Good push/pulls?

MikeM

Hey guys

So I wasted one of my pushpulls the other day. Stuck like a bug in a mug. Now I need 250k linear, and 250k audio. So that makes life a little more tough.. Anyone know where I can get decent ones?

Thanks
Mike

AlanRatcliffe

I avoid push-pulls when possible, because I don't like the quality of the ones you find. I went with an S1 switch last time I needed something like that, but they are expensive and need special knobs (Strat top hat or Tele barrel style - with different pots used for each style).

MikeM

Valid, but I don't want extra switches showing on my strat and I need 3 ?

AlanRatcliffe

That's the nice thing about the S1, it's a CTS pot with a push-push, four pole two way switch attached. Not much you can't do with one and a four pole superswitch together.

MikeM

Wow I see..

Well the switches I need are for

1. Neck on.
2. Coil Split bucker (Bridge)
3. Cap swap (0.22 to 0.47)

Will have to research this S1 and see what I can do.

Thanks Alan

tonerider

If anyone is interested,

I have never liked push-pull pots since it is never easy (and fast enough in the live situation) to activate and pull the thing out in a hurry and you always loose a few beats in the bar.

I have done away with push-pulls altogether on my H-S-S style guitars. What I do is wire the guitar (Strat Style H-S-S configuration with a Tonerider Bridge Rocksong) in such a way that the top pot becomes master volume, the middle pot master tone and in place of the bottom tone pot I install a Fender zero no-load pot. The humbucker's center coil tap wires are soldered onto this pot, from where it is soldered (via the pot leg of your choice) to ground. Some folks like anti-clockwise operation, some like clockwise. All my volume pots are 250K linear, tone pots 250K Log.

When this no-load "volume" pot is rolled back to zero the coil closest to the bridge is dead-shorted to ground (the pot resistance reads 2.4 Ohm, so this is as good as a dead short) and the inner coil only is active, sounds fantastic on it's own and has a seriously good blend with the middle pickup. When this no-load pot is turned to 10 (and beyond the notched no-load position) the full humbucker becomes active, with no bleeding to earth and still perfectly in-phase with the middle pickup.

This type of wiring allows for quick and seamless live operation (a big priority to me) and the guitar still appears unaltered......well, you still see the humbucker though, but what's good for Eddie is good for me!

Hope this gives a different, and alternative, perspective on pickup coil tapping.

MikeM

Tonerider, that's known as a spin-a-split for future reference. That's all good but i don't care much to have that much control. Don't need to dial it in that much. Master vol, master tone and piezo vol is good for me with my switching options as specified ? thanks for the input.

AlanRatcliffe

Splitting via a pot is very cool (especially if you use a cap to keep it largely hum-cancelling), but like using a no-load pot for "neck-on", it's not as fast as a switch.

I get what Tonerider is saying though - that simplicity of use becomes very important in a playing situation. My own switching setups have become progressively simpler over the years for that very reason - especially as I've started adding in piezo systems and other more complex stuff.

Gearhead

Alan Ratcliffe wrote that simplicity of use becomes very important in a playing situation. My own switching setups have become progressively simpler over the years for that very reason

I think MikeM is still looking for band members...

tonerider

Alan Ratcliffe wrote Splitting via a pot is very cool (especially if you use a cap to keep it largely hum-cancelling), but like using a no-load pot for "neck-on", it's not as fast as a switch.

I get what Tonerider is saying though - that simplicity of use becomes very important in a playing situation. My own switching setups have become progressively simpler over the years for that very reason - especially as I've started adding in piezo systems and other more complex stuff.

You're quite right Alan - I use the no-load pots mainly for bridge humbuckers in a H-S-S configuration, yet I've rewired my stage Les Paul for master volume (top, closest to hand), master tone (replaces bottom volume) and the two existing tone pots were replaced with no-load 250K log's and act as coil-tap pots.

I suppose it is a personal preference. I never look at my right hand when I play live and it has become instinctive for me to just roll-on and off the no-load pots as required, just like volume or tone - seamless!

