# Tayda or Alpha pots?



## lcipher3 (Nov 24, 2021)

Are the Tayda standard 16mm same as or as good as the Alpha?  
Anyone have issues with either?
Just curious - they look the same - likely from the same factory.


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## Big Monk (Nov 24, 2021)

thewintersoldier said:


> I haven't had any problem with tayda pots. Then again I haven't had any issue with any brand for that matter. Buy away.



I’ll second this and just add the following caveat: If mixing Alpha and Tayda, make sure you check the shaft lengths. I bought Alpha and Tayda knurled pots for a specific project and the Tayda units had a longer shaft so the knobs did not level with one another.


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## carlinb17 (Nov 24, 2021)

Big Monk said:


> I’ll second this and just add the following caveat: If mixing Alpha and Tayda, make sure you check the shaft lengths. I bought Alpha and Tayda knurled pots for a specific project and the Tayda units had a longer shaft so the knobs did not level with one another.


I'll add a third confirmation, I've noticed no difference.  I still spray a little detoxit in the pot prior to install but I've done this regardless of the brand.


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## lcipher3 (Nov 24, 2021)

Thanks - they're likely pretty similar in quality
And thanks for the tip about the lengths - I'll order with that in mind


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## peccary (Nov 24, 2021)

I've got a mix of Tayda, Alpha, Cusack, and Mammoth and all have been fine. I only buy the 6.35 PCB mount and they are fine and never had any issues with the being different lengths.


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## PBWilson1970 (Nov 24, 2021)

Anyone want to speculate on why SmallBear's prices were so much more than the other places listed above? Smaller operation? Other sources not using Alpha pots? Aion mentioned the difference in quality between SmallBear's Alpha pots and Tayda's and I wonder if there is actually a difference, hence the higher price at SB.

I'm not bashing SmallBear either. I've used them for MANY years and have been super happy that they exist(ed) to help fledgling diy-ers like me.


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## Stickman393 (Nov 24, 2021)

I primarily use Cusack these days.  Stomp box parts makes ordering basic PCB mount pots a hell of a lot easier than tayda.

As to quality, I can't say that I've noticed a real difference in use between ANY of them...and the only real differences I've noticed have pertained to the insulating material that the terminals mount to...alphas seem to use some kind of fiberboard, Cusack uses a what looks like a fiberglass-reinforced resin.

Not that it really makes much of a difference.  I'm sure if one was to pull a few apart and look at the innards we might see differences, but I'm skeptical of the Aion claim that smallbear's alphas seem to be better.  I wouldn't be surprised if the factories that produce these are pretty interchangable, it's possible that the guy that runs Aion could have just noticed a difference between batches, possibly made at different facilities.

Not to talk smack about Aion.  I like their design ethos...but it doesn't match my experience.

Personally...I don't worry too much about what brand I get, half the battle sometimes is just finding the value you need.  I just buy em in bulk and keep em in an arko mills organizer.


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## PBWilson1970 (Dec 5, 2021)

Just received an order from Tayda and I do feel a difference in the construction of their Alpha pots and the ones I have always received from Smallbear. They seem not quite as robust, but it's by a small degree and the printing on the board and back of the case seems a little bit different. I don't have any experience yet about how they actually work over the long haul. They ought to work just fine since I'm not going to be using them like a guitar volume knob, still I can tell a difference. Oh and they've got more of a sticky residue on them from any other pot I've received. Is that to keep them from degrading over time? I'll be sure to use come contact cleaner like I always do.


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## Barry (Dec 5, 2021)

I'm with Stickman, been buying most of my pots from Stompbox, footswitches as well


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## benny_profane (Dec 5, 2021)

Stickman393 said:


> Not that it really makes much of a difference. I'm sure if one was to pull a few apart and look at the innards we might see differences, but I'm skeptical of the Aion claim that smallbear's alphas seem to be better.


They are definitely different. The tayda alphas are much easier to disassemble. 

https://forum.pedalpcb.com/threads/potentiometers.8689/post-81680


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## Popnfreshbass (Dec 5, 2021)

I broke a tayda pot, but it was most likely user error. I had an incorrect knob stuck on the shaft and cranked it so hard it came off. 

There’s a masturbation joke in there somewhere.. fill in the blanks.


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## traumprinz (Dec 7, 2021)

Awhile back I had quite a few builds where the shaft diameter (6.35mm shaft) needed to be fairly exact. The Alphas were far superior to the cheaper ones in that regard. I tried Cusack, Mammoth, Tayda, and ModularAddict pots, and they all had quite a bit more variation (50%+ of the shafts were too narrow for my use, Alphas were pretty much all perfect). That particular difference won't matter or be noticeable for most cases, it was a pretty minor difference. But it may point to tighter tolerances overall on the Alphas.

Personally, I tend to use Alpha just because they've been around long enough to have a good idea of how they will hold up over time. For personal projects, I'm not opposed to using some of the other pots. I haven't had any issues with them in the short term when I have. But I tend to stick with Alphas and if I was building anything to sell I'd definitely go with Alphas. Beyond the fact that Alphas are time-tested, I wouldn't be surprised if the generic pots some of these places sell (particularly Tayda) change without notice from time to time.


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