Bourns Guitar Pots Review

[harddriver]

I ordered a couple of Bourns 500K guitars pots the other day just to see what they were about, after hearing their claims of low friction BLAH BLAH BLAH! So I thought!

Well I was amazed as anyone, they are extremely easy to turn even faster and smoother than my Vintage style CTS pots that EBMM uses which I though were good.

So I guess there claim to low friction has validity!

Anyway just thought I would throw this out there for those interested!

[laneychris]

Where did you get them? I need some but lefty of course..

[azazael]

Are these the $4 variety?
From axcessories?

I still believe they took them and stamped EVH on them and increased price by 10.
Same with the EVH brand strings, they are just d'addarios in a new packet and a price bump.

[1984_5150]

I got them from mouser. bourns p/n PDB241-GTR01-504A2 for 500k and PDB241-GTR01-254A2 for 250k. They work great if you like the low friction. I couldnt find any long shaft ones though. Cheap enough too.

[harddriver]

Antique Electronic Supply is where I got them. The description says nothing about low friction but they sure do spin easy, alot like all my old Dimarizio pots from the late 70's early 80's that i had, probablr even easier.

$2.60 each. They show 250K and 500K audio with a split shaft for guitar knobs solder lugs, these are listed as the standard pot.

[vanhalen5150]

Antique Electronic Supply is where I got them. The description says nothing about low friction but they sure do spin easy, alot like all my old Dimarizio pots from the late 70's early 80's that i had, probablr even easier.

$2.60 each. They show 250K and 500K audio with a split shaft for guitar knobs solder lugs, these are listed as the standard pot.

The EVH brand are $25.

[azazael]

I saw the EVH brand pots on VH store for $9.95.
A lot cheaper than I anticipated.

[vanhalen5150]

I saw the EVH brand pots on VH store for $9.95.
A lot cheaper than I anticipated.

Yeah, when they first came out they were $25. Obviously that wasnt moving any of them.

[rgorke]

I just got mine from Mouser and really like them. Some had said they were too low friction and that was a problem. Well, I am not seeing or feeling a problem. Really great for swells on songs like Somebody get me a DR by Van Halen.

[yngwie308]

Yeah all my artist model SS 80 Washburns have DiMarzio 500K pots, the 'normal' Washburn SS 80's if their is such a thing, have Washburn stamped pots, I'm guessing Steve specified the DiMarzio's for the reasons listed above.
yngwie308

[seicorde]

Hello,

did someone jump in to help find left-handed pots?
I tried some research on Google but found only CTS and some people claim they are too stiff.
Here in Italy it seems impossible to find any.

I am interested in similar ones, 500K ad 250K, not necessarily EVH branded.
thanks

[demonufo]

You need to look for reverse logarithmic pots. Linear pots will be the same wired up either way (in theory, although tapers tend to be all over the place when you measure on most pots).
As a lefty I've given up trying to wire them in reverse, simply because I use speed knobs and standard strat knobs, which is a little confusing if you try to wire them up the other way. But then I don't mess about with stuff like swells, so it's not a problem for me.
CTS do a lot of different pots, some greased, some oiled, some not oiled at all, some with plastic shafts, some with brass.
Some are going to be stiffer than others.
The only thing I can recommend is to try a few and see what you think.
It's hardly likely to break the bank now is it!

PS, greased will obviously be stiffer than oiled.

[valvetones]

Farnell's in the UK. I have one in my Baretta and in my opinion they are great. Preferred the 500k to the 250k. No treble loss...

[darkbluemurder]

I like them, too - easy to turn and easy to solder wires to the back.

[garbeaj]

I've got to try these on a strat and see if it makes "Cathedral" any easier...I can play it on my Kramer Striker easily, but my '68 strat knobs just don't move as easy or as fast...I won't change the pots in my old strat, but I might get another strat to try these pots in...