Fender No Load Control

kylef · April 7th, 2008, 03:42 PM

Read up on these as i heard Bill Croom puts these in alot of his custom guitars, so im thinking i want one for my partcaster.

Wanted to know if anyone had this though? any reviews to how good they actually are?

Does it actually have to be a tone control? or can the same pot bought be used in the volume position and work the same as a volume...or are they all just for tone?

wondering whether to buy two so i can put one in my paisley aswell....if it does all it says it does, seems a pretty neat idea to me?

Rob DiStefano · April 7th, 2008, 04:04 PM

A no-load pot simply has one small end of the carbon resistance strip missing. When the pot is turned fully "on", the wiper runs off the carbon strip and the pot is "turned off", or totally out of the circuit.

No loads are typically used for tone pots, to take the resistance and cap out of the signal path. If used for a volume pot, no signal goes out while the pot is fully engaged.

I almost always use a no load tone pot for Teles and Strats.

YMMV.

kylef · April 7th, 2008, 04:16 PM

did you change both tone controls in the strats?

well i have no wirings for my new tele im building, so this looks ideal. heard about them alot, but not tried one.

really looks like a great thing, ill get two for my two teles, might try them on my strats later.

Rob DiStefano · April 7th, 2008, 04:25 PM

I always wire up Strats with a neck pup blender, so it's a 250k master volume, 250k master tone (no load), 1meg neck pup blender.

The no load tone is perfect for a Strat, so that at higher volumes the bridge pup will really twang out to its max.

jivetrain · April 7th, 2008, 04:57 PM

i have a no-load control on my tele and really love it. it doesn't make any major changes, but i like knowing that my pickups' signal isn't being filtered when it's 'on'. i strongly recommend one for your tele

RomanS · April 7th, 2008, 06:48 PM

I have a no-load tone pot on my Thinline partscaster - but frankly, it doesn't do a lot; on my next build I'll use a regular tone pot again.

Ronkirn · April 7th, 2008, 07:49 PM

I jess ordered a mess of 'em any shop that can order Fender parts can get ya one.... Fender part number is 099 0832 000 that's a 250K

Ron Kirn

blacklinefish · April 7th, 2008, 07:53 PM

The Fender no-load pot has a 'detent' to let you know it has disengaged itself from the circuit. I like this feature, but if you are very intimate with your tone controls it might be a pain to feel that.

I think it adds a little sparkle, you may or may not notice it.

--gh

Geschwader · April 8th, 2008, 04:53 PM

I put one in my Tele last year. I think it brings a little extra edge to the tone, especially if you run through a "woodier" tweed amp, or use overwound pickups, which don't tend to be as bright.

SatelliteOrders · April 8th, 2008, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blacklinefish

The Fender no-load pot has a 'detent' to let you know it has disengaged itself from the circuit. I like this feature, but if you are very intimate with your tone controls it might be a pain to feel that.

Just a little googling will point you to no-load pots with no detent.

kylef · April 10th, 2008, 06:46 PM

just ordered 3 :D

one for my paisley, one for my new tele im building, and one spare....ill end up using it in one of strats.

i had a quick look at the swap im going to do in my tele, and it has a green resistor between the volume and tone......will i need to change this resistor to the red one that comes with the no load (i know nowt about this sort of stuff, but im sure its a 0.22 that comes with the no load?), or will it just be case if usoldering the standard tone, and slip in the no-load....as in straight-swap with the pots?

Rob DiStefano · April 10th, 2008, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kylef

just ordered 3 :D

one for my paisley, one for my new tele im building, and one spare....ill end up using it in one of strats.

i had a quick look at the swap im going to do in my tele, and it has a green resistor between the volume and tone......will i need to change this resistor to the red one that comes with the no load (i know nowt about this sort of stuff, but im sure its a 0.22 that comes with the no load?), or will it just be case if usoldering the standard tone, and slip in the no-load....as in straight-swap with the pots?

That's a capacitor, not a resistor. The typical value is .022uf, which is what comes with the Fender no-load pot. Yep, just unsolder the old, solder in the new, no other changes.

Cygnus · April 10th, 2008, 08:00 PM

I have no idea what any of this means

kylef · April 12th, 2008, 06:39 AM

ha. im still learning! really should have stuck in to physics!!

cheers for that rob!

claudel · April 12th, 2008, 01:24 PM

This link may be of interest...

How to make a No Load Pot

I've done this a couple of times and it's easier to do than to read...

