CTS
These are products I literally use and rely on every single working day. Not a day goes by in my office where I'm not doing some form of work with a CTS pot, be it installing one into a customers guitar, shipping out an order for spares or making one of my pre-wired kits. Not many products in my range here that I am working with quite as much as these great pots!
I try to stock a broad selection of specs, to help cater for a variety of guitars and wiring styles. Here is my current selection of products by CTS, I hope it helps with your project!
Which pot do I need for my guitar?
Nestled within each pot's product description, you'll find a detailed run down of it's specs and measurements, so that's where you'll find the real nitty gritty about which pot will best suit your application. But there are some general rules to get you started with browsing if you're not quite sure where to start
Solid, or split shaft?
This choice ultimately is decided by what control knobs you have, or what you intend to install with the pot. CTS pots are available with solid, or split shafts. The solid shaft pots are 1/4" in diameter, and suit control knobs with that matching size and they need to secure in place via a grub screw on the control knob.
Split shaft pots feature 24 fine knurl splines that help grip the control knob, as such, they need control knobs that install via push-fit and have the matching 24 fine knurl splines internally.
Extra short, standard short, or long shaft?
This choice is decided by where or how on the guitar the pot is mounted.
Is the pot mounted via a thin control plate or pickguard? Then you'll be needing an extra short shaft pot, or alternative a standard short shaft pot with an additional mount nut to allow it to be spaced flush.
Does the pot mount through the guitar's top? If the top is fairly thin (say, up to 5mm for example) then you will find the 'standard short shaft' mounting thread length will suit well.
Does the pot mount through a thicker carved guitar top? If the top is pretty thick, like on a carved maple top Les Paul for example, then you will find the long shaft pot to be best suited. Use the additional mount nut to accomodate for the top thickness and allow for a nice flush fit top side.
What resistance do I need?
There are some standard rules you can follow here, but there can be a lot of personal preference involved when it comes to dialling in your perfect tonal response, so there may well be some variances in your personal choice.
But generally speaking, 250kΩ pots are used with traditional single coils such as those found in Strats or Telecasters for example.
500kΩ pots are commonly used with humbucker and P90 based pickups.
1000kΩ / 1MEG pots are traditionally used with Jazzmaster and Jaguar single coils, or traditional CuNiFe Wide Range Humbucker pickups for example.
As always, if you're not sure what you need, and are struggling to find the answer you need here or in each product description, please do just contact me, I'm here to help guide in your choices to hopefully ensure the right pot is in your hands first time.
