Fender 250k No Load Pot

[Chumpito]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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:
(link removed)

 

[DavidP]

DIY is easy enough, but...

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

 

[surfoverb]

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]

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]

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

 

[gumbo]

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

 

[formerlyslim]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

 

[PhatTele]

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]

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.