April 7th, 2008, 03:42 PM	#1 (permalink)
kylef Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: cowdenbeath, fife Posts: 218	Fender No Load Control Read up on these as i heard Bill Croom puts these in alot of his custom guitars, so im thinking i want one for my partcaster. Wanted to know if anyone had this though? any reviews to how good they actually are? Does it actually have to be a tone control? or can the same pot bought be used in the volume position and work the same as a volume...or are they all just for tone? wondering whether to buy two so i can put one in my paisley aswell....if it does all it says it does, seems a pretty neat idea to me?

April 7th, 2008, 06:48 PM	#6 (permalink)
RomanS Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Vienna, Austria Age: 37 Posts: 2,886 14 Photos	I have a no-load tone pot on my Thinline partscaster - but frankly, it doesn't do a lot; on my next build I'll use a regular tone pot again. __________________ http://www.pbase.com/romans http://www.myspace.com/romans212

April 7th, 2008, 07:49 PM	#7 (permalink)
Ronkirn Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2003 Location: Jacksonville, FL Age: 62 Posts: 2,745	I jess ordered a mess of 'em any shop that can order Fender parts can get ya one.... Fender part number is 099 0832 000 that's a 250K Ron Kirn __________________ A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have. – Thomas Jefferson Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you! -Pericles (430 B.C.)

April 7th, 2008, 04:04 PM	#2 (permalink)
Rob DiStefano Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Park Ridge, NJ Age: 62 Posts: 4,788	A no-load pot simply has one small end of the carbon resistance strip missing. When the pot is turned fully "on", the wiper runs off the carbon strip and the pot is "turned off", or totally out of the circuit. No loads are typically used for tone pots, to take the resistance and cap out of the signal path. If used for a volume pot, no signal goes out while the pot is fully engaged. I almost always use a no load tone pot for Teles and Strats. YMMV.

April 7th, 2008, 04:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
kylef Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: cowdenbeath, fife Posts: 218	did you change both tone controls in the strats? well i have no wirings for my new tele im building, so this looks ideal. heard about them alot, but not tried one. really looks like a great thing, ill get two for my two teles, might try them on my strats later.

April 7th, 2008, 04:25 PM	#4 (permalink)
Rob DiStefano Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Park Ridge, NJ Age: 62 Posts: 4,788	I always wire up Strats with a neck pup blender, so it's a 250k master volume, 250k master tone (no load), 1meg neck pup blender. The no load tone is perfect for a Strat, so that at higher volumes the bridge pup will really twang out to its max.

April 7th, 2008, 04:57 PM	#5 (permalink)
jivetrain Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: iowa Posts: 459 4 Photos	i have a no-load control on my tele and really love it. it doesn't make any major changes, but i like knowing that my pickups' signal isn't being filtered when it's 'on'. i strongly recommend one for your tele

April 7th, 2008, 07:53 PM	#8 (permalink)
blacklinefish Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Northwest Missouri Age: 40 Posts: 1,248	The Fender no-load pot has a 'detent' to let you know it has disengaged itself from the circuit. I like this feature, but if you are very intimate with your tone controls it might be a pain to feel that. I think it adds a little sparkle, you may or may not notice it. --gh

April 8th, 2008, 04:53 PM	#9 (permalink)
Geschwader NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Boston Posts: 7	I put one in my Tele last year. I think it brings a little extra edge to the tone, especially if you run through a "woodier" tweed amp, or use overwound pickups, which don't tend to be as bright.

April 10th, 2008, 06:46 PM	#11 (permalink)
kylef Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: cowdenbeath, fife Posts: 218	just ordered 3 :D one for my paisley, one for my new tele im building, and one spare....ill end up using it in one of strats. i had a quick look at the swap im going to do in my tele, and it has a green resistor between the volume and tone......will i need to change this resistor to the red one that comes with the no load (i know nowt about this sort of stuff, but im sure its a 0.22 that comes with the no load?), or will it just be case if usoldering the standard tone, and slip in the no-load....as in straight-swap with the pots?

April 10th, 2008, 08:00 PM	#13 (permalink)
Cygnus Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: London, England Posts: 139	I have no idea what any of this means

April 12th, 2008, 06:39 AM	#14 (permalink)
kylef Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: cowdenbeath, fife Posts: 218	ha. im still learning! really should have stuck in to physics!! cheers for that rob!

April 12th, 2008, 01:24 PM	#15 (permalink)
claudel Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Just Outside Area 51 Posts: 631 31 Photos	This link may be of interest... How to make a No Load Pot I've done this a couple of times and it's easier to do than to read...