Allen Bradley vs Dunlop Pots/// UPDATE!!!

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 12 Jul 2013 11:46 am

I just got done putting a Dunlop pot in my L-120 Goodrich VP, and was wondering if anyone else has had my experience...

I've have an old Sho~Bud pedal that has an AB pot in it since the early 90's...mind you I didn't play it for about 8 years, but have been playing regularly again for the last three...this pot sounds totally different then the Goodrich with the Dunlop in it...The AB is considerably brighter, while the Dunlop is more muddy and boomy sounding, if that's the correct way to discribe it...is this the norm in difference between the two pots?

In order to adjust this out at the amp would you increase the high, back off on the low, add presence or a combination to get it sounding more like the AB?

Thanks for your input,

Dale

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 12 Jul 2013 1:11 pm

Are they both 500kohm pots and are they both wired the same way? I couldn't tell any tone difference between the original AB pot and the new Dunlop HotPotz. There is a slight difference in the taper so at a given pedal position you might get a slightly different tone and volume.

Greg

Jerry Jones · Post by **Jerry Jones** » 12 Jul 2013 1:44 pm

That can happen if the new pot is wired incorrectly. Output should always be from the wiper. Try reversing the cords at the jacks.... input to amp/output to guitar. That should be the same as reversing input and wiper on the pot.

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 12 Jul 2013 5:00 pm

Greg Cutshaw wrote:Are they both 500kohm pots and are they both wired the same way? I couldn't tell any tone difference between the original AB pot and the new Dunlop HotPotz. There is a slight difference in the taper so at a given pedal position you might get a slightly different tone and volume.

Greg

Greg, I think Tom Bradshaw said the Dunlops were at 470, and Jerry I just did as you suggested and there is no difference, except maybe bassier.

I'm already thinking about popping the Pot out of the Sho~Bud just to make sure it is an AB, but find it a little hard to believe that it isn't, considering that its been in there for 100 years without any problems, and I'm guessing that Radio Shack doesn't make one that lasts that long.

If you're wondering why I don't just use the Sho~Bud, as I prefer the sound of it, I will...However the reason I'd like to use the Goodrich is because of the lower profile, which I think would be easier on my ankle...If I'm unable to tweek the amp to get the AB sound back, I may just pull it out of the Sho~Bud and reinstall it into the Goodrich.

Greg, I bet you have a procedure, for readjusting the amp to sound the same as the AB, if that's possible.

Dale

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 12 Jul 2013 6:30 pm

I'd either start with the old settings, shed a touch of bass and toy with high and presence.
Think, if you will, of High as adding brightness and Presence as shiny or polishing.

Or you could start over with this procedure in the second post:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=223731

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 13 Jul 2013 6:09 am

Dale Rottacker wrote:
In order to adjust this out at the amp would you increase the high, back off on the low, add presence or a combination to get it sounding more like the AB?

Thanks for your input,

Dale

Lane,it looks like we're on the same page...

Bill Ferguson · Post by **Bill Ferguson** » 13 Jul 2013 11:41 am

From my experience, none of the new pots sound nearly as good as the AB.
TheClaristat actually came the closest, IMHO, bot they just did not last very long.

I had the same experience with the Dunlop pot. Too muddy and thin sounding for my taste.

The current PEC pot from Goodrich sounds pretty close to the AB, but there are also longevity issues with them.

It's really sad as I really like pot pedals better than electric, but have been forced to use electric pedal for dependability and consistent sound.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 13 Jul 2013 2:30 pm

I've had Dunlop pots in my two Goodrich pedals for several years now. I've noticed the taper is slightly different; but, no change in tone. Big, full sound with both of my pedal steel guitars.

Tom Bradshaw · Post by **Tom Bradshaw** » 14 Jul 2013 5:44 am

Dale, I'd like that pot back. The Dunlop Company now has a 500K pot with the standard soldering lugs (located on the side and are flat for easy soldering). I'm going to send you one. I'd like you to install it and report back here as to how it performs.

