why bother changing pots?

[lordraptor1]

just curious why you would bother changing pots ( specifically all those with epi's who claim the stock pots are junk).

I mean really don't you all realize that all the pots ( cts, epi, Gibson, etc.) are ALL made in china/asia.

not getting down on anyone just voicing an observation I have and wondering if there is some kind of mental state that makes one think there is a difference when truly there isn't.

does a brand name make a difference to you ( personally I see no difference in "branded" ( Gibson, epi, cts, etc.) or some cheapo radioshack, or bulk ebayed Chinese pots ( at least I get pot condoms included with some of the Chinese ebay vendors LOL)

 

[dennistruckdriver]

 

[David Collins]

Believe it or not, even factories in China and Southeast Asia produce components of variable quality to meet varying market demands. Sometimes it's durability and lifespan (a cheaper pot with a super thin carbon ring and flimsy wiper may have a lifespan of ten thousand rotations, with higher grade alternatives rated and hundreds of thousands). Feel and ergonomics of the pots can be different - loose, tight, course, smooth, etc. Tolerances can be all over the map, some terribly wide, others quite tight.

Beyond all those reasons though, most people end up changing stock import pots because they want a different taper and/or value, which are very valid reasons to change them out. Then as long as you are going that far, you might as well spend the few extra dollars for $6 pots that will last a lifetime and be more accurate to their rated values (especially if you buy from a vendor who actually tests them) than $1 pots and switches which will wear out in a matter of years and be a wild card in terms of actual values.

Even if they are all made in China, there is still a wide range of quality, some actually being remarkably better than others.

 

[SWeAT hOg]

If they're kept clean, good pots should last a long time. The ones in my MIJ Northern and in the Yamaha SG I traded are all over thirty years old and work like a charm, with no noise. I did change out the pots on a Yamaha AES-620 I briefly owned, but that was because the previous owner used straight contact cleaner with no lubricant on them.

 

[kevinpaul]

Yes the place in China matters and the top thing is clean from dust dirt and the like. I get a spray cleaner and I have some from 1950 that are perfect.

 

[RambleFX]

Pot values have a huge effect on tone, and their tolerances are terrible. It's not uncommon to be off by 20% or more. Some makers have better tolerances, which is a nice selling point. Sometimes it's just personal preference, for example, Bourns makes high quality pots, but they are very low friction, which I don't like.

 

[lordraptor1]

only vintage thing I own is a peavey VTM120 head and matching peavey 412MS cab that has pots older than dirt but they all work just fine, just serviced it and replaced every electrolytic cap in it cause they were all bad ( not surprising really since it was manufactured in 1987 ) but I do see what you mean but again there is no real need to change unless the pots fail IMHO ( which I do keep a spare set for both my lp and my Ibanez bass).

if you also add in tolerances, even cheaper made pots can can have batches of diamonds ( I have see it a couple of times) although rare, and batches of more expensive "better" made pots can have turds LOL.

 

[lordraptor1]

Pot values have a huge effect on tone, and their tolerances are terrible. It's not uncommon to be off by 20% or more. Some makers have better tolerances, which is a nice selling point. Sometimes it's just personal preference, for example, Bourns makes high quality pots, but they are very low friction, which I don't like.

I to like pots that are a little on the heavier friction side, less apt to accidentally rotate.

 

[Guitar Garage]

Changing the pots is preference ... It depends on what you PREFER to do with your guitar. If you are going hang your guitar on a wall, never take it out of your house, play it once a week and keep it perfectly clean... go ahead and keep your old pots.

If you plan on using your instrument in any kind of real capacity like going to gigs, relying on your guitar to work EVERYTIME, sweating all over it and throwing it right back into the case, being anywhere near beer, drunks, waterfront venues, salt air,tour buses or airplanes, groupies or mosh pits... Your'e gonna want the assurance that your guitar is going to work. Marines don't go into battle with "good enough" so why would you go on stage that way?
One falsely dropped wah pedal or misplaced microphone stand-slide guitar trick can take the knobs right off an Epi with stock small diameter shafts. Big dogs like Bourns and CTS can withstand a little more abuse...the stuff we do to our guitars on the road. You know.....Love.

ROCK ON

Jimmi

 

[lordraptor1]

Changing the pots is preference ... It depends on what you PREFER to do with your guitar. If you are going hang your guitar on a wall, never take it out of your house, play it once a week and keep it perfectly clean... go ahead and keep your old pots.

If you plan on using your instrument in any kind of real capacity like going to gigs, relying on your guitar to work EVERYTIME, sweating all over it and throwing it right back into the case, being anywhere near beer, drunks, waterfront venues, salt air,tour buses or airplanes, groupies or mosh pits... Your'e gonna want the assurance that your guitar is going to work. Marines don't go into battle with "good enough" so why would you go on stage that way?
One falsely dropped wah pedal or misplaced microphone stand-slide guitar trick can take the knobs right off an Epi with stock small diameter shafts. Big dogs like Bourns and CTS can withstand a little more abuse...the stuff we do to our guitars on the road. You know.....Love.

ROCK ON

Jimmi

well I am just now learning to play so stock pots it is

 

[Batman]

The most obvious reasons are;

1. To change the taper of the pot. A lot of my guitars came stock with pots that were either linear taper or had an audio taper that had a roll off that was too abrupt at some point in its rotation.

2. To change the resistance of the pot to achieve a different sound.

 

[Alligatorbling]

yall postin in a troll thread

 

[MATTM]

well I am just now learning to play...

No shit!?

 

[VictorB]

No shit!?

 

[dennistruckdriver]

well I am just now learning to play....

....but yet you seem to be enough of an expert to proclaim Epiphones superior to Gibsons.... I only know a few chords and know better than to stir that pot....

 

[Brocko]

....but yet you seem to be enough of an expert to proclaim Epiphones superior to Gibsons.... I only know a few chords and know better than to stir that pot....

I own a couple of Epis and whilst i like them would never claim they are better than Gibsons. He might have got more mileage from suggesting a Gibson equivalent is not worth the extra money, but that is down to the what is important to the buyer. I'd personally rather have two or three decent guitars than one expensive (but special) one but i totally respect that someone else might prefer the opposite.

 

[lordraptor1]

sadly I guess I am not entitled to an opinion as to my preference, and those that spend 1500.00 plus on a name are ( typical). if your high priced Gibson is SOOO great and SOOO much better then why are you spending extra cash on caps, re-wiring, or changing the sound?? if you were going to do that anyway why not just spend less and get the epi? of course you wanted the name "Gibson" on the headstock.

what i said is i like the sound of the epi better and it didn't cost a premium. the Gibsons i tried on the other had sounded crappy and carried a premium price tag basically because it had Gibson on the headstock instead of epiphone.

with what i spent on my epi i had enough left to buy not only a case, pic, strap, extra strings, straplocks. but i was also able to buy an effect pedal , a peavey studio pro 112 amp AND a vintage peavey VTM120 half stack, so my conscious is clear

 

[HRC]

Some Chinese junk is better than other Chinese junk.

 

[lordraptor1]

Some Chinese junk is better than other Chinese junk.

yeah and some American junk is better than other American junk so whats your point?

 

[BlankinLoud]

my conscious is clear

Yep, apparently it's clear as a vacuum, and typing this doesn't bother my conscience one bit.