Guitar volume and tone pot, 250k (275k) for Fender Strat.

Ideal as a high-quality replacement for a Fender Strat or any other guitar that has singlecoil pickups- the top-of-the-range 450 series CTS Premium 275k split shaft pot. Sold individually.

Our CTS pots are the top-of-the-line 450 series

A lot of the competition that stock CTS tend not to carry the top-spec. ones that we have. The 450 Series feature a brass bushing and shaft, a custom audio taper for greater accuracy, a graphite wiper and +/- 9% tolerance for greater consistency. These are developed using ±9% tolerances and a value at 10% over the standard ohms rating (275 kohms instead of 250 kohms). This ensures not only optimum performance, but guarantees your potentiometers will always be at least the value stated. Come complete with two nuts and washers.

Here's what one happy customer had to say about our CTS pots - " I have to say that the CTS pots that I have received have been a revelation to the guitars tone. It is now clearer than ever as well as being less susceptible to background noise. On top of this the smoothness of the tapers exudes quality and they are well worth the asking price."

Important measurements

Total pot depth - 30mm

Length of threaded shaft - 9mm

Shaft diameter - 9.5mm (please ensure that the pickguard / control plate that the pot is mounting onto has a 9.6mm diameter hole)

Base of pot diameter - 23.5mm

Guitarists are notorious for their “do-it-yourself” attitude towards instrument maintenance and customisation. Most of us won’t hesitate to take our guitar apart at the first opportunity if it means avoiding prohibitive bench fees at the local repair shop. There are definitely conditions that call for professional intervention, but with a little bit of knowledge there’s no reason that many of us can’t handle some of the simpler tasks involved in maintaining, repairing, and customising our guitars.

Replacing guitar electronics is a fairly straightforward task that can be successfully handled with minimal effort. All you really need are some basic soldering skills and you’re ready to go. Most conventional guitar circuits consist of pickups, switches, guitar pots, capacitors and a jack. The hardest part is determining what value of potentiometer you need for your instrument. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the determining factors that will help you make an informed decision when it comes time to replace a volume or tone pot.

Basic rule of thumb goes like this: single coil pickups get a 250k (275k) guitar pot, humbuckers get a 500k (550k) guitar pot. Why is this? The higher the value of the pot, the brighter the sound, so higher value pots are used with humbuckers to allow a bit more high end to get through with what is, by design, a warmer sounding pickup. Lower value pots are used with brighter sounding pickups to tame some of the extended high end that is associated with single coils.

The Effect Of Guitar Potentiometer Values In Relation To Output And Tone

As a potentiometer is turned fully down, all of the signal from the pickup(s)is diverted to ground, resulting in no output from the instrument. When the guitar pot is turned up to full volume, the resistance of the potentiometer theoretically prevents any of the output signal leaking to ground, and weakening the output signal. Lower value guitar pots, however, do not completely block the signal from leaking to ground even when turned up all the way, so using a 250k potentiometer will result in a slight loss of high frequency, as well as volume. This may please some musicians who want a mellower tone, but for those seeking ultimate purity of signal, a higher value guitar pot may be just what is needed. The higher the value, the more leakage is blocked from ground, which allows more of the signal to be sent to the output. A 500k guitar pot may be just right, but a 1meg ohm pot will provide an all out sonic assault. Higher highs; lower lows; more volume – a rocker’s dream! The only drawback of going to this higher value is the perceived range and sweep of the control. It’s like going from 0 to 10 without the fine increments of control in between.

The Telecaster is a good example of guitar potentiometers determining the overall sound of an electric instrument. The earliest Telecasters utilized 1meg ohm guitar potentiometers. They were deemed too bright to be practical for a wide range of musical styles. As a result, the potentiometers were changed to 250k to “bleed off” some of the extreme treble “twang” that the early versions were known and loved for (Stratocasters also use 250k guitar pots for the same reason). Some Gibson laptop guitars had 5 meg ohm pots. Talk about bright!

Exploring Your Options…

To find out if switching to a higher value pot might benefit you, try this simple test: Disconnect your pickup(s) from the circuit, and use some “jumper” wires to connect them directly to the output jack. If the pickups sound louder and fuller, then you will benefit from a higher value potentiometer. If, however, your pickups still aren’t sounding the way you’d like them to, maybe you should take a look at our Kent Armstrong replacement pickups!

Log? Audio Taper? Linear….?

