Different ways of wiring a pot

[Tdale]

One way is to enter the signal on one side, and let it exit from the wiper, while the other side is grounded.

Another way is to enter the signal at the wiper, and let it exit from one side, while the other side is grounded.

Are there any reasons for choosing one or the other? In the first case, the signal will always see full resistance to ground, and only the resistance to the wiper will vary, while in the second case, both the resistance to ground and output will change as the pot is turned....but do they work/sound different?

Tommy

[MarkB]

One way is to enter the signal on one side, and let it exit from the wiper, while the other side is grounded.

Another way is to enter the signal at the wiper, and let it exit from one side, while the other side is grounded.

Are there any reasons for choosing one or the other? In the first case, the signal will always see full resistance to ground, and only the resistance to the wiper will vary, while in the second case, both the resistance to ground and output will change as the pot is turned....but do they work/sound different?

Tommy

The first way is a voltage divider, the second is a variable resistor. If you diagram them out as fixed resistors for various pot knob postitions, you'll see that they present different resistances to the circuit - as you seen to recognize. How they sound is best shown by just wiring them up and listenting.

[Tdale]

I tried drawing them, and i feel that both are both variable resistors and voltage dividers..

The one that enters on the side, and leaves at the wiper, is of course a voltage divider, but the resistance also varies between the side and the wiper.

Also, when the signal enters at the wiper, and leaves at one side, the voltage is divided between the output and ground...and the resistance also varies..

I guess the main difference is that in ex. 1 the resistance to ground will always be the same, only the resistance from input to output varies, while in ex. 2 the resistance varies both to ground and in the signal path.

I guess both types of wiring do the same thing..?

The only time I have discovered a practial difference, is when I wired to pickups, with one volume pot for each pickup, on a guitar. If the vol. pots are wired one way, turning one pot down, will automatically ground the other pickup too...

Just some thoughts..

Tommy

[Elcabong]

Another difference I see is that one alternative ground the incoming signal and the other ground the outgoing signal when the wiper is on the ground side. When wiring a volume pot for example, I would think it makes more sense to use the second method.

[loverocker]

I had a custom guitar made where the luthier did the two volume pots the second way (Gibson does it the first way). I absolutely hate it - it also changes the way that I like to combine pickups in teh centre position. Plus you cannot do the staccato trick with on pickup on and one off (like you get with a killswitch).

The worst news is that with the wipers connected to the top of the pot, you cannot ground the input grid of your amp by dialling the guitar's Volume pot to zero.