EVH low-friction bourn pots and some pickups

[kevinT]

A customer replaced his stock volume pot with a 500K EVH low-friction pot. It doesn't completely turn the volume off. Fender told him that some pickups are not compatable with some pots.

comments, thoughts? I've never heard of this.

[David Schwab]

A customer replaced his stock volume pot with a 500K EVH low-friction pot. It doesn't completely turn the volume off. Fender told him that some pickups are not compatable with some pots.

comments, thoughts? I've never heard of this.

Huh? That's a defective pot, period. You can get Bourns pots elsewhere without the EVH tax.

[David King]

CE Distribution carries quite a collection of higher grade guitar pots including Bourns. Check your grounds and measure the resistance from center lug to the ends at each extreme.

[kevinT]

Huh? That's a defective pot, period. You can get Bourns pots elsewhere without the EVH tax.

That's what I thought. It through me off when Fender told him that some pickups aren't compatible with EVH pots. Non-EVH/Fender pickups is what he was trying to say

[frankfalbo]

You can get Bourns pots elsewhere without the EVH tax.

Or you can wait until we start selling ours over the counter, and pay the Seymour Duncan tax, which is probably less than the EVH tax.

But seriously though, something's wrong with that pot in particular, or the ground isn't right. I think they're great pots, fairly priced, and everyone over there is just really nice and professional. I'd like to see them have success regardless of whether it comes through our pot or their own "GTR" pot or whatever they're calling it. Ours will have what we think are the "right" sized shafts/bushings, etc. (meaning it will fit the most knobs) but also our choice of lube & friction, and a low friction version as well.

[kevinT]

Mouser carries Bourn's pots.

[David Schwab]

I'd like to see them have success regardless of whether it comes through our pot or their own "GTR" pot or whatever they're calling it. Ours will have what we think are the "right" sized shafts/bushings, etc. (meaning it will fit the most knobs) but also our choice of lube & friction, and a low friction version as well.

Yeah, I got some of the guitar pots from CE Distribution, and they don't fit any of the knobs I have!

[David King]

I spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about pot shaft sizes with my custom knob business. This is what I can tell you, all pots are made in Asia except the Precision Electronic Components pots that are still being made in Toronto, Canada. About 99% of the guitar pots now come with 6 mm shafts.
The only guitars I'm aware of that still come with 1/4" shafts are Alembics. (Fender still uses a stacked concentric pot that's 1/4" and 3/16").
There are 6 mm pots with smooth solid shafts, 6 mm pots with split shafts and 18 splines, 6 mm pots with split shafts and 24 splines and then there are 6 mm pots that have smooth shafts with a flat on one side.

All the 1/4" pots I've seen have either the solid shaft or the 18 spline split shaft.

I have to believe that at some point in the distant past Fenders and Gibsons all came with 1/4" pot shafts but somewhere along the line that changed (when CTS moved operations to China?). I'd love to know the approximate years of the change.
FYI:
6 mm = .236" = approx 15/64
1/4" = 6.35 mm = .250"

[David Schwab]

David, after reading your post, I went back and checked the Bourns pots and they are 6.32mm or a hair under 1/4".

I'm not sure what knob I had tried, but I think it was a Hipshot knob, but now they seem to fit fine.

I'm quite sure these must be the same as the EVH pots as they are very low friction, wichh I think makes them feel cheap.

I'm going to give them a try.

[tubby.twins]

I think Allparts has some barrel knobs which fit nicely on 1/4" shaft pots. I bought some from Guitar Parts Resource a few months ago, and they work just fine.
URL: Guitar Parts Resource* ::* Metal Barrel Knobs

I've been experimenting with Bourns pots (the 91 series) for a few months now. They seem to work nicely. They have solid 1/4" plastic shafts which rotate easily, and don't have the volume issue that the OP's customer found. Mouser, Newark and Allied Electronics sell them in various values and tapers.

[David Schwab]

I have some knobs that work with 1/4" shafts, but the Hipshot knobs are 6mm (.242").

I prefer the sealed Bourns pots anyway. I usually get them from the above listed sources. but I figured I'd check these out.

I'll use these on something, but the bass they were intended for has Hipshot knobs, which I think look pretty cool. I'll just get some other pots.