How to Decrease a Pot's Resistance Value

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  • Опубликовано: 21 авг 2024
  • You don't have to buy a bunch of potentiometers to see how different resistance values impact your tone. You can decrease the resistance value of a pot using the steps below thus turning a single pot effectively into several pots. In this tutorial we'll take a 500K pot and change it to a 300K pot.
    See more at ashbass.com

Комментарии • 74

  • @milllosh
    @milllosh 8 лет назад +28

    1/Rp - 1/R1 + 1/R2 where Rp is overall = desired resistance, R1 the pot's max resistance and R2 the added resistor. I hope this helps someone.

    • @vickyeahme6807
      @vickyeahme6807 4 года назад

      Thanks

    • @lordrahulcool
      @lordrahulcool 3 года назад

      Can you please tell me how to decrease 1khoms to 500ohms?

    • @arzz11
      @arzz11 3 года назад

      @@lordrahulcool add another 1k resistor parallely

  • @compulsor5853
    @compulsor5853 8 лет назад +3

    THANK YOU!!! I've been scouring RUclips for 45 minutes (!?!) just to find a simple explanation like yours! I assumed there'd be DOZENS- I was wrong! I found absolutely everything BUT this, very frustrating! I want to bread board my 1st fuzz pedal, and realized out of all the bins of carp I've amassed, I have nothing but guitar pots! I posted the question on several gear forums I'm on, but either no one answered, or they almost universally said: 'why would you want to? Pots are so cheap, blah blah"... because I want to do it TONIGHT and my local potentiometer dispensary 😳 is closed at the moment!!! SO annoying- just answer the dang question, sheesh!
    So, once again, you're awesome- thanks!

    • @ashbass5
      @ashbass5  8 лет назад

      Man, if I was a moderator on some of the forums I frequent I'd ban everyone who posted one of those stupid replies to my question. Useless waste of space and my time, I agree.

  • @therifflair724
    @therifflair724 2 года назад +4

    Literally the exact information I was looking for. Thanks!

  • @dnadeau819
    @dnadeau819 6 месяцев назад

    Ok so i did this to two pots and wrecked them both within 10 minutes. CTS 500k pots and did not overheat or oversolder. The most minor amount of heat for just enough time to put a tiny drop of solder was enough to short out the lugs connection to the surface inside. Putting heat directly to the opposite side of the lug like you show melted the connection to the resistant surface inside the pot. The better way is to just run a resistor to the outer two lugs where you'd normally solder the pickup wires. Speaking from my shitty experience last night. The lugs detach and short out the signal intermittently. You can actually wiggle the lug up and down when this happens. Thats how i figured out what was happening.

  • @anaphylastiks
    @anaphylastiks 9 месяцев назад

    So cool to understand this stuff. Thanks man.
    Right in the middle of fixing my guitar, because of bad factory soldering and whatever other mysteries that were in there. So ive had to learn.
    And you helped heaps.

  • @picksalot1
    @picksalot1 2 года назад

    Very useful information. I've got a bridge pickup on a Strat that is way too bright on a 250k pot with 2Meg (1M +1M) Capacitor. Looking forward to trying out reducing the pot value with a Resistor. Thanks

  • @neroroxxx
    @neroroxxx 8 лет назад +2

    you can also calculate the values here www.roxxxtar.com/stompbox-tools

  • @mpasistasyalanci
    @mpasistasyalanci Год назад +1

    Thanks this is what I was looking for. I recently change the 1000k pot on my jazz master to 500k, I like it but sometimes I miss the open bright sound of the 1000. I think ill change back and put a resistor with a switch, so I can have 1meg on one position and 500k on the other.

  • @ijustworkhere2171
    @ijustworkhere2171 6 месяцев назад

    I knew it! Thanks dude!

  • @rhykko77
    @rhykko77 6 лет назад +6

    does doing this affect the roll off slope of a volume control ?

  • @carlodevivomusicontent2138
    @carlodevivomusicontent2138 6 лет назад +5

    what about using a trimmer (variable resistor) so you can really choose by ear the resistance refering to the sound?

