Left Hand CTS 500K Audio Taper Pot - Split Shaft
The standard for high quality and American-made instruments since the beginning. We find that CTS potentiometers provide a more accurate and refined response than you'll find with others. Available only in a split-shaft option, each CTS pot includes a flat washer, lock washer, and a hex mounting nut for custom height adjustment on a pick guard or control plate. To modify this to a solid shaft, use our brass Pot Sleeves. Sold individually.
Technical Notes
Required Mounting Hole Diameter: 3/8" (9.52mm)
Replacing Metric Pots: Metric pots generally come mounted into smaller mounting holes (5/16"). These will need to be enlarged to 3/8" with a reamer or small sanding bit to fit American CTS pots. Additionally, metric solid shafts measure at 6mm and American CTS solid shafts are .25" - take this into account when buying new pots as you may need new knobs. Lastly, most metric split shaft pots come with 18 knurled splines - American CTS pots come with 24 knurled splines.
250K or 500K?: We recommend 500K pots with most of our pickups. The few exceptions being the Starwood Strat and the Starwood Tele, which sound best with 250K pots.
Helpful Notes
General Pot Replacement: Split shaft is the option you want for press fit knobs (like Gibson and Strat-style guitars). Gretsch Electromatics, Streamliners and most other metric knobs will require a CTS split shaft pot. Solid shaft for vintage or Fender-era Gretsch guitars and knobs with set screws (Ex: Tele-style knobs).
Fender Pot Replacement: Most plastic press-fit knobs require split shaft pots. Most Fender set-screw style knobs (like Telecaster knobs) require solid shaft, with some exceptions. It is always best to double-check just in case.
2003-Current Gretsch Pot Replacement: Pro-level Gretsch guitars from the current era require solid shaft pots. Electromatic and Streamliner guitars from this era will require split shaft pots (even if your guitar has metric solid shaft pots).
1989-2003 Gretsch Pot Replacement: This era of Gretsch guitars require split-shaft pots. The stock pots from this era are solid shaft, but they are a smaller (metric) measurement than the American CTS pots we use, therefore requiring the split shaft.
Vintage Gretsch Pot Replacement: Pre-1989 or "vintage" Gretsch guitars require solid shaft pots.
