ok so CST vs Alpha Pots... whats the real deal here?

[scuzzo]

is one that much better then the other

im about to do some mods and i need to order some pots..

thing is with CST i will have to mod the pots holes,, CST are a larger diameter

but are they worth the extra coin? and what the best way to enlarge the pot holes on a guitar. les paul type...

 

huh?

 

[cratz2]

HUGE difference!

 

If you have CS54s in a strat with Alpha pots and you play through a 1964 Deluxe Reverb, your guitar will sound like ass. If you replace the Alphas with CTS pots, it will sound a lot more like an angelic choir than ass.

 

[dogfish]

One well-designed and well-built pot is as good as another. CTS and Alpha are not that far apart in quality; the price difference ($3 instead of $2) won't make a big difference. Getting more-carefully-made more-expensive pots ($10, $20) might make a difference in reliability, smoothness of the scale (for audio a.k.a. log) pots, and smoothness of the feel, but in general there won't be an audible difference between the two. Remember, the price of a pot is about the price of a pack of strings -- which probably have much more of an impact on tone and feel than the difference between CTS and Alpha pots.

 

Also see [YOUTUBE]Df5kO9VxYcE[/YOUTUBE]

[Wyatt]

They can be comparable.

 

Both companies make pots of different quality and price levels, CTS are made in Mexico and Taiwan, Alpha in Taiwan and China.

 

You want the full-size Alpha's, not the mini's often found in import guitars. There is always a difference in taper between companies, the full-size Alpha's and the CTS really don't sound different if you are rigid about tolerance and taper sweep.

 

Since your guitar (and I assume your knobs) fit the Alpha, I would go for the Alpha.

 

Just make sure to test and see what the actual resistance is, most pots have a tolerance of +/10%, so you want a 500K pot to measure 500K (or more), not 450K. That will make an audible difference, especially when the guitar is dimed. Also test the taper, you want the sweep to not have any erratic jumps. Paying a little more for a sorted and tested pot isn't a bad idea, since I doubt you can buy in bulk and return the unusable ones. What are a few extra dollars over the lifetime of your guitar?

 

There are no magic parts, if the part measures where it is supposed to, then it should work well.

[dogfish]

Wyatt makes a good point -- one of the things you get when you spend $10 on a pot instead of $1.73 is that someone has probably tested it and made sure it's within 2-3% instead of within 10%. It's one of the the reasons "mil-spec" (military specification) components cost more; they're the ones that work at wider temperature ranges, and fall closer to the rated specs.

[Brewski]

I thought buying pot was illegal :poke:

 

I believe replacing the wiring and the POTS really seem to effect tone

[jelloman]

enlarging holes...

 

...meet the General Tools Tapered Reamer...

 

http://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-130-Handle-Reamer/dp/B00004T82J/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1288913325&sr=1-2-fkmr1

[IBDBB]

People that can hear a difference between alpha pots and cts pots can probably also hear a difference between 18 gauge wire and 20 gauge wire. Or in other words, it is in their head.

CTS may last longer, but they sound the same as alphas...

[mdog114]

I've used both, I can't hear a difference and I consider myself to have a pretty good ear. I've engineered at studios for well over 20 years and have used ear protection while playing live for almost as long.

 

Whatever physically works better for the install should be the decider.

[Angry Tele]

most boutique pedals use alpha

 

Ive seen alpha in US 52RI Teles stock

 

Use either

 

 

I like mojo CTS or Fender CTS