    • @intelligenceservices
      @intelligenceservices 4 года назад +1

      potentiometer == variable resistor, that's a good point but it's much more expensive. you could do the prototyping on your breadboard to determine the optimal sound, then choose a resistor that stands-in for the fancy expensive trim pot.

  • @alexk3088
    @alexk3088 4 года назад +2

    If it sounds too bright, what would happen by just rolling off the tone knob a bit? Or a lot? Isn't that what they're for? I can understand that a 250k pot may rob a muddy humbucker of some brightness, so you need to go higher, but I'm not sure about the opposite. I am asking, not trolling.

    • @brainstewX
      @brainstewX 3 года назад +1

      Yes, you could just roll a 500k pot down to 300k.

  • @101Volts
    @101Volts Год назад

    Thanks. I just found a strange 375k pot in a Kay Vanguard K310 Pickguard, so this should help me knock some 500k pots down to 375k if I want to build a 3 pup guitar.

  • @Thoracius
    @Thoracius Год назад +2

    how is the knob taper after you do it like this? My multimeter is showing the resistance at its highest somewhere in the middle of the turn and then goes back down to the expected value.

    • @ashbass5
      @ashbass5  Месяц назад

      It has been explained to me that if the pot is linear, then the taper will be smooth. If the pot is audio, then the taper will be messed up.

  • @mark7recordingstudios
    @mark7recordingstudios 6 лет назад

    Saved my life...thanks for this!

  • @ArguZ72
    @ArguZ72 5 лет назад +2

    Sorry, but this does not work.
    If you parallel two resistors you always have an rising and falling curve, like a roller coaster .
    It is usable only 50% of each way, then the resistance goes back to the initial value of that side

    • @vitolino9
      @vitolino9 5 лет назад

      what you say makes sense, I have only recently learnt how a potentiometer works internally. I used this method in my circuit and it worked exactly as described. It´s a step down dc-dc circuit. I believe the middle connector is fixed to one side in the board circuit. But didn't think what would happen if they were not together until I read your comment! I will make some tests to figure out

    • @viperspd2
      @viperspd2 3 года назад

      This is exactly what happened to me. roller coaster curve, and that's not what i wanted. just going to buy a potentiometer for the value i want.

  • @recordheatstudios4601
    @recordheatstudios4601 4 года назад +3

    Never reduce the value of your pot! Very important for head tone.😜

  • @paulmanhart4481
    @paulmanhart4481 5 месяцев назад

    But doesn’t this mean that the pot can’t get to zero resistance anymore? It started out going from 0 to 488k. Now with the resistor of R Ohms wired in, doesn’t the pot now go from R Ohms to 488k Ohms, or 488k + R Ohms?
    I’m confused.
    I’m using two pots wired in series for speed control of a DC motor. I’m using a SCR with 120 vac input followed by a bridge rectifier to convert to DC.
    My motor starts turning at 140k Ohms. So that’s the value I need. But I can’t find 140k pots. I get a 127k pot and a 15k pot and wire them in series for a course and fine speed control.
    I’d love to be able to tweak a pot to increase or decrease its resistance, but it needs to have a zero.
    Your video on increasing the resistance was good. Scrape away some carbon and…wait. Shouldn’t that decrease the resistance? You have less material so less resistance? Now I’m really confused.
    But I’d like to be able to tweak my pots to slightly increase or decrease their resistance.
    What are your recommendations on type of pot (ceramic, plastic, Cermet etc) and how to tweak them to get as close to 140k as possible.
    Thanks for this video. You have opened my eyes. Not sure I understand yet, but they’re open.
    Paul

    • @ashbass5
      @ashbass5  Месяц назад

      Ah. You will still have zero. If you shave the carbon off the wafer (more carbon, more signal passing, less carbon is harder to pass the same signal, so resistance is higher) you can increase. I"d try some 125k pots if you can find them, even 100k, and then use the scraping method to bring the pots up to your spec. Using resistors to take a pot down is more tiresome. Too, if the pot is audio taper, the additional resistor will mess up the pot's taper. A linear pot taper will work as expected. I just use CTS pots for whatever I need pots for.

