the small pots is a bit cheaper.
– leftaroundabout
1 hour ago
|
show 3 more comments
Good point about soldering and mountings. I wonder if the main driver isn't economics; I suspect that if the combination of component cost and production costs were less for smaller pots, then that is what the big manufacturers would be using.
– David Bowling
1 hour ago
I have a volume pot on one guitar that is tight - so tight it's impossible to 'violin' with. Wonder why that is like it.
– Tim
1 hour ago
@DavidBowling regardless of whether you use big pots or small ones on a single SMD board: the price is such a small fraction of the whole guitar that manufacturers won't make decisions based on that – not if any change to the status quo might drive off a significant number of the usual vintage fanatists. Pretty sure small pots would actually make the guitars slightly cheaper to manufacture, but not enough to make up for the drop in sales.
– leftaroundabout
1 hour ago
1
@leftaroundabout -- I doubt that most people buying guitars have any idea what the power rating of the pots is. The cost of the smaller component might be cheaper, but this could be offset by other factors; in a production setting less error-prone installation of the pots would be a significant cost factor.
– David Bowling
1 hour ago
1
@DavidBowling of course the buyers wouldn't have any idea about the power rating. Or anything else, for that matter. But the salespersons in the guitar shops would know that that guitar has eekie modern tiny pots, and tell some nonsense about that this sounds “colder and thinner” than the good old ¼W ones to customers who ask. In particular if the guitar with the small pots is a bit cheaper.
– leftaroundabout
1 hour ago
Good point about soldering and mountings. I wonder if the main driver isn't economics; I suspect that if the combination of component cost and production costs were less for smaller pots, then that is what the big manufacturers would be using.
– David Bowling
1 hour ago
Good point about soldering and mountings. I wonder if the main driver isn't economics; I suspect that if the combination of component cost and production costs were less for smaller pots, then that is what the big manufacturers would be using.
– David Bowling
1 hour ago
I have a volume pot on one guitar that is tight - so tight it's impossible to 'violin' with. Wonder why that is like it.
– Tim
1 hour ago
I have a volume pot on one guitar that is tight - so tight it's impossible to 'violin' with. Wonder why that is like it.
– Tim
1 hour ago
@DavidBowling regardless of whether you use big pots or small ones on a single SMD board: the price is such a small fraction of the whole guitar that manufacturers won't make decisions based on that – not if any change to the status quo might drive off a significant number of the usual vintage fanatists. Pretty sure small pots would actually make the guitars slightly cheaper to manufacture, but not enough to make up for the drop in sales.
– leftaroundabout
1 hour ago
@DavidBowling regardless of whether you use big pots or small ones on a single SMD board: the price is such a small fraction of the whole guitar that manufacturers won't make decisions based on that – not if any change to the status quo might drive off a significant number of the usual vintage fanatists. Pretty sure small pots would actually make the guitars slightly cheaper to manufacture, but not enough to make up for the drop in sales.
– leftaroundabout
1 hour ago
1
1
@leftaroundabout -- I doubt that most people buying guitars have any idea what the power rating of the pots is. The cost of the smaller component might be cheaper, but this could be offset by other factors; in a production setting less error-prone installation of the pots would be a significant cost factor.
– David Bowling
1 hour ago
@leftaroundabout -- I doubt that most people buying guitars have any idea what the power rating of the pots is. The cost of the smaller component might be cheaper, but this could be offset by other factors; in a production setting less error-prone installation of the pots would be a significant cost factor.
– David Bowling
1 hour ago
1
1
@DavidBowling of course the buyers wouldn't have any idea about the power rating. Or anything else, for that matter. But the salespersons in the guitar shops would know that that guitar has eekie modern tiny pots, and tell some nonsense about that this sounds “colder and thinner” than the good old ¼W ones to customers who ask. In particular if the guitar with the small pots is a bit cheaper.
– leftaroundabout
1 hour ago
@DavidBowling of course the buyers wouldn't have any idea about the power rating. Or anything else, for that matter. But the salespersons in the guitar shops would know that that guitar has eekie modern tiny pots, and tell some nonsense about that this sounds “colder and thinner” than the good old ¼W ones to customers who ask. In particular if the guitar with the small pots is a bit cheaper.
– leftaroundabout
1 hour ago
|
show 3 more comments
user1876058 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
user1876058 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
user1876058 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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