Lighter touch guitar volume potentiometers?

[lfm]

Hi

Thinking the touch on volume on Gibsons are too heavy to be smoothly operated by pinky finger quickly like for swells etc.

Are there any particular brand or code on pots that are the lighter ones?

The Fender and Squire I've had all have been sooo much lighter to move.

Thanks.

[Winstontaneous]

Hi

Thinking the touch on volume on Gibsons are too heavy to be smoothly operated by pinky finger quickly like for swells etc.

Are there any particular brand or code on pots that are the lighter ones?

The Fender and Squire I've had all have been sooo much lighter to move.

Thanks.

Are they old pots? If so a shot of DeOxit will usually lighten up the action.

[Jafo]

Kudos on using the knobs! We're in a tiny majority.

Knurled knobs can also help, but I've also seen people put a rubber ring around the knob (after lathing a groove) -- one day I'll go that route. Or rout, really.

[lfm]

Thanks guys.

Current pots are not heavy due to age, I think.
It's something about either brand or model.

Shape of knobs do help a bit.
But knobs are really nice for just putting pinky finger on there - with a ski downhill slope, kind of - but way to heavy to quickly do swells.

Exchanged electronics on a guitar some years ago - and those I bought just happend to be lighter touch.
And Fender and Squire also are the lighter kind, the ones I've had/have.

And I see no remarks in listing on parts retailers either - about how heavy turning them are.
Looking for info like a code on the pots, like Logarithmic often has etc.

The current ones on Gibson are like fluid videoheads, kind of, with a clear resistance when moving them.
Thought that the same brand made ones with fluid feel and ones with minimum force - and had a code for that.

I think maybe volume pedal is the way to go after all - if can find one that I can turn on/off with true bypass not affecting anything not using it. Or use a bypass looper with any volume pedal

Going through guitars and fixing up frets and exchanging tuners and stuff - and thought I'd have a look at this too.

[Winstontaneous]

Never thought much of knob makeup, I generally prefer the knurled metal ones which are more massive...maybe this makes them easier to turn? I've had good luck with Alpha pots when I've needed them replaced on my basses. I prefer a bit of resistance/inertia, but that's not what you want for pinky volume swells.

[PurpleCatfishBettie]

if you had a lower valued pot, might it give you a 'finer granularity' in the 'volume sweeps'? i've read that if a given pot value is 'too high' it can limit the 'action' to a small area of the actual overall range of movement.

[BertKoor]

I think maybe volume pedal is the way to go after all - if can find one that I can turn on/off with true bypass not affecting anything not using it. Or use a bypass looper with any volume pedal

I've been using a volume pedal since forever. Mine stays on position wherever you set it, so that's different from how a wahwah pedal is constructed. No need for true bypass, you'd just put it on the max position. It's just another foot-controlled pot in the signal chain, and it has no influence.

if you had a lower valued pot, might it give you a 'finer granularity' in the 'volume sweeps'? i've read that if a given pot value is 'too high' it can limit the 'action' to a small area of the actual overall range of movement.

No, that's not how it works. For the actual volume it doesn't matter whether the pot is 1 kOhm or 1 MOhm. Halfway the resistance on the taper you get half the voltage.

What does matter is whether it's a linear pot (then you get all action in the first 10% or so) or a log pot. But not all log pots are equal, so...

[lfm]

What does matter is whether it's a linear pot (then you get all action in the first 10% or so) or a log pot. But not all log pots are equal, so...

That's a good remark - probably what he experience buying linear for volume pots or something.

Problem with volume pedal though, is that it works as any pot on guitar - and turning down usually loose some highs due to that one part of resistance becomes serial to signal and capacitance in cable influence how much.

If 500k and you turn down volume to be half value, like 250k - then 250k is also in serial with signal into cable. This creates a LP filter. So running hi quality instrument cable is essential here - like Klotz or George-L - range like 60pF/meter on the best. Major influence in tone.

But some brand/models actually state being high impedance towards guitar, like amp or pedal - so curious over what to get.

The roll off is same problem on guitar volume knob.
Some handle with bleed circuits, as I did on a hollow body type ES-175. Works rather well, but changes sound a bit still - but more acceptable. A restistor+cap from pickup end over to wiper - let some highs bleed over when turning down.

So thinking going down to 250k(like Fender) or even lower to move that crossover frequency up. I ran 100k pots on a humbucker Hagström Swede many years ago - and it worked just fine. Turning down volume knob had no audible influence on tone then.

Some state that you loose so much tone going down in pot value, loading passive pickups too hard - but thought I test that again on my Gibsons - if I find pots that are light touch kind. Otherwise I will not bother - will do volume pedal instead.

But really curious how volume pedals saying to be hi impedance really work turning it down. If just a hi impedance pot - you have the same problem as on guitar volume pots.

At Thomann.de there are Emerson Custom pot "Low rotational resistance for faster and easier control" which seems to be what I look for. But have not found a general code that signify this yet - if available elsewhere.

Otherwise Boss FV-500-H seems cool volume and expression pedal. Said to be high impedance and virtually no loss of signal when turning down.

[TJStaar]

I always use speed knobs on my Les Pauls. With them it is very easy to control the volume or tone with your pinky or the outside of your hand.

[lfm]

Thank you.

Yes, I guess knob type makes a lot of difference.
If too slim in center - gives poor momentum when turning.