Does pots quality matter on a stompbox?

I'm thinking about rehousing my NYC Big Muff (it's huge) for a fun project to get better at soldering...and I was wondering; I assume the pots in there are lower end (since it's a pretty cheap pedal)...does that matter in effect pedals? If I swapped them out with CTS or something would that do anything to improve overall function? And do stompboxes take 250 or 500 pots?

Thanks!

The pots in a pedal could be anywhere from 10k to a couple of megohms. And they could be audio, linear or custom tapers. You will most likely have to measure the pots to figure it out (unless you can get a circuit diagram and bill of materials).

Quality, standard pots will probably do you for a stomp box. Again, you will have to know what you are replacing, and replace like for like.

Components absolutely make a difference in anything electronic. Most pedal mods are just replacing existing components with better quality components. A huge difference.

I'm thinking about rehousing my NYC Big Muff (it's huge) for a fun project to get better at soldering...and I was wondering; I assume the pots in there are lower end (since it's a pretty cheap pedal)...does that matter in effect pedals? If I swapped them out with CTS or something would that do anything to improve overall function? And do stompboxes take 250 or 500 pots?

Thanks!

Technically, it always makes a difference. Whether or not the differences will be an improvement in sound quality or even audible is debatable/subjective to a lot of people. A high quality pot will have less distortion and resist radio/electromagnetic interferences better than a low quality one. Also, the type of resistance offered in the pot's construction helps reinforce the above traits in addition to providing a more pleasing sound (or lack of it)- carbon comp vs metal film for example. If you want something hifi quality- skip the CTS. The CTS pots are great for their application in our guitars and some amps, but in something like a stompbox (which gets a lot less twiddling) use something like an ALPS blue velvet. As far as the value of the pot to use- read the numbers on the back of the one you're replacing because it totally depends on the design of the pedal. I would bet that most of the 'cheap pedals' have the pots soldered directly to the board- have fun!!!

The good news is that all 3 pots in a Big Muff are 100K. Only the tone pot needs to be linear. It helps to have log pots for the other two, but linear units will work.

Along with going for a "superior" pot, it helps to pick one that will work with your pedal. And just because there looks like there's room in the box for a 24mm pot doesn't mean that's what's in there. You also need to consider the pot terminals, unless you don't mind reverse engineering them to work, if need be. You have to figure out if they are solder lug, pins (direct to pcb mount), or something else like flex terminals. I have a pic of a pcb from a NYC Muff that's a few years old, and it used the "flex" type terminals which supported the pots above the board. This means that you have to create your own terminal transitions if using anything other than the stock pots.

Another trivial thing to consider are the knobs. There are setscrew, knurled shaft (or split shaft), and "D" shaft, typically. Oftentimes knobs won't accommodate a different type of shaft. Unless you get the same shaft type, it would make sense to order new knobs that you know will fit.

IMO, low tech pots in a Muff are fine. The tone pot is simply a linear blender, with treble on one side and bass on the other. As long as you don't get a kink at a spot on the dial that you prefer, just stick to what you have. The sustain and level pots either pass the signal on or shunt it to ground - about as low tech as you can get. If they sound okay, they are okay.

I only replace Muff pots if they are scratchy or have clear dropouts or glitches in their rotation. The oldies were really bad. The new ones should actually be better.

Save your pennies for other stuff, like getting the tone stack back to triangle or ram's head spec. THAT will be a dramatic improvement, IMO.

Technically, it always makes a difference. Whether or not the differences will be an improvement in sound quality or even audible is debatable/subjective to a lot of people. A high quality pot will have less distortion and resist radio/electromagnetic interferences better than a low quality one. Also, the type of resistance offered in the pot's construction helps reinforce the above traits in addition to providing a more pleasing sound (or lack of it)- carbon comp vs metal film for example. If you want something hifi quality- skip the CTS. The CTS pots are great for their application in our guitars and some amps, but in something like a stompbox (which gets a lot less twiddling) use something like an ALPS blue velvet. As far as the value of the pot to use- read the numbers on the back of the one you're replacing because it totally depends on the design of the pedal. I would bet that most of the 'cheap pedals' have the pots soldered directly to the board- have fun!!!

Sorry, but I disagree with some points you make. First, CTS pots have been around for many many years, and have been used in high fidelity systems. Second, just because a pot is soldered to the board doesn't make it "cheap". Maybe cheaper in price because of the reduced construction costs, but not always cheap in quality.

The bottom line is that most manufactured pedals ARE produced with cheap components, and cheap PCBAs. The reason is simple: Cost vs Profit.

The hobbyist can make a high quality pedal using the same footprint as the manufacturers. I prefer to use PCB mount pots. I like the direct, shorter connection to the PCB. I also prefer to use Molex connectors instead of wire-to-board construction. I do it because I am not a fan of soldering when I don't need to. I have never had a case of signal degradation from using either, and I don't always use the more expensive parts. Anything can be tuned in if you know how to do it, which is why I don't by into the whole "mojo" argument about using vintage parts. Anything made 50 years ago can be duplicated today. It just all depends on how much time, money, and effort you are willing to put into it to get "that" sound.

In the photo below, you can barely see the type of terminals that are used on the NY Muff, at the top of the photo. Ignore what is circled in red - it pertains to a very radical and unorthodox mod for the NY RI, and has nothing to do with the pots.

I know that I referred to them as being "flex" terminals, and that might not be a very accurate verbal description. But notice in the photo how the terminals are almost like "columns" that suspend the pots above the board.

If using anything other than those types of pots, it will require that you fabricate your own terminal "transitions" to match those in the picture. I will typically use solid core wire and match the length of the originals. It's important not to go too heavy on the gauge of wire - if you do, you risk ripping the solder pads on the board. Sometimes it helps to solder the transition wires to the board first, reinforce them at their "bases" with a little hot glue or similar to hold them fast, and then solder the pot atop them.

The above sounds like a bit of work, but it's actually not - just requires a little planning to be successful, and a bit of precision to do a good job. If you're really creative, you could possibly use any pot, within reason.

The truth be told, there are some new Honeywell pots that are near bomb proof, and I doubt you'd ever have to replace them. But at $8 to $15 a piece, you have to ask yourself if it's worth it. With a NY RI, I would probably completely rework the board while I was in there, tweaking everything to the exact Muff circuit of my choosing. Just some more tips to make your possible rebuild successful.

Edited to add: notice on the board you can see that the RI uses linear 100K pots in all three slots. If you're going to the trouble to replace them with nice higher quality ones, the left and right pot should be switched to LOG 100K pots, for a smoother, more intuitive taper, IMO. They bring the gain and level out up with a much more gradual transition, unlike a stock Muff which will be very abrupt in comparison. Three 100K lin pots was a definite money saving decision on EH's part.