Fender 250k No Load Pot

Chumpito · May 28th, 2008, 03:07 PM

Hey all,

Is anyone out there using the Fender 250k No Load Pot. How are you using it and what has been your experience? Thanks!

Chumpito

paisleytele68 · May 28th, 2008, 03:41 PM

I have them in two of my Teles. I don't know about everyone else, but I use it to 'push' my leads through the mix a little when need be. Keep in mind, I use them mostly with country/sounthern rock gigs where the tone is set pretty twangy to begin with and this just gives me a little bit more.

tazzboy · May 28th, 2008, 03:51 PM

They are also in the Current production of the Fender Stratocaster. I don't really like them at all and would prefer a regular 250K Audio Pot.

Just my opinion

RomanS · May 28th, 2008, 04:27 PM

I have them on my Thinline Tele - and frankly, I don't notice a difference to a regular pot - not worth the extra money, IMHO...

surfoverb · May 28th, 2008, 04:34 PM

I tried one for my Esquire but went with a direct lead wiring instead. You can make a no-load in about 5 minutes and try one out:
http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/pots.htm

DavidP · May 28th, 2008, 05:36 PM

I like to have that 'click' in the Fender N-L pot.

surfoverb · May 28th, 2008, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidP

I like to have that 'click' in the Fender N-L pot.

Yeah well, that'll cost ya $6 unless you can figure out how to do it.

red57strat · May 28th, 2008, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidP

I like to have that 'click' in the Fender N-L pot.

I really don't like my pots to have a 'click' in them.

Rob DiStefano · May 29th, 2008, 04:51 AM

Love the "click", love the no-load tone pot AND no-load Strat neck pup blender pot.

gumbo · May 29th, 2008, 06:30 AM

Oh My Gawsh!
...is that where the click is coming from????

formerlyslim · May 29th, 2008, 09:03 AM

I love the fender no load pots for tone controls in teles - I really like the "click" to know it's engaged. I use mine alot for a couple applications - one it's a great way to brighten up the front tele pickups tone and get some snap. Two, I like to engage it and turn my volume control down to get a "stock pickup" sound. I say that because my Don Mare set - 0038 and stelly - has some girth to it, especially the 0038. By turning the volume down a little bit and engaging the no load feature, I can pretty well simulate a stock set of underwound tele pickups. It really adds versatility to my rig. So I'm a big fan of them.

Tele Fan · May 29th, 2008, 09:20 AM

I think they really shine with hotter or darker pickups. I added one to my Nashville Tele and it really brings out the twang in those Tex Mex pickups.

Vizcaster · May 29th, 2008, 02:52 PM

I posted this separately and got no nibbles - does anyone know of a source for miniature/small no-load pots?

I have three knobs on my Tele control plate so the tone control needs to be a small pot in order for it to fit (next to a Fishman Powerchip). I usually back the tone control back a little for the tele bridge pickup, but the humbucker in the neck I like to leave wide open and it's still a little dark - a noload tone should do the trick, no?

DevOl · June 29th, 2008, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vizcaster

I usually back the tone control back a little for the tele bridge pickup, but the humbucker in the neck I like to leave wide open and it's still a little dark - a noload tone should do the trick, no?

I just bought some stuff from http://www.stewmac.com and they seem to have a good selection of smaller pots.

As for your question there, about the 'darkness,' maybe you could use a different value capacitor in the tone circuit, or a higher value (in ohms) volume pot. This would shape your total tone, in either case, so you might want to look at experimenting.

I just installed a 250k No-loader, Fender or CTS pot, in the Tone pos (figured that it was the only way to do it since there was not a full resistance value on the 2 outside terminals, as the volume pot should have). I can tell a difference between the 'notched,' off, position, but when I turn the knob back the other way to engage the circuitry, there is a very annoying Scratch. These pots have a spring putting tension on the shaft of the pot, and any time I pull up on it (when I take it off the notch) there is this awful noise.

Is this normal?

Bluesbob · June 30th, 2008, 01:49 PM

I use a CS Nocaster bridge pup and SD Seth Lover neck pup in my red partcaster . Only the bridge pup is connected to the tone control. The neck 'bucker is completely by-passed. I don't think I would want to lose any treble from the Lover, but sometimes I like to roll back the bridge pup.

PhatTele · June 30th, 2008, 02:40 PM

I like the added punch I get from the no-load pots. You can get 250K and 500K versions (Fender brand) from Antique Electronics Supply both with solid and split shafts. I've put them in Teles, Jazzmasters, and Jaguars. I also use them as a blender pot in my Strats.

kylef · June 30th, 2008, 04:51 PM

love them, and use them in all of my tele's

although i will say, a couple of them i have bought havent had much of a click, if any click at all, whereas others i have tried give a real hard click.

i prefer the hard click so try to get those ones.

