16mm Alpha 10k Pot as FF Trimmer?

[Ben Lyman]

I'm making a better breadboarding station with a bracket for holding different pots. I've been using a 10k Cermet for biasing but I was wondering
Can I use any 10k linear pot for this?
Should I install some more trim pots, what values and for which resistors in the FF circuit and/or a Tone Bender circuit?
Thanks

[Unlikekurt]

Sure. 
Trimpots are for the most part linear in taper.  If your alpha pot is a different taper you might notice a change in the way the sweep works, but it'll definitely function.

[karbomusic]

The only issue I would have with it is for trimmers I almost always use 10 or 20 turn trimmers so I can truly 'trim' which I could never do with a pot that only goes 220 degrees or whatever the default is. If you are used to 1 turn trimmers though, I don't see much problem.

[Ben Lyman]

Thanks U.K. and Karbo! I think one turn will do for me, I just use it to adjust the bias, then measure and replace it with a close resistor.
So far, I have only used 10k trimmers as recommended by Steve Daniels in his Fuzz Face tutorial. 
Should I plan on using several different values to adjust other parts of my fuzz circuits while on the breadboard?

[blackieNYC]

The trimmers won't mount on the breadboard, or on a panel. You'll have to tack wires on, and adjust with a screwdriver, no? You might stick with pots. I keep a buncha pots around with wires soldered to them. Solid core, with the other ends stripped for the breadboard. Some of the pots are too large for final assembly in an closure - various oddities, and those awful things I mistakenly ordered from Tayda with the shafts threaded too much to fit a knob on.
Mine are just floating around - one piece of hardware with a bunch of pots mounted and wired would be cool.

[Ben Lyman]

Thanks Blackie. I don't think I worded my question very clearly. I want to mount regular size pots on a metal bracket to be used as trimmers. It sounds like it should work just fine but I wonder if I should set my bracket up with something like a 10k, a 25k and a 50k for adjusting different areas of various fuzz circuits. Or maybe just a single 10k is all I will need for adjusting the bias.

[tubegeek]

I wonder if I should set my bracket up with something like a 10k, a 25k and a 50k for adjusting different areas of various fuzz circuits.

Think ahead - prepare for more flexibility. The Fuzz Face isn't your last project!

[Kipper4]

Take a look at these Ben

http://www.taydaelectronics.com/10k-ohm-logarithmic-taper-potentiometer-round-knurled-plastic-shaft-pcb-9mm.html
Not affiliated

Snip off the side brackets for attaching it to a pcb normally. You can mount directly to the breadboard.
No screw drivers of fancying around.
I got a selection of A and B tapers.

[Ben Lyman]

Great ideas, thanks! I considered all your advice and, using materials on hand, I came up with something I'm very happy with... for now!
It's kinda like a cross between Steve's "Idea Box" and a bench top work station. It's big enough to hold plenty of breadboard, I can power it with a one spot or battery, take it off the bench, throw it on the floor and jam out with my band. It's got 6 pots that I can change out easily enough if I need to and room for about 3 more pots if I drill more holes.
I don't wanna talk it up too much, it's not the greatest but I think it will work for me.
I wanna post some pics but not sure if I should post in the picture gallery thread or start a new thread somewhere... or just put it in this thread but it seems a bit OT 

[duck_arse]

geeze, it's your thread, your solution to the problem you posed, how can it be OT* to post the pics here?




* I hope OT means off topic, not that I'm ever.

[StephenGiles]

I cut up a paper clip and soldered pieces on to 20 turn trimmer pots for breadboarding

[Ben Lyman]

geeze, it's your thread, your solution to the problem you posed, how can it be OT* to post the pics...

Okay Duck, I'll post the pic here for you, but only because I just noticed
you quoted me in your sig... I don't know if I should feel honored or not! lol 

[Kipper4]

That's nice Ben
Do I see tweed?

[Ben Lyman]

That's nice Ben
Do I see tweed?

Yes, two princeton clones by Jim Nickelson in beautiful lacquered tweed cabs by Peter Mather.
Mid life crisis is WAY different for someone who never cared about cars when he was 16!   

[PRR]

> I'll post the pic here

Nice job.

I like the stool too. (Spent many years on the exact same stool but with different overspray on it.)

What I was thinking though: I wouldn't try for one-of-every pot. I would bash holes in a smaller bracket (2"x6"), collect wired pots in a tray. It takes only a few seconds to put a pot in a hole. A few more seconds when you rip that up and start a new project. (Knobs may be left for later.)

The small bracket could be mounted much nearer the poke-board, and the wires could be MUCH shorter and more direct. Less hum/buzz, but mainly less back-trash around a high-gain circuit to cause oscillation.

[Ben Lyman]

Thanks for the advice Paul, I will solder some leads to some pots and keep them handy, as I was planning on changing them out from build to build. I figured the 10k will probably always be there for biasing? Maybe even 3 10k's in a row? However, I do plan on the actual gain and volume pots for testing to be taken from this and go right into the pedal. I am finding more and more that I have to include every last detail on the breadboard that I plan on using in the final build for a satisfactory result.

As for the brackets... too late, can't change this year, maybe next... besides this was all salvage plus a couple a pennies 

[duck_arse]

very nice.

[Ben Lyman]

Thanks Duck, it's a labor of love... now I need some more breadboards and a new soldering iron!

[Kipper4]

Attention
Ben has G.A.S.
Lets hope theres a new code soon mate.

[Ben Lyman]

Indeed I do!
Here's something else I'm trying to work out with the Ge FF.
I have the 10k pot in place of the 8k2 but I'm not getting much control over the sound. The voltage goes from -2.9 up to -5.6 (iirc) and everywhere I set it sounds really good. So what's the problem? I was hoping to make it go from really good to spitting, spluttery, gated and dead.