FX loop volume box question

[brightlight]

So I bought a Fender Blues Deluxe recently to have a simple clean pedal platform compared to my usual Marshall stuff. I'm sure many of you know about the volume on these being very touch to the point of its either off or super loud right away. The fix for years on these and the HRD's has been putting a passive volume box through the FX loop to gain more fine tuned control of the volume.

As I was looking up how to cook one of these up on the quick with parts I have laying around I came across versions that use A25, A100k, or A500k for the pot. What would be the difference between using any of these 3 values?

And just for giggles, I happen to have a spare C500k laying around with lugs rather than PCB legs that I have 0 use for. How would using a C affect the functionality of a unit like this?

 

[jimilee]

Basically, the difference would be how much you have to turn the pot to make a difference to the volume. A 25k would be much more sensitive than a 500k. I think I just used an A100k, works great.

 

[brightlight]

Basically, the difference would be how much you have to turn the pot to make a difference to the volume. A 25k would be much more sensitive than a 500k. I think I just used an A100k, works great.

Thank you! I saw Brian Wampler's video and he suggested 100k as well. I think that's the route I'll go

 

[Feral Feline]

A C100k seems like it would be a good choice for me, playing at bedroom/neighbour-friendly volumes.

 

[brightlight]

A C100k seems like it would be a good choice for me, playing at bedroom/neighbour-friendly volumes.

How would a C behave differently from an A in this application? *I think I'm really showing how little I know here*

 

[jimilee]

How would a C behave differently from an A in this application? *I think I'm really showing how little I know here*

It’s my understanding a C taper is a little more precise. Which means you’ll have to turn it more than an A taper. In this situation, it’s not really gonna make a huge difference. I wouldn’t waste a C on it unless that’s all you have.

 

[Feral Feline]

My understanding is …

A-taper puts the finer tuning at the end of the rotation;

C-taper puts fine adjustment at the beginning of the rotation.


So if you find a control twitchy and jumps at the beginning of the rotation, but that’s the range you use most and not the top end, then you might prefer a C-taper for that control.

 

[brightlight]

Thanks for those explanations. It's nice to know the real world behavior over just the math and this helped a ton!