Is my volume pot bad?

[wormbot]

When at 100%, output resistance is measured at 9k, as advertised by my pickup's packaging.

As I turn down the volume slowly, resistance starts to raise, and when at 50% of the pot, reistance is araound 130k. It starts to decrease again as I continue to turn the pot towards the 0% position.

When I set the pot at like 0.5% (just above 0%), I see weird resistance fluctuations on the multimeter and it seems to go way over 4000k. Is this normal?

This is a B500K linear pot. I chose linear because volume would change too fast using audio tapers and 50s wiring.

 

[Strat Avenger]

Linear taper is the wrong type for electric guitar.

 

[wormbot]

I disgress. It's a matter of personal preference. Unless the linear taper would cause this kind of strangeness. If it's the case then I stand corrected.

 

[Rick]

I don't know much about measuring pots, and exactly what is normal when measuring, but as you turn up the volume it should get louder, and you shouldn't hear any fluctuations. Also, generally speaking logarithmetic pots are used for volume,(and tone for that matter) unless you're always playing at volumes below speaking level, then linear is what you want. I'd get some ordinary cts pots like the kind warmoth sells, especially for volume. None of us play at whisper quiet.

this article should be helpful

What Are Potentiometers? - Guitar Pickups, Bass Pickups, Pedals

As guitar players we're familiar with the volume and tone controls on our guitars. Potentiometers (pots) - or variable resistors - have been used for decades on guitars, effects and amplifiers. There are two distinct types of potentiometers that we typically use for these applications: linear...

www.seymourduncan.com

All that said, at the end of the day, just use what sounds good to you. Seems to me you're dissatisfied with the sound of these pots, regardless of the taper. Go by what your ears say.

Also, what's up with the lights, you work in an art gallery?

 

[triple jim]

Jumping around 4,000 kohms (4 megohms) indicates that the wiper of the pot has bad contact with the resistance trace. If some contact cleaner doesn't help, change the pot.

 

[wormbot]

I don't know much about measuring pots, and exactly what is normal when measuring, but as you turn up the volume it should get louder, and you shouldn't hear any fluctuations. Also, generally speaking logarithmetic pots are used for volume,(and tone for that matter) unless you're always playing at volumes below speaking level, then linear is what you want. I'd get some ordinary cts pots like the kind warmoth sells, especially for volume. None of us play at whisper quiet.

this article should be helpful

What Are Potentiometers? - Guitar Pickups, Bass Pickups, Pedals

As guitar players we're familiar with the volume and tone controls on our guitars. Potentiometers (pots) - or variable resistors - have been used for decades on guitars, effects and amplifiers. There are two distinct types of potentiometers that we typically use for these applications: linear...

www.seymourduncan.com

All that said, at the end of the day, just use what sounds good to you. Seems to me you're dissatisfied with the sound of these pots, regardless of the taper. Go by what your ears say.

Also, what's up with the lights, you work in an art gallery?

I'm always tinkering and checking how things work. I think the pot sounds good but I hear some crackle sometimes when turning it. I'll try some contact cleaner.

The lights are Philips Hue. I like those kind of toys

 

[DuckBaloo]

You have to remove the pot from the circuit to measure resistance...otherwise the pickup coil(s), which is an inductor, is in parallel with it, affecting your measurements.

Pots work as resistance to ground so, once you have your pot isolated, it should read ~500K at "10" and ~250K at "5" (+/– xx% tolerance).

 

[Spud]

I feel that it may be more naughty than bad.

 

[bagman67]

Perhaps surly.

Or recalcitrant.

 

[Spud]

Perhaps surly.

Or recalcitrant.

exactly!