A Guitar And Gear Support Forum

Goofy question...

What if there was a mod that let you set the limits of a pot? Say for a particular guitar, you like your tone anywhere from 2 to 9, but hate when you go outside that range, so you set the limiter to keep the pot within that range.

Would that be something you'd want to consider buying? I don't want to get into particulars about how it would work, just want to take the temperature on this.

^ cool idea . I don't know of any such product.

I've seen circuits in volume pedals. such as my Ibanez VL10, which has a second pot to set the range of the main treadle pot. I've also seen Japanese guitars with slide switches that you could set to full-mid-off, with the mid controlled by an internal trim pot.

Why did I think Cheech & Chong when I saw this thread's title?

andrewsrea wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:08 pm ^ cool idea . I don't know of any such product.

I've seen circuits in volume pedals. such as my Ibanez VL10, which has a second pot to set the range of the main treadle pot. I've also seen Japanese guitars with slide switches that you could set to full-mid-off, with the mid controlled by an internal trim pot.

Thanks! I had no idea those existed, pretty cool. The Ibanez idea is really intriguing.

mickey wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:42 pm Why did I think Cheech & Chong when I saw this thread's title?

Hee hee. The only time I ever had a hand in limiting THAT pot was when I had to once say "not actually in the studio".

mickey wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:42 pm Why did I think Cheech & Chong when I saw this thread's title?

Because you are too old to think of Snoop Dogg?

BatUtilityBelt wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:51 pm

mickey wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:42 pm Why did I think Cheech & Chong when I saw this thread's title?

Hee hee. The only time I ever had a hand in limiting THAT pot was when I had to once say "not actually in the studio".

Isn't a pot limiter the person who says, "Don't bogart that joint man"?

mickey wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:42 pm Why did I think Cheech & Chong when I saw this thread's title?

"Hey man, how am I driving?" " I think we're parked"

Chocol8 wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:51 pm

mickey wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:42 pm Why did I think Cheech & Chong when I saw this thread's title?

Because you are too old to think of Snoop Dogg?

What is a "Snoop Dogg" ???

mickey wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 2:24 pm What is a "Snoop Dogg" ???

He is a rapper and sometimes actor who smokes more weed than Willie Nelson. A while back, while on a trip to Jamaica, he proved that you really can OD on marijuana when he got so stoned, he declared he was changing his name to Snoop Lion and switching from rap to reggae. Luckily he recovered after releasing only one album.

I would do okay with hard click positions on the pot.
Now don't everyone be put off by my overly technical naming convention.

and I thought a pot limiter was really wanting another guitar so not having enough money to buy The Refer too.

BatUtilityBelt wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:00 pm Goofy question...

What if there was a mod that let you set the limits of a pot? Say for a particular guitar, you like your tone anywhere from 2 to 9, but hate when you go outside that range, so you set the limiter to keep the pot within that range.

Would that be something you'd want to consider buying? I don't want to get into particulars about how it would work, just want to take the temperature on this.

A chickenhead knob and a couple of strategically placed nails would get 'er done .

bc rich wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 4:45 pm A chickenhead knob and a couple of strategically placed nails would get 'er done .

Low-technology solution for the win! Here I was trying to think of something with series and parallel resistors, but yours is probably simpler and better.

This may work but have to explain a few things first (wooboy here we go).
Making this simple lets say 1 humbucker and 1 vol. If you do try this just leave any wires or capacitors going to the tone control just as they are. You have a 500k pot, those outer terminals are actually going across the pickup at all times. You are taking signal from the wiper. 9 moves the wiper up and 2 moves the wiper down closer to ground, hence lower output. The 500k stays the same. If you change the 500k any higher or lower you are going to change the pickup response. Lower you will shorten & widen the resonant peak or higher you will make it taller and narrower. It's what called effecting the "Q" of the coil. 250k on strats, 500k on humbuckers. If you put a 500k on a strat, it will get a lot more peaky, a 250k on a humbucker will dull it out.

Ok, where was i, If you add a resistor to the wiper you will lower your output, to get to "9" you might need 10k or higher (have not experimented so i don't know the correct value). As to the "2", your volumes will now be lowered and that might have moved up to a 3 or 4. If you are using a audio taper pot it's gonna change compared to the current setup.

Suggestions are: 10k or higher on the wiper, maybe even 100k, not sure, try 1k or 2 k even to see the results.
Use a lower K pot or just put a 470k resistor across the 2 outer terminals, that may do it for you.
Lower the pickup pretty low.

@mozz That's an elaborate plan, but overthinking what I'm talking about. I just mean physically limiting the travel of a pot. Can be a tone, volume, blend, doesn't matter, just allowing the owner to set a limitation of its travel so he knows (in my example) if he slams it all the way down, it stops at 2.

BatUtilityBelt wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 7:33 pm @mozz That's an elaborate plan, but overthinking what I'm talking about. I just mean physically limiting the travel of a pot. Can be a tone, volume, blend, doesn't matter, just allowing the owner to set a limitation of its travel so he knows (in my example) if he slams it all the way down, it stops at 2.

I have it in my head but can't express it.
Like get a different or additional nut (or washer) for your pot that has a stiff wire off of it and bends up about where your pot knob rim is. Then put a notch at 2 and 9.
You could get to 1 or 10 by pressing down the catch and would cause no damage to guitar, only your pot knob.
I can mockup or make one if you give me a few days.

ID10t wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 7:50 pm

BatUtilityBelt wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 7:33 pm @mozz That's an elaborate plan, but overthinking what I'm talking about. I just mean physically limiting the travel of a pot. Can be a tone, volume, blend, doesn't matter, just allowing the owner to set a limitation of its travel so he knows (in my example) if he slams it all the way down, it stops at 2.

I have it in my head but can't express it.
Like get a different or additional nut (or washer) for your pot that has a stiff wire off of it and bends up about where your pot knob rim is. Then put a notch at 2 and 9.
You could get to 1 or 10 by pressing down the catch and would cause no damage to guitar, only your pot knob.
I can mockup or make one if you give me a few days.

No, but thanks. I already have a good idea of my how. I just want to know how product-worthy the idea is.

mickey wrote: ↑Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:42 pm Why did I think Cheech & Chong when I saw this thread's title?

"Dave ain't here, man"

I have seen these before. I don't remember where or what they're called, but they were pots that allowed you to lock in specific settings and a range to do just what you're describing.

Flatline wrote: ↑Tue Jun 15, 2021 12:31 pm I have seen these before. I don't remember where or what they're called, but they were pots that allowed you to lock in specific settings and a range to do just what you're describing.

I would be very interested in seeing any references to those. I only know of a knob that can be locked into a single position (the name of that escapes me but I have one somewhere). Of course that's not the same thing. But I can believe someone else might have already done what I'm considering - that happens all the time.

On mine, I would not expect to sell as a modified pot, just a mod anyone could do with any pot.

Edit: I found the locking knob, not what I'm considering making, but interesting anyway. D'Addario calls them Loknobs, and they simply lock in whatever position you want the knob to stay in. https://www.sweetwater.com/d-addario-loknob/series