Fender 'No Load' pot

[tomjackson]

What would the effect of this be?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AUTHENTIC-FENDER-CTS-NO-LOAD-TONE-POT-250k-NEW_W0QQitemZ380089627104QQihZ025QQcategoryZ42455QQcmdZViewItem

does it take the pot and cap out of the circuit when it is fully open?

There's plenty of bite and sparkle with my new blaggards but the option of having enough treble to kill does appeal to me  :D

I presume it would operate as a standard CTS 250k pot when no in it's 'no load' state?

[Ratrod]

does it take the pot and cap out of the circuit when it is fully open?

That's pretty much it, yeah. It usually produces a brighter, snappier, louder tone. Kinda gives you an Esquire sound.

[Philly Q]

One thing I'd say about it, when you turn it up to 10 you feel a soft "click" like something is locking into place, then to turn it back down it's hard to "unlock" it if, like me, you prefer to operate the controls with just your little finger.

It really annoys me, and in fact I've just bought some regular 250K pots to replace the no-load pots on my Teles.

[HTH AMPS]

Phily, you could take the standard pot appart and sand down/scr@pe-away the resistive element towards max resistance for a DIY no-load pot.  I believe this is a long-standing mod over at the LPF.

[WezV]

you can do it that way or just coat it with a bit of nail varnish for pots with thicker strips... it will definatly take away the click factor

[Philly Q]

Thanks for the tips guys.  I like that idea, HTH, I might give it a try though I don't find there's a lack of treble with an ordinary pot anyway.

[HTH AMPS]

Thanks for the tips guys.  I like that idea, HTH, I might give it a try though I don't find there's a lack of treble with an ordinary pot anyway.

me either - I'm completely happy with my Les Paul wired the way it was originally designed to be back in the 50s.

people get caught up in this 'treble loss' cr@p - George L cables, buffers and no-load pots then wonder why they have a harsh tone  :roll:

back when the classic guitar tones were recorded, nobody gave two shites about low-capacitance cable and buffers - we still got some amazing tones.

[tomjackson]

HTH, I see where you are coming from but back when classic guitar tones were recorded they were recorded through classic handwired guitar amps with Mullard Valves (or substitute for your favorite NOS), at volumes where they came alive, not a dull sounding Laney VC30 on 3 or a VOX DA5 that needs the tone control on full to get some bite.
A no load pot might just be a cheap route to more twang for some of us players who can't afford amps of the quality that they used to be.

Also, back when the classic guitar tones were recorded, many of 'em used treble boosters, you could conversely say that a good cable and a buffered singnal would be a more natural way to add/retain some sparkle?
They might not of cared about low capacitance cables or buffers but they still wanted the treble man 8)

I'm all for any cheap mod that gives me a tonal option, especially for the price of a pot or cable......


That said, feck it, my Blackguards sound fine as they are :D