What pots on a new Am. Std. Tele

[jjkrause84]

ey guys...a quick couple of questions:

A) what kind of pots come i nthe 2008/9 Am. Std. Teles

B) if anyone has any experience with their "Delta Tone" that these newer models boast how good is it? At first I was planning on just getting new guts but I'm hoping that now I won't have to

C) Thanks!

[mellecaster]

Should be a CTS 250K Volume...and a CTS 250K No-load Tone w/ a detent at the 10 position.

[jjkrause84]

Thanks.

Why a detent at 10? I mean...you're at 10 when the thing stops turning.

[mellecaster]

It is how the No-Load feature works....takes the pot out of the circuit...but I can't really hear that much difference...but I'm Old.....

[jjkrause84]

Thanks, Melle. I can kinda see how that would be cool but I can't say I'd be "Excited" about it. Anyways, great to know. Thanks man!

[jefrs]

The CTS pots are audio aka log pots. Imo the no-load 'delta' makes little difference that I can hear. Maybe if you are a bat and run your amp treble at 11 with the bright on...

I swapped my delta out for TBX which are over 1Meg at '10', they do make a difference.

[jjkrause84]

1Meg

[mellecaster]

Originally Posted by jjkrause84

1Meg

Here is 1 Meg......
meg-ryan-nude_2_1063_si.jpg

[Willyguitar]

I used to have a strat with delta tone... and although I sold it once I properly fell in love with my tele (I just never played it any more), having that delta tone on the bridge pickup was really very good... since it was probably teh best bridge pickup sound I have heard on a stock Fender strat, once you rolled it off a bit.

However, on most teles, I would say it would not be such a great advantage, since you would be using that single tone in so many different positions in any case. I actually never have my Baja tele with the tone full on, and I doubt I would do so with an Am Std.

[flipside]

Delta-smelta. Any pot with a quick taper so I can do that Phil Keaggy pinky on the volume thing they way it's meant to be done is fine with me.

[jefrs]

Originally Posted by jjkrause84

1Meg

1Meg.

M, that's a Meg

Actually at '10' it is a resistive load of 1082k, so high it is effectively open circuit.

The Fender TBX consists of two ganged pots an A1000k (1Meg) and a special A250k, a resistor and a cap.
The signal enters on the wiper of the A1000k.
The bottom of the A1000k is connected to a 82k fixed resistor which goes to ground.
The bottom of the A1000k is also connected to the wiper of the A250k but this is a special pot, it only engages below the centre detent, above the centre detent it is open circuit.
The bottom of the A250k is connected to a capacitor which goes to ground. The standard cap is a 22 but I use a 47.

So over the first half of its travel the TBX provides a slight treble roll off something like the volume pot does but the much higher impedance give sit a different behaviour and the cap is not engaged until half way so it is a bit like the delta in that respect. It is a very useful tone control and it happens to suit both sc and hb and mixed pairs, which the normal tone A250k pot does not (hb want A500k).

[jjkrause84]

That's very interesting because I want mine to be a HB - SC configuration....what would you suggest then, tone-pot wise? Isn't 1Meg ear-piercingly bright in the bridge? How do you effectively balance the neck and bridge pickups

[jefrs]

For H/S I've used the TBX and, no, it's not too bright. Reason - the centre detent is 'normal' and there it presents the stock A250k plus cap. But it also allows you to increase the resistive load to over 1Meg for a bit extra. IMO a A250k tone pot on a hb is a disaster, as is an A500k on a sc. IMO the TBX is one of the few tone circuits that will effectively work well with both hb and sc pickups, at the same time. But don't use the TBX with a 47nF on a tele because it will make you sound too good.

[jjkrause84]

Thanks for the info, man