Been looking for exactly this for i couldnt tell you how long. Perfectly put together.

YES! This is awesome! I recently started learning Arduino with my son. I looked up videos on variable resistors and this one came up on the auto playlist. He is a little interested in coding and electronics, but absolutely loves playing his guitars. This will help become more interested in learning electronics. Great video. Thank you.

Thank you!!! After 25 years of playin, I FINALLY get it!

This was a perfect explanation. Can't wait to go through the rest of your channel. Thanks!

Concise, straight to the point. Brilliant video

I've seen a number of your videos and want to say a huge THANK YOU! Very helpful, clear, concise, and to the point.

It needs to be made clear that this view of the pot is from the reverse side - the back of the pot as you would see it when fixed inside the guitar. So turning the wiper clockwise on the diagram is turning the knob anti-clockwise in reality.

Brilliantly explained

Thank you so much for the super clear and concise videos. I have played guitar a long time, but I'm new to messing with the electronics, and your videos are so much easier to understand than the many, many diagrams and articles out there. I never knew exactly how volume and tone pots worked or why they're wired the way they are, but this cleared that right up.

Very helpful! Greatly appreciated!

Thank you excellent illustration & explanation for those laymen out there , great upload !

I didn't recall you mentioning this, maybe I missed it, but be sure to use log pots also known as audio pots as their power curve follows that of human hearing. I'd also love to see a tutorial on external volume pedals. Cheers and thanks for the great material.

Eye opening to me. Thanks. Now I have more to learn. You are a good teacher

Please tell me if at 2:20 clockwise is at max resistance then at 3:15 clockwise is at no resistance. Is there a mistake at 3:15 where it should read "with the knob fully turned Counter Clockwise, there is no Resistance between L1 and L2"? Otherwise Clockwise is confusing me!!

Really really clear. I have a better understanding of what the volume pot does. Will make it easier to make my own recipes. Thanks.

Thank you for this clear explanation, however you've used the words counter-clockwise and clockwise the wrong way around which caused me some initial confusion.

Man!! Thank you so much!! I was pigheaded enough to try to do my know changes without knowledge and I just messed up everything lol. Thanks for the help!

Hi BTW, Very excellent tutorials featuring highly credible information. Thankyou for sharing your knowledge. Sound advice is correct. Take care, C.

Awesome. This was perfect. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

Great video, very precise. You obviously can't reduce the voltage from your mains down this way using this type of low wattage potentiometer. You would need something called a reostat.

You are a brilliant teacher! Thanks

Don, by watching your videos I have learned more about guitar wiring in the last few months than I have in the previous 3 decades. I like visual aids when it comes to learning just about anything, and your videos meet that criteria beautifully! I would like to make a contribution for your efforts. What is the best way to do that?

Ok I finally got it clear THANKS A LOT !

As per the diagram when the knob in turned fully clockwise the resistance is at maximum rather than minimum between L1 and L2, though it is stated the opposite way at the 3:10 min of the video. I think there is an error here. Please correct me if I am wrong. That said, I like this video.

Awesome explanation. Thank you!

Perfect exactly what i was searching for!

Volume pots seem to be effective between about 80 and 100% of output. When you get below 80% the signal is clipped, so the bottom half of the pot is basically worthless. I was thinking that a pot with the total resistance range of the top 20% of a typical pot would give me the full usable range of the knob. Granted, 80% of full volume would be minimum setting on the knob, but thats about all the volume reduction i ever use while playing. Taking it one step further I thought about having a volume range selector switch in line before the main volume pot. A 4 position switch would have resistors of progressively higher impedance to establish a high limit. By adding a resistor in series with the pot you would get the combined resistance for each setting. I thought a diode might be needed after each resistor to prevent back feeding and keep the other resistors out of the circuit. The switch positions would be open (off), no resistor (high range) and a medium and low range switch setting. Is this feasable? Also, I have two guitars (PRS SE custom and Fender duosonic) that have switchable single to double coil pickups. What is the recommended volume pot value that accomodates both types of pickup? AND rather than a 0-250 ohm pot can i use like a 0-100 ohm pot to cut out the unusable low range?

great vid! My girlfriend Aubrey and I enjoyed it!

Great explanation! You're a very patient man for taking the time to help, and an awesome teacher as well. Definitely subscribing and saving your email for more knowledge!

