Whats your opinion on CTS pots?

[lespaulplayer]

So I just got my kit in the mail for my JTM 45 build. This is my first build. All the pots are Alpha except for all of the 1 Meg pots they gave me are CTS. I'm thinking of ordering some Alpha 1Meg pots instead of using the CTS. I think I would honestly prefer them to be all Alpha pots in this build. Do you think I'm over analyzing? I've used some CTS pots in guitars before, but honestly they seem cheaper to me than the Alpha ones are, and the ones in my guitars have crapped out on me before.

[M Fowler]

My opinion is CTS is better to me but you like Alpha so you should get the Alpha's.

Mojotone has Alpha and CTS made in 3/8" thread and length to fit nicely when using faceplates that extra threading comes in handy.

Steve S. from Apexjr also sells Bourns pots in the same size so depending on what I have on hand I may have three different brand pots in my amps.

[iknowjohnny]

IMO (tho i feel it's more fact than just MO) CTS are far better quality than alpha. Alphas to me are the worse of the lot as far as standard size/style pots go. Bourns are better. CTS is 5 times as good as either of them IMO. I would say toss the alphas and get all CTS if you are really serious about this build.

When i first started building i found alphas would not withstand more than several solderings, which i always did a lot during the experimentation stage. Bourns fared about twice as good, and CTS....well, i know i must have abused a few to the point they went bad, but to be honest i don't recall any.

[cbass]

I've not really had in problems with alphas functionaly but the CTS have a better feel and are definitely more robust

[xtian]

Bourns pots are the only pots I have trouble with the connection of solder tabs to traces; the connection separated after bending the solder tabs.

[sliberty]

When I build, I really prefer to use all of one type of pot so that the shaft length, bushing diameter and length, and most importantly, the feel of the pots are all uniform.

I have used mostly Alpha 3/8" pots in recent builds and find them to be very nice quality. I've used the Alpha 5/16" pots on older builds, and found the threads to be a bit fragile, which to me is a sign of just cheaper quality overall. But if the threads didn't fail, the pot performed fine. I use CTS pots in my guitars all of the time, and they are excellent, but haven't used them on amps much so I cannot comment.

[M Fowler]

Only use CTS all the rest are tone suckers

[lespaulplayer]

Hmmm well maybe the one CTS pot that crapped out in my guitar was just a rare dud. Thats the only time I used them and have always used Alphas before in the past. I guess I was basing it off my experience with the one that failed, but if you guys say they are better I will take your word for it. Looks like I will use the CTS after all. Thanks for the replies!

[cbass]

Only use CTS all the rest are tone suckers

Like you know about tone.You probably don't even have a real dumble

[randalp3000]

I use the Alphas because I've been on a marathon building streak and I get them for under a $1 at 10 pc quantity.

When I was on my Top Boost kick I compared everything to my Z Wreck which uses CTS. I found that the taper was quite different between the Alpha and CTS 1MA, so bass and treble on 5 sounded quite off compared to the Z when using Alpas.

I also found that the 500KA CTS when used as a volume had no taper between 0 and 2, was more like an on and off. Ended up putting a PEC in the Z, worked much better.

One kinda popular AC30 copy I have used 1M linear taper pots for bass and treble. WTF. No matter what I tried with that amp I could not get it to sound good. coughhaseedcough

For guitar I've been having really good luck with the cheap Bourns 500k pots, great feel and taper. These are a godsend http://www.cedist.com/products/R-VB-SP

[briane]

Ive found the CTS are quieter than the alphas - specifically good for the guitar, but also for amp - especially in the volume and main signal path when you can.

The CTS just sound better to me - but I have used both.

[Milkmansound]

I only use the CTS pots by Mojotone. They have the proper bushing length, great tone, and out of about 60+ amps I have only had one fail - that was because the owner dropped the amp onto his foot and the volume pot shaft broke the fall.

It did not break but pushed in a little bit - and it broke his toe

[jelle]

Oh that is horrible and funny!

Cts, alpha, bourns, all good stuff.

Some of the best amps I have seen had mixed brands of pots. I would not sweat it.

[kwijabo]

i don't have any comments on quality or sound, but i have an issue with CTS 1Meg in the volume position.

In two amps that i have a CTS 1Meg as the V1 volume, it takes 20% rotation just to get any volume. but then between 20 and 50% rotation it is a nicer, more gradual change. so i got some more and measured them. this seems to be a characteristic of CTS audio pots. since i want volume on 1 to actually produce some amount of sound, so i tend to keep CTS's out of that application. though for consistency's sake within a build i have used them there.

[M Fowler]

Only use CTS all the rest are tone suckers

Like you know about tone.You probably don't even have a real dumble

I have an original umble pedal does that count?