What pots are best?

[lowell]

I've used CTS and Alpha pots and find them both quite sub par. I used 1meg solid shaft audio taper versions for volumes in a Hiwatt build and a 5E3 build. The tapers are horrible. What does everyone find to be good solid shaft pots with smooth taper?

[guitician]

Conductive Plastic element types

They are pricey but worth it. Iv'e used some that have a life rating of 1 million cycles.

[lowell]

ok... do you have a brand name or source for these?

[soundmasterg]

Bournes and Clarostat are the two I've heard of. Lots of vendors including AES, Mouser, West Labs, etc.

I have not used them myself but do have some to try because I, like you, think the current crop of CTS, Apha, etc., are lousy.

Greg

[lowell]

cool thanks guys... i'll try 'em out. got some bourns here and will report back on results.

[lowell]

bourns pots are indeed better, at least for 5E3 volume control. With Alpha there was a huge jump in volume between 2-3. Now it's a whole lot smoother and that volume from 2-3 is now spread between 1.5-5.

[scole]

not sure bout bournes but clarostat are linear taper only.

[lowell]

oh ok... bourns make both.

[lowell]

bourns solid shaft pots are very loose. they have better taper than CTS, alpha, but they have no resistance when you turn them. This bugs me, they feel too loose. Haven't tried bourns more expensive lines.

[lowell]

bruce, enzo, steve c, tubes well

hey guys what do YOU find are good tapered pots w/ a tight feel to them?

[tedmich]

gotta be log taper? I get high quality CP or cermet bourns pots at 2-5Megs and then bridge the legs with whatever metal film resistor gets me the value I need. For audio/log taper in a "rheostat" variable resistor circuit I add a resistor from leg to wiper as described in the "secret life of pots" to get a good audio/log taper approximation. For voltage divider circuits I usually just go linear or settle for a crappy carbon log pot.

My favorite current pots:
dual 5M bourns 81 series 2w cermets:

$2 at the electronicsgoldmine.com

these split into a single pot and a trimmer easily and are silky smooth, or double up for a 10M guitar volume pot (!)
(FYI adding a TINY amount of loctite 290 to the shaft/bushing edge can add some resistance to "too smooth pots" but be careful not to poison the resistive element.)

other nice pots at apexjr.com
also http://brigarelectronics.com has oddball Alps audio taper pots, some with concentric shafts, for ~1/10 the price on Ebay

Alps and Spectrol are the choice of high end audiophiles, and cost $10-25 aftermarket, the Bourns "guitar" 91A1D series are some of the best audio taper single turn pots available, both cermet and CP lasting 100k cycles, although the CP handles 1/4w and the cermet 1w. They are in stock at Mouser for $14-23 at 500k, and 1M special order

[lowell]

thanks Ted I'll try some of those.

[Steve Conner]

I've never used anything but the miniature Alpha pots, and they always worked fine for me. I like lots of knobs on my amps, and the mini pots mean room for more.

The only annoying thing is that I couldn't get the 220k in the right taper for a tone stack bass control.

[guitician]

Those Alpha pot's that everyone sells with aluminum bushings and Cad plated covers? All the ones I have are seized up and will barely turn. I avoid them unless have to go cheap.

[lowell]

Sheesh... well someone needs to commission some good solid shaft pots!! WD and Dimarzio make some great split knurled pots, maybe they could make a solid shaft counterpart. I should call them.