I'm modifying a new Les Paul guitar clone and I'm trying to identify the brand of these 3 terminal 500K potentiometers (volume knobs). Sorry I can't get a better photo, but the logos on the pots are obscured by solder.
The logo is an upper case "H" with a smaller "Z" in the center of the H. Any pot gurus who might know this brand?
The logo is an upper case "H" with a smaller "Z" in the center of the H. Any pot gurus who might know this brand?
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I figure you might have more luck in Instruments & Amplifiers so let me know if you want me to move the thread.
There should be a 7/8 digit source code on most post WWII pots ... the first 3 digits are the source (maker) and the rest are a date code.
The most common US makers of resistors and pots had these codes ...
Allen-Bradley 106
Centralab 134
CTS (Chicago Telephone Supply) 137
Clarostat 140
Erie 173
IRC (International Resistance Co) 214
Mallory 235
Muter 244
Ohmite 251
Speer 300
Stackpole 304
Ward Leonard 532
Milwaukee Resistor 722
Dale 816
Atlas 932
Looking through the general manufacturers lists, there is none there that look like they'd use an abbreviation Hz (and they wouldn't use Hertz prior to the 70s ... they used c/s (Cycles per second) or KC/s
This suggests that maybe these pots had been swapped out at some time.
The most common US makers of resistors and pots had these codes ...
Allen-Bradley 106
Centralab 134
CTS (Chicago Telephone Supply) 137
Clarostat 140
Erie 173
IRC (International Resistance Co) 214
Mallory 235
Muter 244
Ohmite 251
Speer 300
Stackpole 304
Ward Leonard 532
Milwaukee Resistor 722
Dale 816
Atlas 932
Looking through the general manufacturers lists, there is none there that look like they'd use an abbreviation Hz (and they wouldn't use Hertz prior to the 70s ... they used c/s (Cycles per second) or KC/s
This suggests that maybe these pots had been swapped out at some time.
Here's a possibility Hong Yu Innovation Electronics from Huizhu City China ... they manufacture pots for guitars amongst other applications and don't use the EIA Source Date codes. If these were older pots, I would expect to see discolouration of the soldering.
Thanks for all the responses, sorry for being vague. This is a 2017 Les Paul clone made in China (Washburn). So the pots are likely Chinese. I'll likely swap them out for CTSs but I was curious about them.
Actually IRC = International Resistive Company which is now a division of TT Electronics, and predates International Rectifier by a few decades.
International Rectifier is known as IRF.
😀
I'll meet you half way.
International Rectifier Corp. was founded in 1947 and was making germanium rectifiers by 1954.
Not sure how many decades earlier for the other guys.
International Rectifier Corp. was founded in 1947 and was making germanium rectifiers by 1954.
Not sure how many decades earlier for the other guys.
Seems to be my day for weird problems with Firefox.. LOL
Now I am confused, the original IRC was founded in 1923 and was acquired by TRW in the late 1960s, and changed hands two times subsequently, sometime in 1975 I guess they relocated to Corpus Christy, they were again acquired in the mid 1980s, and finally by TTE in 1990 in a hostile takeover.. TTE is the parent for IRC, Welwyn etc. I might still have missed something.. LOL
Now I am confused, the original IRC was founded in 1923 and was acquired by TRW in the late 1960s, and changed hands two times subsequently, sometime in 1975 I guess they relocated to Corpus Christy, they were again acquired in the mid 1980s, and finally by TTE in 1990 in a hostile takeover.. TTE is the parent for IRC, Welwyn etc. I might still have missed something.. LOL
I do find both companies when I search. Int rectifier corporation versus Int resistive Company.
We referred to the rectifier one as "IRC" for as long as I can remember, I hadn;t heard of the other company until you mentioned it. They are in deed in my EIA codes list, I am just not familiar with them.
If resistive is the one making pots, so be it. I have bought many components from International Rectifier over the years. But my lack of experience with that other company doesn;t mean anything against them. The rectifier one is mainly into silicon. Their EIA code is 845
We referred to the rectifier one as "IRC" for as long as I can remember, I hadn;t heard of the other company until you mentioned it. They are in deed in my EIA codes list, I am just not familiar with them.
If resistive is the one making pots, so be it. I have bought many components from International Rectifier over the years. But my lack of experience with that other company doesn;t mean anything against them. The rectifier one is mainly into silicon. Their EIA code is 845
International Resistive do not appear to manufacture pots at this time.
Looking at the Newark distributors online catalogue there are other TTE companies that make pots.
Looking at the Newark distributors online catalogue there are other TTE companies that make pots.
Rectifiers, MOSFETS, and an antibiotic(!) is IRF, founded 1947. Now wholly owned by one of the giant conglomerates.(*) I have no clue where the "F" comes from.
International Resistive Corporation (IRC) opened a plant in NC in 1953, though I thought they went back to the 1930s?? AH: attached, IRC ad from 1930. Philadelphia those days. They may have changed "or" to "ive" when they expanded from just resistors to all sorts of coatings and films. The NC plant was shut-down 2012; IRC now seems to be a brand-tag for TT, IRC Of Texas making thin-film.
(*) You can't get rich today making resistors, rectifiers, even MOSFETs. All these companies come to a crunch. Some conglomerate buys them cheap, to get the trademarks, patent portfolio, and the real estate. (The IRC NC plant was on the flattest land in the county- will probably become a shopping mall.)
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