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Topic: Tom Bradshaw's Dunlop Pot |
Cliff Kane
From:
the late great golden state
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Posted 13 Apr 2009 1:41 pm |
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I just want to pass the word on about the Dunlop "Type J" pots that Tom Bradshaw is selling.
http://www.songwriter.com/bradshaw/pots.php
I just installed one of these pots in my Goodrich 120 pedal and ordered a second one for my other pedal. It replaced the Clarostat pot that came with the pedal. Wow, what an improvement! Not only is the pedal super clean sounding, but the tone is way better, better than new. I've always played through Goodrich 120 pedals, and they have never had tone this good. I bet if Goodrich put these pots in their new pedals they would sell more pot pedal and loose less sales to the electronic/digital pedals. If you're looking to replace your pot or improve your tone, you should try one of these. I'll never go back to Clarostat or hunting down old vintage AB pots. Thanks Tom! |
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Tony Wilcox
From:
Humble, Texas USA
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Posted 13 Apr 2009 6:32 pm
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I agree about the tone of the Dunlop pots. But, how is the taper on this pot? I have one in my Goodrich pedal and it sounds great. The only thing is, it's a linear taper. There isn't much room between on and off.
_________________
Tony Wilcox
GFI SD-10 Fender Twin Reverb TM |
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Cliff Kane
From:
the late great golden state
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Posted 13 Apr 2009 6:47 pm
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| I don't know, it seems fine to me. |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 13 Apr 2009 7:39 pm
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| Tony, that sure doesn't sound right. I've got two of Tom's Dunlop pots and the taper feels great. |
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Tom Bradshaw
From:
Walnut Creek, California, USA
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Posted 14 Apr 2009 10:21 am Dunlop Pot
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Tony: The Dunlop pots I provide have audio tapers, not linear tapers. If anyone gets a pot from me that has a taper that responds like a linear taper, just let me know and I'll replace it. I've delivered about 1500 of these pots. There has been about a dozen that were defective. That's not even 1%. And most often, the pot just didn't work at all (any product sold can have a dud in it occasionally!).
Everyone should know that ANYTHING purchased from me can be returned for any reason. I'll replace it or refund the purchase price (including their shipping of the item back to me). So, if you want to try another pot, just let me know. In fact, I'd love to have that pot back just to figure out why it has a taper that isn't performing as an audio taper is supposed to.
And to the other 99.5% of my purchasers, I thank you for the kind remarks about the Dunlop pot. The Dunlop people tell me that I've sold more of these pots than all their dealers worldwide put together. Wonder why I'm not a millionaire  . ...Tom |
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Nick Reed
From:
Russellville, KY USA
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Posted 14 Apr 2009 10:49 am
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I also have been happy with the Dunlop Pots. I have them in both of my Emmons volume pedals. The only complaint I have is the little tit connectors are hard to get soider to hold to. But after you finally get them soidered they do work well.
Nick |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 14 Apr 2009 11:12 am
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The Dunlop pot is audio taper but it is tapered a little differently than the AB/Clarostat audio taper. Look at the chart at bottom of the page linked to below for a chart of the taper of each pot. It took me a few days to adjust to the differences between the AB and Dunlop pots but either one seems to me to have a totally usable taper.
Dunlop pot
Greg |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 15 Apr 2009 11:22 am
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| tom...unfortunately you're much too honest to become a millionaire...(your loss..our gain..thanx) |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 15 Apr 2009 1:23 pm
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Greg - For us non-engineers, please explain (in layman's terms) the difference in the tapers between the two pots tested. Describe how the volume increase is different. Does one pot increase the volume quicker than the other?
Thanks.
Lee |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 15 Apr 2009 2:53 pm
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Plotted out, the Dunlop taper seems closer to an audio taper than a true log taper. That means that you'd notice almost no difference between them for the first 1/2 of the throw. Then, the log taper goes up smoothly, and the audio taper lags slightly, with a slower gain up until about 3/4 through the throw, where it starts a steeper climb (to "catch up") at the end of rotation. Between the 3/4 point and the full throw, the tracking is also pretty close.
So, you'd probably notice just a little lag between 1/2 and 3/4 of the throw, and the last 1/4 of the travel would come on a little faster than a standard (log) taper pot, to make up for it. This is a pretty small difference, and easily adjusted to, as Greg says. (I've even used linear taper pots, and they also work fine once you get used to them, but people's ability to adapt is different, so some might not be able to handle a big change.)
Cliff also mentioned an inprovement in tone with the new pot. That would likely take place only if your original pot was a lower resistance value. If your old pot was a 500k (1/2 meg), you won't notice any improvement in tone with the newer one. |
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Joe Shelby
From:
Walnut Creek, California, USA
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Posted 16 Apr 2009 11:30 pm
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Tom recently replaced the original AB Type J in my
Zum pedal. I think the Dunlop has a somewhat longer
throw than the A-B, but actually I like that; the Hilton that I have doesn't go to full off, and the Zum now does the same thing--very cool.
I am not a golden ears, but I like the sound of the
pot pedal more than the Hilton at this point in time.
Also, one less wall wart is always a good thing.
Thanks to Tom for his continuing generosity; I've
known him since I was 16, and over the years he's
done many things for "no charge."
A heck of a guy says I.
Joe. |
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Chuck Thompson
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 17 Apr 2009 1:42 pm
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| Tom is A-1 and those pots are great!! |
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Cliff Kane
From:
the late great golden state
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Posted 17 Apr 2009 9:02 pm
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| Donny Hinson wrote: |
| Cliff also mentioned an inprovement in tone with the new pot. That would likely take place only if your original pot was a lower resistance value. If your old pot was a 500k (1/2 meg), you won't notice any improvement in tone with the newer one. |
Well, it replaced a 500k Clarostat, and the pedal does sound better, besides cleaning up the dirty/scratchy sound of the old pot. It seems to have more presence than before. It sounds better than my older pedal as well, and that pedal has an old AB pot in it. Does the tone of a pot degrade over time, as well as it getting dirty and scratchy? I don't remember this pedal sounding like this when it was new. Do the materials used in the manufacturing of the pot have an effect on its tone in a way that we would notice?
Why do people seek out vintage AB pots? Why do people upgrade electronics on electric guitars? Is it for tone or for build quality? |
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