  • @zfm1097
    @zfm1097 Год назад

    I'm not sure the pot will do anything until it's turned down to the value of the resistor, here 300k...? So, with audio taper, quite a way down. Is that anyone's experience? I just bought some 500k push-pull pots because they were a lot cheaper than other values, so that's why I'm interested.

  • @crisoliveira2644
    @crisoliveira2644 Год назад

    Trimming a potenciometer that way will modify its curve, right? Is it significant?

  • @ALEXONLIFE
    @ALEXONLIFE 3 года назад

    Can the resistor be added at the Jack, by soldering one side to the Hot and one to the Ground jack terminals?
    Would this decrease both your Volume and Tone knobs down simultaneously with the same value, as if you were to solder it at the pot?
    ashbass or anyone please answer me this question. Much appreciated.

  • @ijustworkhere2171
    @ijustworkhere2171 4 месяца назад

    What happens if you wire 1-2 together and leave 3. I think I smoked my potentiometer doing that 😅

  • @sempercompellis
    @sempercompellis 6 лет назад +2

    what about the sweep? does it get altered?

  • @enwolf6696
    @enwolf6696 6 лет назад +2

    would make a 300 k for P90 pickups?

  • @paulmanhart4481
    @paulmanhart4481 5 месяцев назад

    What’s the equation to calculate the overall resistance? If I have a pot that goes from 0 to R1, and I want to lower that to RT, how do I calculate the resistance R2?
    In series the resistance just adds. In parallel, it’s RT = 1/(1/R1 + 1/R2), right? So is this new resistor in series or in parallel?
    Paul

    • @ashbass5
      @ashbass5  Месяц назад

      It is in parallel. I use this handy tool:
      www.electronics2000.co.uk/

  • @cortezcortez739
    @cortezcortez739 5 лет назад +1

    I've got 1 MEG CTS pots that i find no spot for... I would like to lower them to 250K ... what value resistor would i need?

    • @dmoore0079
      @dmoore0079 5 лет назад

      330K ohm would get you pretty close

  • @yearofrolling
    @yearofrolling 9 лет назад

    Perfect! Thanks for sharing.

  • @gjd9527
    @gjd9527 4 года назад +1

    "Help".... I need to reduce a 10K pot down to 8K..... Steering wheel for Xbox. The mechanical throw on a after market pot is greater than the original, and thus in game creates much more steering rotation.

    • @gjd9527
      @gjd9527 4 года назад

      @Boodysaspie
      ..Nope,
      I ended up finding a replacement pot identical in a side winder joystick...works great, and I have a spare.

  • @malcolmhardwick4258
    @malcolmhardwick4258 7 лет назад

    Great information thanks !!

  • @rogersea6529
    @rogersea6529 4 года назад

    brilliant ! thanks so much

  • @cgavin1
    @cgavin1 8 лет назад +1

    So.. whats the mod to increase the resistance? Sand the brushes down?

    • @ashbass5
      @ashbass5  8 лет назад +3

      ruclips.net/video/8tQVNNLeSas/видео.html

  • @GalantGoStudio
    @GalantGoStudio 6 лет назад

    i have B50k pot
    can i Decrease a Resistance Value to 20k or 25k
    please i need to answer in ASAP

    • @torchlord11
      @torchlord11 6 лет назад +2

      This is not ASP, but yes you can by adding a 50k resistor to a 50k pot, which brings it to about 25k, doing the math. R2*R2/R2+R2, which is 50k*50k=2500 divided by 50+50=100=25k

    • @GalantGoStudio
      @GalantGoStudio 6 лет назад

      Thank you so much torchlord

  • @waynejames2014
    @waynejames2014 4 года назад

    But surely this leaves the newly attached resistor in the circuit even with the pot fully open? If you have a 500k pot and attach a 500k resistor as you suggest then at full value the new parallel circuit is 250k, with the pot fully open the circuit has a resistance of 500k...

