250k Blender Pot, CTS (.250" Bushing; Split Shaft)

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A blender pot is a specially-modified pot that replaces one of a Strat's tone controls, and allows you to combine the neck and bridge pickups together. The remaining tone control typically becomes a master tone. Blenders are modified to eliminate bleed-through when turned fully clockwise. Here's how they operate:

The normal position for a blender pot is fully clockwise. At this position it is completely removed from the circuit (think true-bypass switch) and does nothing, so the guitar effectively becomes a two-control guitar with master volume and master tone. In this position, the blender does not load the guitar's circuit.

Turning the pot counter-clockwise will blend in either the neck or bridge pickup, whichever is not selected by the 5-way switch:

• Position 5 (neck pickup): blender mixes in the bridge pickup
• Position 4 (neck and mid pickups): blender mixes in the bridge pickup
• Position 3 (mid pickup): blender does nothing
• Position 2 (bridge and mid pickups): blender mixes in the neck pickup
• Position 1 (bridge pickup): blender mixes in the neck pickup

Blenders are sometimes confused with pan pots, which are completely different. A pan (or ganged) pot is actually two pots stacked on top of each other, that share a common shaft. The two pots have revered tapers, so that turning the shaft (in either direction) simultaneously turns one pot 'up' and the other 'down'. There is usually a detent at the middle of the rotation; at this position, both pots are 'on'. These pots are sometimes used in basses with two pickups. Instead of a pickup selector switch, you switch between pickups by using the pot. Our blenders do not work this way, and cannot be used as a pickup selector.