May 28th, 2008, 03:07 PM	#1 (permalink)
Chumpito TDPRI Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Montana Posts: 13	Fender 250k No Load Pot Hey all, Is anyone out there using the Fender 250k No Load Pot. How are you using it and what has been your experience? Thanks! Chumpito __________________ Chumpito wanna-be guitarist

May 28th, 2008, 03:51 PM	#3 (permalink)
tazzboy Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2005 Location: Eugene, Oregon Age: 31 Posts: 2,885	They are also in the Current production of the Fender Stratocaster. I don't really like them at all and would prefer a regular 250K Audio Pot. Just my opinion __________________ tazzboy Guitar: 1982 Gibson Les Paul Standard AMP: 59 Bassman Reissue. EFFECTS: 2 Boss TR-2 Tremolo, Boss CE-2 Chorus, and Boss DM-3 Echo Delay.

May 28th, 2008, 04:27 PM	#4 (permalink)
RomanS Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Vienna, Austria Age: 36 Posts: 2,706 14 Photos	I have them on my Thinline Tele - and frankly, I don't notice a difference to a regular pot - not worth the extra money, IMHO... __________________ http://www.pbase.com/romans http://www.myspace.com/romans212

May 28th, 2008, 05:36 PM	#6 (permalink)
DavidP Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 521	DIY is easy enough, but... I like to have that 'click' in the Fender N-L pot. __________________ barely in tune and teetering on the brink of oblivion...

May 29th, 2008, 06:30 AM	#10 (permalink)
gumbo Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: South Australia Age: 60 Posts: 155	Oh My Gawsh! ...is that where the click is coming from???? __________________ Heaven: A Bassman 410, a good pizza, and a nice lie down

May 28th, 2008, 03:41 PM	#2 (permalink)
paisleytele68 NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, Pa Posts: 8	I have them in two of my Teles. I don't know about everyone else, but I use it to 'push' my leads through the mix a little when need be. Keep in mind, I use them mostly with country/sounthern rock gigs where the tone is set pretty twangy to begin with and this just gives me a little bit more.

May 28th, 2008, 04:34 PM	#5 (permalink)
surfoverb Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,889	I tried one for my Esquire but went with a direct lead wiring instead. You can make a no-load in about 5 minutes and try one out: http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/pots.htm

May 29th, 2008, 04:51 AM	#9 (permalink)
Rob DiStefano Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Park Ridge, NJ Age: 62 Posts: 4,670	Love the "click", love the no-load tone pot AND no-load Strat neck pup blender pot.

May 29th, 2008, 09:03 AM	#11 (permalink)
formerlyslim TDPRI Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Kansas City Posts: 29	I love the fender no load pots for tone controls in teles - I really like the "click" to know it's engaged. I use mine alot for a couple applications - one it's a great way to brighten up the front tele pickups tone and get some snap. Two, I like to engage it and turn my volume control down to get a "stock pickup" sound. I say that because my Don Mare set - 0038 and stelly - has some girth to it, especially the 0038. By turning the volume down a little bit and engaging the no load feature, I can pretty well simulate a stock set of underwound tele pickups. It really adds versatility to my rig. So I'm a big fan of them.

May 29th, 2008, 09:20 AM	#12 (permalink)
Tele Fan Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Louisville, Ky Age: 29 Posts: 1,458	I think they really shine with hotter or darker pickups. I added one to my Nashville Tele and it really brings out the twang in those Tex Mex pickups. __________________ Life is better when you just make it up as you go along.

May 29th, 2008, 02:52 PM	#13 (permalink)
Vizcaster Tele-Holic Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Glen Head, NY Posts: 672	I posted this separately and got no nibbles - does anyone know of a source for miniature/small no-load pots? I have three knobs on my Tele control plate so the tone control needs to be a small pot in order for it to fit (next to a Fishman Powerchip). I usually back the tone control back a little for the tele bridge pickup, but the humbucker in the neck I like to leave wide open and it's still a little dark - a noload tone should do the trick, no? __________________ "Why don't you just make 10 louder, and make 10 be the top number, and make that a little louder?"

June 30th, 2008, 01:49 PM	#15 (permalink)
Bluesbob Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: East Suffolk L.I. Posts: 1,012 20 Photos	No load? Bypass. I use a CS Nocaster bridge pup and SD Seth Lover neck pup in my red partcaster . Only the bridge pup is connected to the tone control. The neck 'bucker is completely by-passed. I don't think I would want to lose any treble from the Lover, but sometimes I like to roll back the bridge pup. __________________ What, me worry?

June 30th, 2008, 02:40 PM	#16 (permalink)
PhatTele Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 705	I like the added punch I get from the no-load pots. You can get 250K and 500K versions (Fender brand) from Antique Electronics Supply both with solid and split shafts. I've put them in Teles, Jazzmasters, and Jaguars. I also use them as a blender pot in my Strats.

June 30th, 2008, 04:51 PM	#17 (permalink)
kylef Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: cowdenbeath, fife Posts: 176	love them, and use them in all of my tele's although i will say, a couple of them i have bought havent had much of a click, if any click at all, whereas others i have tried give a real hard click. i prefer the hard click so try to get those ones.