what pot do I need?

[LucifersTrip]

It's funny, even after building so many pedals I still come across things that seem so simple but can't easily be done?

Either that, or I've had a mental block or missed something super simple.


Let's say I have a 100K fuzz control pot used as a variable resistor where increasing resistance, increases fuzz.

If the fuzz is bunched up at the beginning, I just use a 100K log.
If the fuzz is bunched up at the end, I just use a 100K reverse log.

But let's say I have a 100K fuzz control pot used as a variable resistor where decreasing resistance, increases fuzz.

If the fuzz is bunched up at the beginning, what do I do?

I can get what I want with a counterclockwise turn of the pot, but what do to sweep from 100K to 0K with a clockwise turn where the beginning part of the sweep is "slowed down". Refer to this lug numbering.


Without thinking, I tried both log and rev log which don't work...

[tjdracz]

If you get what you want with ccw turn, then maybe just swap lugs 1 and 3 around and it will do what you need with cw turn? Just a suggestion. And I suppose log is what you want here if by bunched up at the beginning you mean high resistance from 100K down. But don't take my word for that, I'm still a noob here!

[LucifersTrip]

If you get what you want with ccw turn, then maybe just swap lugs 1 and 3 around and it will do what you need with cw turn? Just a suggestion.

think about that & it makes no sense...you have to use lug 2 & 3 to decrease resistance with a cw turn

And I suppose reverse log is what you want here if by bunched up at the beginning you mean high resistance from 100K down. But don't take my word for that, I'm still a noob here!

I thought I was going nuts. I couldn't understand how I was getting the same result with log or rev log.  With both, I was getting the opposite of what I wanted...but I didn't check one thing, that the pots I just ordered were correct. The log pot I  thought I was using was actually a rev log, so I was comparing two rev log pots.

Bottom line, the log pot is what works.  I knew it had to be something simple.

[LucifersTrip]

Ironically, Tayda actually sent me another slightly wrong item yesterday. A pot with detent instead of without. I've never opened one up. Can I remove the detent?

[tjdracz]

If you get what you want with ccw turn, then maybe just swap lugs 1 and 3 around and it will do what you need with cw turn? Just a suggestion.

think about that & it makes no sense...you have to use lug 2 & 3 to decrease resistance with a cw turn

And I suppose reverse log is what you want here if by bunched up at the beginning you mean high resistance from 100K down. But don't take my word for that, I'm still a noob here!

I thought I was going nuts. I couldn't understand how I was getting the same result with log or rev log.  With both, I was getting the opposite of what I wanted...but I didn't check one thing, that the pots I just ordered were correct. The log pot I  thought I was using was actually a rev log, so I was comparing two rev log pots.

Bottom line, the log pot is what works.  I knew it had to be something simple.

I didn't understand you correctly. Missed the variable resistor part and thought it is just full blown pot. I just assumed that if it does what you want with ccw, then simply swapping 1 and 3 will just reverse the operation. Did it once on my guitar tone where instead of the usual control it was 0 - no effect, full treble and 10 - full effect of tone control, treble removed

[duck_arse]

I have removed indents from pots pulled from stero somethings, but you'll have to open one and see what is to see if it's possible. might just be a bit of plastic needing exacto-ing.

[LucifersTrip]

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like there's an easy way to remove it. After opening, there's nothing external that I can see that's catching.

It looks like I'd have to remove the plastic disk.....and according to R.G.:

"Looking closely, you can see that the shaft is held onto the plastic disk by being mechanically squashed into place. That is quick, and makes for cheap pots, but it can't be removed and successfully reassembled."

Btw, Tayda just replied:

"Sorry for wrong product description, ALPHA stopped manufacturing not center-detent ones."

[armdnrdy]

Which pot did you order that Tayda claims Alpha stopped manufacturing?

[LucifersTrip]

20K OHM W-Taper W20K Tone Control Potentiometer