Understanding guitar tone pots can be a confusing topic for many guitarists, especially those who are new to the world of guitar electronics. One of the most common questions is which pins on a typical guitar tone pot are positive, ground, and output. In this article, we will explore the answer to this question and provide a detailed explanation of how tone pots work.

Which Pins Are Positive, Ground, & Output On A Typical Guitar Tone Pot?

Let’s take a look at the three resources that we will be using for our research on this topic.

  • The first resource is an article from Premier Guitar, which describes the wiring of a tone pot and how it affects the tone of a guitar.
  • The second resource is a video from StewMac that explains how a volume pot is wired, which is similar to the wiring of a tone pot.
  • The third resource is an article from Guitar.com that explains the basics of potentiometers and how they are used in guitars.

Now, let’s get into the specifics of the question at hand. A typical guitar tone pot has three lugs – an input lug, an output lug, and a ground lug. The input lug is typically connected to the hot wire from a guitar pickup, while the output lug is connected to the volume pot or directly to the output jack. The third lug, which is connected to ground, is typically located between the input and output lugs.

To understand how a tone pot works, it’s important to know that the potentiometer is essentially a variable resistor. As you turn the knob of the pot, the wiper moves along the resistive element and changes the resistance of the circuit. This, in turn, affects the amount of signal that is sent to ground and the amount that is allowed to pass through to the output.

When the potentiometer is fully open, or turned all the way clockwise, the wiper is in contact with the input lug, and all the signal is allowed to pass through to the output. As you turn the pot counterclockwise, the wiper moves towards the ground lug, which increases the amount of signal that is sent to ground and decreases the amount that is allowed to pass through to the output.

When the pot is fully closed, or turned all the way counterclockwise, all the signal is sent to ground, and no signal is allowed to pass through to the output.

It’s important to note that the wiring of a tone pot can vary depending on the specific guitar and the preferences of the player. However, the basic principle remains the same – the potentiometer controls the amount of signal that is allowed to pass through to the output, by sending some of the signal to ground.

Conclusion 

understanding the wiring of a typical guitar tone pot can be a complex topic, but it’s an essential part of understanding how guitar electronics work.

The three lugs on a tone pot are the input, output, and ground lugs, and the potentiometer works by varying the resistance of the circuit, which in turn affects the amount of signal that is sent to ground and the amount that is allowed to pass through to the output. We hope that this article has been helpful in answering your question.