Thank you so much for simplifying this. Mystery solved.

Now I know why my foot switch with boost does not work, no ground. Thank you for this video

Thanks for amazing video 👍

With the wiper (L2) turned fully clockwise you have the full value of the pot between L1 and L3 which is also pulling your output at L2 to ground, therefore loss of volume. In this circuit volume is gained by turning counter-clockwise decreasing the resistance between L1 and L3 and increasing the resistance to ground between L2 and L3. I don't know why this circuit has been so popular because it is less than ideal to have an amps input shorted to ground when the wiper at L2 is rotated fully clockwise! In my experience it is better to always have the amps input loaded across L1 and L3 (L1 is output and L3 remains at ground) and use the wiper L2 for the pickup connection, this way the amp is never pulled to ground. This also eliminates issues when more than one volume control is used where one or the other impacts both volume settings when only one is adjusted. I also have an issue with people who should know better when referring to particular types of tone caps but that's a beef for another day.

There is a serious discrepancy regarding clockwise vs. counterclockwise. At 2:15 you rotate the wiper to the right and say "clockwise", and at 3:10 you rotate the wiper fully to the left and say " clockwise". At 2:30 you rotate the wiper to the left and say ":counterclockwise" and at 3: 50 you rotate the wiper fully to the right and say "counterclockwise". You never say if the reference point is from the rear or from the front of the POT, but unless you are switching reference points in the video, there is are errors, and either way, there is confusion. Otherwise, A nice video.

ahhh that makes sense because you are controlling how much % of the sound is going to the ground instead of the output, how do people think about these things!

Thank you Don another great tutorial ! :)

V clear.... thanks very much.

Great video. I'm trying to learn more about pots and pickups. I tried to install A Seymour Duncan 2-band tone circuit preamp on a bass with 2 passive humbuckers. I followed all the instructions (inadequate) and once everything was connected I had sound but the tone controls didn't do anything.

great vid indeed man. so much crap on youtube, you are the best!

How do I wire up a B100K potentiometer to a Class D TDA 7492 which has a stereo output of 50W max and is runing of a 12V 1A DC supply? I have connected the potentiometer as the vid tells me to on that amp and on a Class B TDA 2822M which runs of a 9V battery and has a stereo output that i don't know of and both audio results from the amp were that is would play the audio fine when the resistance is 0ohms but when I start to increase the resistance, the audio cuts out quickly only being able to be adjust the full volume at a fifth of the whole rotation before there is no sound. What am I doing wrong?

Think your clockwise/anticlockwise is mixed bro. But it still helped me

No pedals were harmed in the production of this video. lololol !!!

I do have a question that may have been already answered in the comments, so I apologize. Can you use L1 and L3 interchangeably to make the knob function in reverse direction, I guess turning it into a lefty knob? And if not, can anyone explain why or provide a link to the reasoning? It would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Hi Don, I had reached out to you some years ago regarding left handed pots. You gave me the name of an online business that would resistance match the pots. I did order from them but can't remember the name. Can you point me in the right direction again, please? Much appreciated!

Great video. Simple and to the point. Very well made, thanks. I am curious though, could we say that THEORETICALLY L3 will always be ground. L2 will always be output (for Hot/Live signal coming from pickup selector) and L1 will always be Input for Hot/Live from guitar pickups? Is this correct or did I reverse the order? And do we always count L1L2L3 in the order presented in the pictures in this video, aka left-middle-right while looking at the shaft? Cheers!

Great video but I'm a little confused. If you rotated the dial clockwise, you'd be increasing resistance between L1 and L2. So how is clockwise an increase of volume if it's an increase of resistance?

priceless explaination

Great explanation...

This channel is amazing! How did it take me so long to find it?

Nice video

Just got a brand new prs ce24. Volume knob was a bit funky, meaning nothing happened when i turned it, unless i hit it a couple times. Checked the wiring and it seems fine, now the last dayd it has worked fine but i believe the volume never goes to a 100% more like 90. Is this possible? That it doesnt go to full volume? Or am i just imaginigng this

Another great video, Don. So if you wanted to make a pot left handed all you would have to do is ground L1, L3 input, L2 output?

Great lesson !

So why is L3 needed? when L1 to L2 varies the resistance or flow of electrons.

