Most guitarists rarely give potentiometers a second thought, but they dramatically affect an instrument’s tone and feel, and changing them can be a very cost-effective upgrade. This issue, we’re telling you everything you need to know about pots, starting with an explanation of how potentiometers work in guitars.
Potentiometers have three solder tags and the outer ones are connected via a conductive strip that has a preset resistance. The centre tag (tag 2) connects to a ‘wiper’, which tracks along the conductive strip when you turn a control knob. For volume control, tag 1 is connected to the pickup positive or selector switch output, tag 2 goes to the output socket, and tag 3 is grounded.
If the wiper is turned fully in one direction, there will be no resistance between tags 1 and 2, and maximum signal level appears at the output socket. Turned fully in the other direction, there will be no resistance between tags 2 and 3, and there will be no output because all the signal goes
