A variable resistor including terminal leads punched out of a metal plate the end portions of which are arranged to be positioned accurately onto corresponding collector or conductor elements disposed on a base respectively by setting the metal plate at a fixed position, filler elements filling a gap extending between the collector element and the conductor elements and a gap extending between the conductor elements and which prevent an outflow of synthetic resin into the center of a housing during the process of molding the housing and a parallel gap electrode provided with a pair of parallel electrodes which are provided on an unplated surface of the end portions of the lead terminals during the process of welding the terminal leads onto the corresponding collector and the conductive elements respectively.