A question that we are always being asked is what is the difference between Linear and Log pots? Linear pots increase the impedance evenly as you turn them up. So, if you were to turn a Linear pot from 0 up to 5 (in other words from off position up to mid way) then the impedance is increased by half. However, the human ear doesn’t actually hear this as a gradual volume increase, instead it sounds like nothing much happens for most of the sweep and then all of a sudden there is a huge jump in volume. This is where Log guitar pots come in. Log is short for Logarithmic and is quite often referred to as Audio Taper or A Taper. Log guitar pots are used specifically for audio applications and are adapted to the human ear so that the entire sweep of the pot sounds like a gradual increase, offering a greater degree of control and accuracy when used on a guitar or bass. Most guitar manufacturers use Log pots for both volume and tone controls on their instruments and they are by far the most popular choice amongst musicians when purchasing replacements. This is the reason why most of the guitar pots you see on our site are labelled as having a logarithmic taper.

Delivery

Any order placed before 2.30pm on a working day will generally be sent the same day. If the order is placed after 2.30pm on a weekday or anytime during the weekend or a public holiday, we will send the order the next working day.

UK Orders:

• Royal Mail First Class – £1.95 per order (free for orders £30.00 or higher). Delivery is usually next working day, but can sometimes take up to 5 days. No signature required.
• APC Courier – £6.50 per order (free for orders £90.00 or higher). Usually next-working day service with a 2-hour delivery window notified by email or text. Only available for UK mainland addresses. Signature required. Deliveries can be made up until 6.00pm. For urgent deliveries, please use Royal Mail Special Delivery.
• Royal Mail Special Delivery – £9.95 per order. Guaranteed delivery next working day before 1.00pm. Signature required. Delivery updates sent via email or text.

International Orders:

EU Orders:

We are pleased to offer a simplified shipping scheme (IOSS) for our EU customers:

• Orders up to €150.00 – All prices include VAT and any applicable fees. The price you see at checkout is final, with no extra charges.
• Orders over €150.00 – Prices do not include VAT or import fees. Additional fees must be paid to your local postal service upon arrival.

Please note: the all-fee-inclusive scheme applies only to business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions, not B2B.

Shipping Options within Europe:

• European Registered Post – £12.95 per order via Royal Mail Tracked service. Parcels are handed over to local postal services. Signature generally not required. Delivery: 3–7 working days.
• European Registered Courier – £30.00 per order. Courier selected for delivery. Signature required. Delivery: 2–5 working days.

USA Orders:

• USA Tracked Postal Delivery – Duties & Taxes Included – Sent via Royal Mail and handed over to USPS. Price includes all import duties and taxes, making checkout final. Hassle-free delivery with no customs paperwork or unexpected charges.
• Express Courier – Import Duties & Taxes Not Included – Faster delivery (3–7 working days). Import duties and taxes must be paid by the customer upon delivery.

International Orders (Rest of World):

• International Registered Post – £15.00 per order via Royal Mail Tracked service. Parcels handed over to local postal service. Signature generally not required. Delivery: 4–10 working days.
• International Registered Courier – £40.00 per order. Courier selected for delivery. Signature required. Delivery: 3–7 working days.

Please note: duties and import taxes may apply for international orders outside the EU and USA, depending on local regulations. Fees are usually collected upon delivery.

General Delivery Information:

If you have not received your order within the estimated delivery times, please contact us to request a tracking number. Checking with us sooner rather than later is recommended, as parcels returned due to failed delivery attempts can delay your order further.

GPSR – EU Responsible Person

Company name: Easy Access System Europe Oü
Address: Mustamäe tee 50, Tallinn, Tallinn, 10621, EE
Email: gpsr.requests@easproject.com
Phone: 358405003575

Returns

At Armstrong Music, we proudly offer a 30-day, no quibble returns policy. If a product does not meet your expectations, return it within 30 days for a refund (minus original postage) or exchange. Returned goods must be in original condition, including packaging and accessories.

If the return is due to missing or faulty parts, we will provide a full refund or replacement within 30 days. Refunds due to our fault include delivery charges.

Installation of Guitar Parts:

We do not accept responsibility for damage caused by fitting parts purchased from us. Inspect and test fit parts before installation. Attempts to modify or force parts may void returns or refunds.

Standard Template Pickguards:

Perform a "dry run" to ensure correct fit before removing protective film or installing components. Once removed, pickguards cannot be returned or refunded.

Custom-Made Pickguards:

Custom pickguards are non-returnable and non-refundable. This includes any requested modifications or pickguards made from customer-provided outlines.

Please use a registered postal or courier service for returns. Send returns to:

Armstrong Music
Woodreeve Farm
Capel Road
Ruckinge
Ashford
Kent
TN26 2EJ

This returns policy does not affect your legal rights.

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