I think the pot you received was/is defective and wish you would have informed me of the problem. I've now shipped about 3200 of the Dunlop 470K pots. Since I test all the pots that go out, I've only had a few (like 4!) pots that have gotten past my testing procedure. I'd like to believe I'll catch every pot that has a problem, but it looks like God didn't have that outcome in his plans for me. ...Tom

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 14 Jul 2013 6:48 am

Tom Bradshaw wrote:Dale, I'd like that pot back. The Dunlop Company now has a 500K pot with the standard soldering lugs (located on the side and are flat for easy soldering). I'm going to send you one. I'd like you to install it and report back here as to how it performs.

I think the pot you received was/is defective and wish you would have informed me of the problem. I've now shipped about 3200 of the Dunlop 470K pots. Since I test all the pots that go out, I've only had a few (like 4!) pots that have gotten past my testing procedure. I'd like to believe I'll catch every pot that has a problem, but it looks like God didn't have that outcome in his plans for me. ...Tom

Thank-you Tom...I wasn't trying to complain, I just didn't know if what I was getting was common in the differences between the AB and Dunlop...I took the pot out of my Sho~Bud just to be 100% sure it was an AB, (been there since the 90's, had to look to be sure) and sure enough it was and not only that it was one made in Mexico, and EJ Type, hard to believe it's lasted this long and still sounds perfect...I noticed too that the wires from the jacks to the pot are thicker in the Sho~Bud then in the Goodrich, so wondered if that could be the difference, and not being an electronics wiz, I don't know...Anyhow thanks and I'll drop it in the mail tomorrow and look forward to trying and reporting back on the NEW Dunlop 500K pot.

Dale

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 14 Jul 2013 8:54 am

I've two older AB pots here. One measures 530K and the other measures 480K. Same part number. The variation in pickup loading is quite negligible and I couldn't tell the difference between them. There was a good +/-10 percent on the old AB pots between manufacturing lots and the above two cases only represent +6% and - 4%!!!!!!

Greg

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 15 Jul 2013 6:21 am

Just to inform...apparently the smaller wires make no difference to the tonal qualities of the Goodrich vs Sho~Bud pedals, go figure...the AB sounds the same in either pedal as does the Dunlop.

Looking forward to reporting back on the 500k replacement Dunlop Pot from Tom.

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 18 Jul 2013 3:17 am

Tom Bradshaw wrote:Dale, I'd like that pot back. The Dunlop Company now has a 500K pot with the standard soldering lugs (located on the side and are flat for easy soldering). I'm going to send you one. I'd like you to install it and report back here as to how it performs.

I think the pot you received was/is defective and wish you would have informed me of the problem. I've now shipped about 3200 of the Dunlop 470K pots. Since I test all the pots that go out, I've only had a few (like 4!) pots that have gotten past my testing procedure. I'd like to believe I'll catch every pot that has a problem, but it looks like God didn't have that outcome in his plans for me. ...Tom

Now THIS ^^ boys and girls is what great customer service is all about!
I wish every retailer in the nation would take notice of Tom's business model. Outstanding... bob

Tom Bradshaw · Post by **Tom Bradshaw** » 18 Jul 2013 11:08 am

Thanks for the accolade Bob. I just try to treat my customers as I like to be treated by merchandisers.

Next, I should have mentioned that the 500K pots, although new, are not yet something I currently offer in my product line. I've sent several out to be "field-tested" to make sure that the taper in them will be appropriate for most users. So, don't order these until they show up on my web site (or I announce it here). The Dunlop company just provided me with a few to be used for the field-testing project. ...Tom

Kevin Mincke · Post by **Kevin Mincke** » 18 Jul 2013 12:30 pm

I got a couple of the Dunlop 470's and find them to be the closest to the old A/B Clarostat pots. I have one free standing S~B pedal and one Goodrich I'm going to replace the pot in.
Tom, you're the kind of people this world needs more of. Thanks!

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 19 Jul 2013 2:19 pm

UPDATE:

I want to thank Tom for his outstanding service and commitment to excellence...I talked to Tom a couple of days ago, and graciously he sent me a new 500K Dunlop Pot...more about that in a minute.