Great video!

Great explanation. TY

So if I got it right I can completely disable the volume knob by soldering cable l1 to l2 directly without involving the volume pots and get higher volume (no resistance) from my pickups ? Thanks!

They are a voltage divider, you're not resisting voltage (current is 'resisted') you're changing the potential difference, so you are changing how much voltage passes to ground and how much voltage to the input of your device, not how much signal (voltage) is allowed to pass, basic electronics FFS.

Thanx I needed this one!

I'm a left hand guitarist and short of buying left hand pots, could I wire everything backwards -- the hot lead going to L3 and L1 being the ground -- and then have my volume knob going in the "right" direction?

Just well explained

Hey there, great vid - I totally get it, but I'm a little confused - when you say the knob is fully clockwise, there is no resistance between L1 & L2, which I understand, but the "wiper" is pointing to the L1 position, so isn't that in the fully counterclockwise position? If the knob was fully clockwise, wouldn't the wiper point to L3?

Thanks a bunch this helped a lot!

Thank-you, I get it.

Well done!

Can I use a tone push pull pot as a volume pot out if my fishman fluence set? Also would i leave the 0.22 cap off in this case? Thank you.

Did the video for how a tone pot ever come out?

Thank you

is theare would be a issue to make sound board without potentiometer like the sound volume would be changing from device without potentiometer? sorry if hard understand what i'm trying to say.

So the pot sends a part of the signal to the ground shorting it out?

Fantastic.

What I dont fully get is why doesnt the signal always jump to L2 because it is always closer to L1 when it comes in along the circuit?

Would you ground the L1 lug instead of the L3 for a left handed guitar? Get video, thanks.

So basicaly whichever way your turning the knob your decreasing the resistance for that sides outside and middle pin

Please can you explain why the humming or busing sound is coming out when I touch the strings.

Nice video tnx for explanation❤

great video

Great explanation!

My setup calls for a 35K ohm pot. Can I use a higher value such as 40 or 50K. If I do, what will happen? Will I prevent signal from leaving amp and damage components in my amp? Thanks.

wonderful man

3:53 confused because it seems like turning clockwise would be turning up volume and Vice versa…but the diagram seems like you’re doing the opposite.

So if I want to make it reverse for my lefty guitars...I only have to switch L1 with L3. Is that correct? Then dialing clockwise will decrease my volume?

Thanks, really helpfull videos !

Thank you!

Hi, were you able to make a video for the Tone Pot?

can i just leave L3 not grounded and use L1 and L2? For example input is at L1 and goes out from L2, by turning the knob i just change the resistance/power that is coming out of L2? did i understud that correctly?

I never understand why connecting GND to L3. Why just L1 and L2 is not enough? Please help to understand.

My potencemeter is gone ... Now how do i bypass the circuit to make it work without it?

Hi. You've probably been asked this umpteen times...... I purchased a Seymore Duncan pot 500k for a Les Paul wiring guitar. I wired it exactly the way the previous pot was done and now the volume is working in reverse. Can you help??? Please.

are this easy to make at home? i would say yes based on what you showed but gotta ask but a question that i would be stuck is how do i determine the process build for a 10k vs 100k how would a linear pot be build diff ?

Resistance affect voltage and amperage? Or just voltage, or amperage?

hello.. thanks for the video, may i know how to make tone pots??

Awesome

how to install pickups slash signature in epiphone les paul standard plus top pro? please help me

I got a 335 and the volume pot is stuck wide open. ????????????

HELLOW ALL:) PLEASE HELP ME WITH ONE PROBLEM, I'VE GOT A 500K POT (VOL) PICKUPS: MINIBUCKERS 8.6 NECK 9.1 BRIDGE. WHEN I ROLL A VOL POTS DOWN A LITTLE BIT, MAY BE TO 8, MY VOL GOES TO ZERO, FOR ALL OF PICKUPS, WHAT IS A PROBLEM WITH IT? PLEASE HELP ME IF YOU HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM, THANKS A LOT!

These videos are great when you've smoked a doobie

So I think I grounded L1 instead of L3 which resulted in the pot working in the opposite way (when it's open, no signal when it's closed, full signal)

Hey awesome vids could you make a video on a g&l wiring diagram ??

0.022 wins! If opened, more bright. If closed, almost equal the two others.