    • @finctank
      @finctank 4 года назад

      No it’s zero. As soon as the resistance of the pot is lower than the parallel resistor the path will avoid the resistor and go through the pot. Keep turning the pot to zero and the total resistance is zero.

  • @LithiumSix66
    @LithiumSix66 7 месяцев назад

    How would this work with a no load pot?

  • @AcceleratingUniverse
    @AcceleratingUniverse 3 года назад

    thanks bro, i am thinking of making a 400k pot and apparently a 500k + 2M resistor is how i'm going to do it

  • @NewtaoV
    @NewtaoV 2 месяца назад

    I have a Boss pedal with defective stacked (double) pot. Originally one is 50k and the other is 250k. The problem is I only find 250k/250k stacked pots, so how could I convert one of the 250k pot to a 50k?

    • @ashbass5
      @ashbass5  Месяц назад +1

      A 68K resistor across the outside lugs will give you about 51K.

    • @NewtaoV
      @NewtaoV Месяц назад

      @@ashbass5 thank you

    • @NewtaoV
      @NewtaoV 6 дней назад +1

      Is there a way to increase the pot - I mean, convert a 50k pot to a 250k?

    • @ashbass5
      @ashbass5  6 дней назад +1

      @@NewtaoV look at my other videos. There is one showing how to do that.

  • @michaellilley6725
    @michaellilley6725 6 лет назад

    I tried this on my Gibson LP with custom made Seymour Duncan mini humbuckers which were far too bright, especially the bridge pup. First I had no volume at all so I re soldered the 470k resistor. I now have great tone but no volume below 3 or above 7. Anyone got any suggestions, other than switching the pot itself, Thanks...Michael...

    • @viperspd2
      @viperspd2 3 года назад +2

      This doesn't actually work. I just tried it myself and kept the probes connected while moving the dial up and down, and the curve gets messed up in a big way to where it is no longer usable as a potentiometer. with the resistor, instead of going from 0 to whatever the target is, it goes up and back down to 0. just get the potentiometer value you actually need, it's like a dollar.

  • @jaylinton3003
    @jaylinton3003 9 лет назад +1

    This works well, but how does this method effect the audio curve of the pot? Does anyone know??

    • @felipesareas
      @felipesareas 6 лет назад

      I'd like to know that too. I believe the answer is yes though

    • @Deebz270
      @Deebz270 4 года назад

      @@Cyb3rGlitch - WTF is this ? Doesn't explain anything.

  • @bFOURdwZEROlf
    @bFOURdwZEROlf 6 лет назад

    I'm building a guitar and I'd like a higher range of rolloff on my guitar. I heard I can use bass capacitors, but what if the starting value (pot wide open) isn't as crispy as I want it? What would I do then?

    • @ashbass5
      @ashbass5  Месяц назад

      Get a wireless rig. They are cheap now. Under $200. These keep all of your high end that a cable takes out. Very crispy by the time signal hits pedals. OR, mess around for a while swapping pickups. This last option can get pricey.

  • @lordrahulcool
    @lordrahulcool 3 года назад

    Can anyone helpme how to decrease 1kohms to 500ohms??

  • @robertanderson8613
    @robertanderson8613 5 лет назад

    This is in parallel not in series guys

  • @profile1251
    @profile1251 5 лет назад

    can you turn a 500k into a +700k pot?

  • @antmof94
    @antmof94 6 лет назад

    Do pots exist at values under 100ohms?

    • @TheNekromantique
      @TheNekromantique 6 лет назад

      Anthony Moffa yes, 50k and 25k pots are largely used for active preamps

    • @dmoore0079
      @dmoore0079 5 лет назад

      Radio Shack used to carry a 25 ohm rheostat back in the day.

  • @hba1copqr699
    @hba1copqr699 4 года назад

    Ashbass your voice is too loud , I can't hear 👂👏

  • @arekbamber455
    @arekbamber455 3 года назад

    sub thx mate

  • @petroldevo9934
    @petroldevo9934 5 лет назад +2

    You could just buy the pot for 3 bucks with shipping, dont be so cheap !