Oh yes - there is another reason why I don't like push-pull pots. In earlier times I would often pull the whole knob right off the pot in sheer excitement, it would naturally upset my rhythm and I'd get really p****d off!

Hope I can say this!

MoJo-JoJoe

http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/electrical_pushpullpots.htm

MikeM

Alan Ratcliffe wrote Splitting via a pot is very cool (especially if you use a cap to keep it largely hum-cancelling), but like using a no-load pot for "neck-on", it's not as fast as a switch.

I get what Tonerider is saying though - that simplicity of use becomes very important in a playing situation.

Never thought about using a cap to cancel hum like that! Smart move.. Much effect on the tone?

Learnt that with my tele :/ This is simple/complex enough for me ?

Gearhead wroteI think MikeM is still looking for band members...

Just need a drummer now ?

tonerider wrote Oh yes - there is another reason why I don't like push-pull pots. In earlier times I would often pull the whole knob right off the pot in sheer excitement, it would naturally upset my rhythm and I'd get really p****d off!

Thankfully that's not something that's ever happened to me ? Touch wood.

MoJo JoJoe wrote http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/electrical_pushpullpots.htm

Thanks very much man - forgot about them ? Finally an answer to my question ?

AlanRatcliffe

MikeM wrote Never thought about using a cap to cancel hum like that! Smart move..

I can't claim it as my own - IIRC, Peavey were doing it in the '80s with the T-60. Also a handy trick on phase switches - keep your low end (and a lot of the volume) intact while introducing the funky comb filtering of the phase switch on the mids and tops.

Much effect on the tone?

Always some tradeoff, but you can minimise it by aiming the cutoff frequency in the 80 - 100Hz range (or do what I do and fiddle with different caps 'till you find the one you like). Kills the main trouble frequency (60Hz), but any harmonics can still be an issue.

tonerider wrote In earlier times I would often pull the whole knob right off the pot in sheer excitement, it would naturally upset my rhythm and I'd get really p****d off!

Lol! Forgot about that one! Very true. Or the spring-loaded push-push pots Ibanez used for a while which used to fire loose knobs across the stage. ?

MoJo JoJoe wrote http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/electrical_pushpullpots.htm

Now they have the good CTS 1 Meg Audio push-pulls, but the 250K and 500K are the Alphas...

Gearhead

Alan Ratcliffe wrote Also a handy trick on phase switches - keep your low end (and a lot of the volume) intact while introducing the funky comb filtering of the phase switch on the mids and tops.

??? ¿ No comprendo? Schematic?

tonerider

Be careful when ordering CTS pots and take note that most of their pots are solid shaft. This means that standard guitar knobs won't fit. It's happened to me once when ordering from the above-mentioned site. They don't always tell you!

I addition, be careful of spending a lot of time and money on getting 1Meg pots - they're not for everyone! They have a tendency to add a crackling noise when coming off the zero point (and do not bring up the volume evenly, and in some circuits come in abruptly at about 60% volume), especially with single coils and even worse when used in conjunction with a treble bleed circuit. But.......there's variations in everything so they might work for you!

A Japanese manufacturer of high quality A & B taper (Logarithmic & Linear) push-pull and other audio pots that will be supplying me in 2010. These will include US & metric spline shafts with matching knobs for Fender, Gibson, PRS etc.

MoJo-JoJoe

Alan Ratcliffe wrote
MoJo JoJoe wrote http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/electrical_pushpullpots.htm
Now they have the good CTS 1 Meg Audio push-pulls, but the 250K and 500K are the Alphas...

?

Mike, I think it would be safe to buy anything branded Fender, Gibson, or DiMarzio. AFAIK they all use CTS only ... but you're going to be S.O.Luck for linear push-pulls from CTS IMO.

MikeM

Ok I'll wait for ya TR ?

Yea Mojo, they're heavily inflated price wise tho..

AlanRatcliffe

Gearhead wrote
Alan Ratcliffe wrote Also a handy trick on phase switches - keep your low end (and a lot of the volume) intact while introducing the funky comb filtering of the phase switch on the mids and tops.
??? ¿ No comprendo? Schematic?

Simple enough...

Gearhead

Ahh.. Light comes on. Clever. :-[