Potentiometers: A500k vs. B500k .... ?

[delt]

Hello everyone, it's been a while.

so i was wondering - aside from the letter A or B, what's the difference between A500k and B500k control pots? My first guess would be the audio taper vs. linear taper, but i might be (am probably) wrong about this.

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Potentiometers: A500k vs. B500k .... ?

The A and B notate the amount of change in resistance per amount shaft movement. I don't believe that A/B determines audio or Linear taper, I'm thinking just a different taper ratio, but I may be wrong there.

Seems that I've often seen the B as a volume and the A used as a tone pot.

No problem using either as a volume pot, just know there is a slight difference in taper. But, either one would work.

[beaner]

Re: Potentiometers: A500k vs. B500k .... ?

Okay, if you are looking at new parts / equipment A is a log (audio) taper. B is a linear taper. However, if you're working on old equipment A is a linear taper and C (yeah, C, not a typo) is a log taper. I'm really not sure when this change happened, but you can be pretty sure an old 50's strat is gonna have the old markings.
You may see components with a D marking as well. This is a 10% log taper, meaning the resistance of the pot is 10% of it's value at the mid point of the pot travel. By comparison, the A taper pots are 15%. Occasionally you will see the D taper refered to as the log taper and the A as the audio. Both are log tapers though, and the A is the most common for audio applications.

Damn, sometimes this electrical engineering stuff pays off!

Dave

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Potentiometers: A500k vs. B500k .... ?

[img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[etaeniura]

Re: Potentiometers: A500k vs. B500k .... ?

Look at the big brain on beaner!

[The Chase]

Re: Potentiometers: A500k vs. B500k .... ?

I've seen a Hamer ad, where it said that their volume pots would give extra volume boost right at the end. Is it true? Any special volume pots that do that?

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Potentiometers: A500k vs. B500k .... ?

[ QUOTE ]
I've seen a Hamer ad, where it said that their volume pots would give extra volume boost right at the end. Is it true? Any special volume pots that do that?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, the ones that go to 11!

[nor]

Re: Potentiometers: A500k vs. B500k .... ?

lol...

[delt]

Re: Potentiometers: A500k vs. B500k .... ?

beaner: thanks for the precise explanation!

i guess if you're wiring 2 humbuckers each with his own volume pot, it's best to use linear (B500k) pots, i've used audio taper ones and only the "top area" of the pots have any significance when you're trying to blend signal from both pickups. An audio (A500k) pot is fine for tone control tho.....