When I had put the 470K Pot in my pedal, I was really unhappy with how it sounded and approached the Forum to see if my experience was typical of what other had found with the 470K Pot...there were varying opinions on the sound of the Pot, but it appeared that most were happy with it.

My thought at the time was, "if this is the Normal way the new 470K Pot sounds, then I may just have to break down and buy a Telonics or Hilton pedal and give up Pot pedals altogether...because to my ear, this sounds nothing like the old AB Pots, in fact, not as good as the Radio Shack one that came with the Goodrich Pedal"

Well, Tom jumped on here and said that I must've gotten a "Bad" Pot, and for me to send that bad pot back and he'd send out the Brand Spanken New Dunlop 500K Pot, configured like the old AB...

Back to "more about that in a minute"...I got the new 500K Pot this afternoon and put it in the L120 after taking the AB out of it and puttin it back in the old Sho~Bud Pedal so I could do a side by side comparison...Well here's the verdict...I couldn't be happier...if there is a difference between the AB and Dunlop 500K, I'm not hearing it...It does rotate a little easier then the AB, and maybe comes on just a scoshe harder then the AB but only the scoshe...When adding pedal after you've struck a chord and let try and not let it decay, it seems smooth without any noticable sudden jump in volume...The only thing to find out now is how it compares longevity wise to the AB, and only time will determine that one...So, I can play this and not think about how the pedal is sounding except Yehaa, it's sounding good.

Oh Yea!!!, when I took the original Dunlop Pot out of my pedal to return to Tom, I started looking at the numbers on the side of the Pot...thinking I should see 470K somewhere...it was no where to be found...I did however find 20K, which had I looked and seen before I put it in, in the first place may not have...So the Pot wasn't a Bad Pot, it was doing what a 20K Pot should do...It was just the Wrong Pot...why didn't I look first???

Anyhow, Thank-you one and all for your input, and Tom, in my book your service is Stellar!!!

Dale

Tom Bradshaw · Post by **Tom Bradshaw** » 19 Jul 2013 3:09 pm

Glad to hear that all is well. What had happened? A bass guitar pot had gotten in with the 470K pots I sent to Dale. They look identical to a 470K pot. I failed to check the ohm rating. Just a screw up on my part.

I'm pleased with this report on the 500K Dunlop pot. However, Dale's approval is just one report, while I have several others yet to let me know if the 500K is a pot that I should stock. Obviously, the 470K's have turned out well. But, the 500K has the traditional soldering lugs on the side of the canister, unlike the 470K's with soldering "posts" on the bottom. I've run into a few pedals that have a problem with the posts being there. The 500K's will not present that problem.

Incidentally, the projected life of the 500K pots is supposed to be even longer than the 470's. There goes my future sales, drat it. ...Tom

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 21 Jul 2013 4:34 am

Just to clarify, there is absolutely no difference in the tone of a pot measuring 470k vs. one measuring 500k. If you're hearing differences in the tone, then the wiring of the two pots was not the same, plain and simple.

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 21 Jul 2013 5:49 am

Donny Hinson wrote:Just to clarify, there is absolutely no difference in the tone of a pot measuring 470k vs. one measuring 500k. If you're hearing differences in the tone, then the wiring of the two pots was not the same, plain and simple.

Donny, I can't really answer that one, as the first one I actually had gotten from Tom was not a 470k but a 20k, which looks the same as a 470k...so I've never had a 470, however do now have the new Dunlop 500k which I am very pleased with...to my ears, (ringing in them and all

) its just like having the old J Type AB Pot in my pedal...sounds awesome!!!...my take however is that the 470k sounds like the AB as well, according to other comments from users of both...

Hope that helps, Dale

The Steel Guitar Forum

Allen Bradley vs Dunlop Pots/// UPDATE!!!

Allen Bradley vs Dunlop Pots/// UPDATE!!!

Re: Allen Bradley vs Dunlop Pots

"Muddy pot? Let me correct that!"

Re: "Muddy pot? Let me correct that!"

Re: "Muddy pot? Let me correct that!"

New 500K Dunlop Pot

Wrong Pot, Wrong Pot