Reference Post: Guild Pot Codes

[GAD]

I'm talking about vintage Guild pot part numbers here.
I've collected and lost this information more times than I can count. Let's fill this in and get it right once and for all!

Here's what I have:

• 004019: 500k Ω - [Log taper?]
• 004020: 500k Ω (most volume pots) - [Audio Taper?]
• 004026: 200k Ω (not 250k). (1966 SFIII tone) [Taper?]
• 004029: 200k Ω (not 250k). (1977 S60 tone) [Taper?]

Hit me with what you've got and I'll put this somewhere public so I stop having to figure it out. Alternatively, if this is documented somewhere else please point me there.

BTW this is how I end up writing books. I take so many notes and get tired of trying to find them so I convince someone to publish all my notes so I know where to look it all up.

Anyway, post what you've got and I'll update this post as we go.

Edit:

 

[SFIV1967]

The 1982 AX-CESSORIES catalog had some specs listed on page 8, I am not sure if there were other catalogs with that info as well.

Volume:
00301 1/4" bushing 500kohms, Linear (Guild basses, X-79)
004020 3/8" bushing 500kohms, Linear (SF-4, X-175, X-500, S-300, S-250, S-25, CE-100)
006037 1/2" bushing 500kohms, Linear (M-80)

Tone:
00309 1/4" bushing 200kohms, 5% Log (Guild basses, X-79)
004029 3/8" bushing 200kohms, 5% Log (SF-4, X-175, X-500, S-300, S-250, S-25, CE-100)
008033(?) 1/2" bushing 200kohms, 5% Log (M-80)



My Starfire IV uses 137 6638 = CTS (Chicago Telephone Supply = manufacturer #137) = 38th week 1966
3 times 004019 (500kohms), one 004026 (200kohms neck P/U tone pot)

Ralf

 

[GAD]

The 1982 AX-CESSORIES catalog had some specs listed on page 8, I am not sure if there were other catalogs with that info as well.

Volume:
00301 1/4" bushing 500kohms, Linear (Guild basses, X-79)
004020 3/8" bushing 500kohms, Linear (SF-4, X-175, X-500, S-300, S-250, S-25, CE-100)
006037 1/2" bushing 500kohms, Linear (M-80)

Tone:
00309 1/4" bushing 200kohms, 5% Log (Guild basses, X-79)
004029 3/8" bushing 200kohms, 5% Log (SF-4, X-175, X-500, S-300, S-250, S-25, CE-100)
008033(?) 1/2" bushing 200kohms, 5% Log (M-80)



My Starfire IV uses 137 6638 = CTS (Chicago Telephone Supply = manufacturer #137) = 38th week 1966
3 times 004019 (500kohms), one 004026 (200kohms neck P/U tone pot)

Ralf

Holy cow - I never even thought to look there! - Thanks!

 

[GSFV]

Hopefully this doesn't count as a zombie thread. (if it does, I'll start a new thread) Does anyone know what the taper is on the NS Electrics?

I know that most conventional "wisdom" says linear taper on volume, Log/audio taper on tone. Is this true for the NS Starfire guitars?

 

[GAD]

The Starfire harness pots all have A500 on them which means Audio taper. B500 would be linear. Pic:

https://shop.guildguitars.com/produ...s-for-starfire-iii-iv-ce-100d/?v=7516fd43adaa

 

[AcornHouse]

The Starfire harness pots all have A500 on them which means Audio taper. B500 would be linear. Pic:

https://shop.guildguitars.com/produ...s-for-starfire-iii-iv-ce-100d/?v=7516fd43adaa

No lock washer for the pots?

 

[Quantum Strummer]

The pots on my NS Aristo and T-bird certainly behave like audio tapers. Given the choice I prefer linear taper tone pots…wah effects with the pots turned down most of the way, which is where the action happens.

-Dave-

 

[SFIV1967]

The Starfire harness pots all have A500 on them which means Audio taper.

I believe all pots in all Newark St. models are Alpha A500k pots.
Ralf

 

[GSFV]

Thanks guys! I thought they were audio. I don't think I realized that Alpha was audio. Should be easy enough to remember moving forward.

 

[GAD]

Thanks guys! I thought they were audio. I don't think I realized that Alpha was audio. Should be easy enough to remember moving forward.

Careful confusing the phonetic alphabet with the brand name because Alpha makes [edit - linear] pots, too.

 

[GSFV]

But I thought audio taper and logarithmic taper were the same...different names for the same thing? I was under the impression that Audio and Logarithmic were the same and have more of a curved taper. And the other taper type was linear, which was the name suggests, is consistent and linear taper.

 

[SFIV1967]

But I thought audio taper and logarithmic taper were the same...

Yes, a typo by Gad. He had it right above when he said: "A500 on them which means Audio taper. B500 would be linear. " So Alpha (the Taiwanese manufacturer) also offers "B" marked = linear pots.
Ralf

 

[Default]

Edited the thread title and added "Reference Post".
Back in the day we used to do this for useful information that didn't warrant a sticky, but was commonly asked for.

 

[GAD]

Gah - sorry about that. Yes B=Linear. Thanks Ralf!

 

[GSFV]

Cool. That makes perfect sense! Awesome!

 

[Dix_]

But I thought audio taper and logarithmic taper were the same...different names for the same thing? I was under the impression that Audio and Logarithmic were the same and have more of a curved taper.

Well... yes & no.... most of the time that's true.... maybe.

"Audio" taper isn't really any kind of official term. Most times it is used interchangeably to mean a log taper where halfway is 10% of total value, and a graph trace of the resistance would show a nice logarithmic curve.

However, if you check some of the dirt cheap stuff coming out of Asia you won't see much of a "curve" at all. What you'll find looks more like two linear resistors joined at the hip.

Back in the 80s & 90s Peavey had 3 spec pots. Linear & Log naturally, but what they usually called "audio" was 20% at the halfway point. The Rockmaster preamp uses 5% as the "Pre" gain pot of the two high gain channels. (the presence pot is a reverse 20%)

I believe if you buy an audio taper pot from Dimarzio, they use 15%.

CTS makes a 30% taper they call "vintage audio". This is actually my favorite guitar volume pot. Log pots seem like they fall off a cliff if you go much below 6 or 7, while a linear is too much in the other direction. That 30% seems like the perfect compromise. No where near as "touchy" as a log, but you don't have to roll all way back to 2 or 3 to get it to clean up.

 

[SFIV1967]

Alpha "A" pots have following taper curves, depending on the version:

Source: http://alphapotentiometers.net/html/taper_curves.html

Ralf