The Steel Guitar Forum

I found this website looking for Claristat pots. Anyone know of this?
https://www.alliedelec.com/eti-systems- ... d=30980760

That's not a complete link. You need the whole line, Jim.

Thanks, Mike. I'm no whiz on a computer.

Jim, that's a linear taper pot, won't really work for volume pedal. Too bad, because those older Clarostats and AB pots are THE BEST, but they gotta be Audio or Log taper.




B

Thanks, Brad, but what would you use this type of pot for? (Bad grammar. but valid question). What's it's purpose?

Thanks, Brad, but what would you use this type of pot for? (Bad grammar. but valid question). What's it's purpose?

O.K., Thanks for the informed answer. Makes sense. But, I have bought two of them and if anyone would like them, I will mail them to you for a Forum donation of your choice.

I've seen posts on here of someone using a linear pot. Not something I would do.

FWIW I don't even like the taper on the Dunlop replacement pot. Another reason I have a Hilton VP.

Jack Stoner wrote:...FWIW I don't even like the taper on the Dunlop replacement pot. Another reason I have a Hilton VP.

They sure don't make pot tapers like they used to. Back in the day before digital, and back in the day when many designs were for industry and military-spec and NASA, they knew how to make a pot with a truly smooth, logarithmic (audio) curve/taper. But these days, most "audio" pots are made with only two segments of resistive material for the rotary track. So you essentially have two straight ramps with a kink in the middle where the slope becomes steeper. Back in the day, they would use 5 or more resistive segments which really does create a nice and rounded curve. Like Jack said, the Hilton is able to get a truly audio tapered curve with his design using an optical gradient filter.

Good old Clarostat or AB audio pots are like gold to pedal steelers that like pot pedals.

B

Georg,

Your discussion of the 'logging' of the linear pot reminded me of this article I saw some time ago. Some may find it and the graphs interesting.

The Secret Life of Pots

Good, old-style pots are still out there, they just cost more. I'd also strongly recommend that any pot with a removable cover be lubed before it is installed. That's the only way to get maximum life. Lastly, be aware that (military designation) part number RV4NAYSD504A would indicate a linear pot. The correct mil-number for a logarithmic pot would be RV4NAYSJ504A.

The Allen Bradley pot used in volume pedals was not a straight audio (logarithmic) pot. It was a modified logarithmic. That's why, to me, the current audio pots such as the Dunlop do not copy the feel of the AB's.

As Georg mentioned, you can make a very GOOD log pot out of a linear one and a resistor:
http://sound.whsites.net/project01.htm

Or...you can wire another (cheap linear) pot in place of the resistor, and have yourself an adjustable-taper pot pedal!