Hi. This is my first posting. Great site.:D
Can anyone recommend a brand of pot that will turn REALLY easily, with no effort at all - almost loose enough to spin?
If not, is there anyway to significantly loosen pots that are too stiff?
Thanks in advance, Michael
Alpha pots usually are easier to turn. Use contact cleaner for more lubrication.
The problem is, ther eis always going to be friction from the wiper contact. But the (expensive) Dunlop "HotPotz" might be worth trying.
You could always make a "frictionless" pot (with the bonus of spinning endlessly!) from a light dependant resistor and led, with a shaped piece of black plastic disc on a shaft. Like an extension of the optical wah idea. If you weighted the disc, you could spin for ages.!
I'm curious: What do you need a loose pot for?
By the way, the larger the knob, the easier to turn a pot. Try a 1-1/2" or 4cm knob and you'll see.
If the pot is acted by a mechanism, apply the same principle: a large wheel or lever acting on the axis.
Thanks, sir_modulus, I'll take a look at Alpha pots.
stm: I'd like a loose turn for a couple of reasons. First, I just rewired an old guitar and the pots I got - I forget the brand now - are just uncomfortable to turn. I've played old guitars where doing volume and tone swells are like spinning a feather. (Alright, it'd actually be kinda difficult to spin a feather, but you get the idea.) So for guitar, some of it is functional, and some of it is feel. EZ-turn pots (hey, there's a marketing strategy!) just feel more broken in to me. Of course, I've also experienced increased stiffness in older pots as well, so maybe it's a crapshoot. (Can we say "crap" here?)
I also really liked the old MXR idea of turning a pedal's pot with your foot, but despite having tried large knobs, I've always found it difficult with Mousers.
I've heard of the Hot Potz, but I thought they were some kind of pot-activated switching mechanism. Thanks Paul
Don't get Hot Potz, as a set for an LP is like $100. Get some good guitar pots (CTS or Alpha) from smallbear or Ebay. Also get bigger knobs(they work well for my finger swells (I'm too cheap to buy a reverse delay imitation pedal, so that's my reverse delay))/
If all you wanted is pots for guitars, go with CTS.
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Components:_Control_pots_and_knobs/Control_Pots.html
If you want a good pinky swell guitar, go and get some high value pots and a switch. When you switch the signal, the volume is only on that pot, and you just move it about 1/2 way to get the volume cut off, and push it back to get it back on.
ex.) for a 500K pot guitar, get a 1 MEG pot and poisition it so it is convenient to do pinky swells. Then switch between that and normal pot with a switch.
BTW, for pedals, Stew-Mac also has good prices on Tele-type dome knobs.
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Components:_Control_pots_and_knobs/Dome_Knobs.html
you could try wire wound or multi turn pots. pricey though
the CTS workalikes ( made in china ) that Weber VST sells are the easiest turning pots I have ever seen.
the tabs that hold the bushing plate to the drum come loose on them , so if you get these, make sure you tighten the tabs a little