software

Does a tone pot at 10 still affect the sound in any way or is it like bypassing it?
Thanks

no tone pot is a bit brighter then a tone pot on 10.
but i don't know the explanation for this.

Actually, I could image that this is because even if the signal has to go over 500k into ground, a bit of it still will go there... but I don't know... so I'm asking here

I can't explain the science either, but yes, a tone pot at 10 still takes a little top end away, compared with no tone pot. That is why quot;no-loadquot; tone controls are available. Current MIA Teles have them as standard. With a no-load tone control it is disconnected when turned up to 10 and only comes into effect when you start to turn it down. I've seen postings at the Les Paul Forum about making your own no-load tone pots - you take the pot apart and put nail polish on the end of the track inside, so there is no contact between the track and the wiper when the pot is all the way up.

No load means all of the signal is going straight to the output jack. Any componant in the way will give a slight dropoff of signal level, or affect the tone, depending on its usage. it's what resistors do, and your pot is just a variable resistor.

The science is actually pretty easy. The tone cap allows a certain frequency range to bypass the output jack. It never makes it out. The value of the cap determines what frequency range is affected. The value of the resistor determines how much is bypassed. A 500k resistor is a larger value than 250k and thus, will not bypass as many highs.

Infinity is an even bigger number. No highs get bypassed.