Volume Pots

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 25 Apr 2001 9:53 am

I just replaced a pot a week ago on an old Bud pedal. Today I have the scratchy sound I just changed the pot for. Anybody know what gives? Do I have it wired wrong or what. There is a point in it that when I push down on it it starts to scratch, and then goes by it and it's alright. It is a George L pot so I know it's the right one. Help!

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Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 25 Apr 2001 10:03 am

Try running it up and down several times over the bad spot. Sometimes that will clean it off. If not, them it is a bad pot and I'd have whoever you bought it from replace it.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 25 Apr 2001 3:31 pm

How much did the pot cost? Did you get a good mil-spec unit, or a cheapie?

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 25 Apr 2001 3:36 pm

Donny, The pot was about 30bucks. I got it straight from George L and everything I have gotten from them has been great so I have to almost rule a bad pot out. I suppose it could be bad. Every once in awhile things do slip through quality control. I'll try moving it back and forth. Maybe that will work.

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Fred Murphy · Post by **Fred Murphy** » 25 Apr 2001 3:42 pm

You probably already know this, but you can't use too large of a soldering iron, or you will damage the pot. It is best to use a small watt soldering iron and also use a heat sink when soldering the wires.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 25 Apr 2001 4:33 pm

Craig...if you paid that much, you should have a mil-spec pot. You're not using the "3-wire hook up" are you? Not many people know this, but if you use the "3-wire hookup", and you have a bad coupling capacitor in the amp, it can damage the pot in your pedal.

You have 2 choices...return the pot to the supplier, or try and clean/repair the one you have. Once you take it apart, though...you're stuck with it. Should you decide to do the latter, e-mail me and I'll give you detailed instructions on how to do this.

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 25 Apr 2001 5:19 pm

Donny I give. What three wire hook-up? I have three wires. What am I supposed to do instead? Maybe that's it. Please explain.

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Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 25 Apr 2001 7:30 pm

Craig, on a standard hookup, one wire goes from the guitar to the volume pedal, and one wire goes from the volume pedal to the amp.

On a 3-wire hookup, one wire goes from the guitar to the amp, and two wires go from the volume pedal to the amp.

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 25 Apr 2001 8:25 pm

Donny I thought you meant on the pot. Boy do I feel dumb. After you told me it dawned on me. He's talking guitar wires! Anyway get this; With my Nashville no noise. With my Twin a little scratch, but not much. Could have just been dirt who knows. Anyway thanks guys. I got it cured I think. I don't ever hook three wires up cause I could never hear the difference one way or the other. Thanks again.

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Bud Musgrave · Post by **Bud Musgrave** » 21 Aug 2005 7:15 pm

just a little input on the pec pots i received from richard mcdonald (spiritsteel)
i installed it in my earnie ball and was pleasantly surprised at the volume and smoothness of the taper, sounded good.
Bud

John Daugherty · Post by **John Daugherty** » 22 Aug 2005 7:16 am

Craig, Your Twin Amp could have a leaky input coupling capacitor. Try this: Plug a guitar cord into the amp and measure the DC voltage between tip and sleeve. There should no voltage. You may find that there is a voltage present at the Twin Amp and none at the NV amp.

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 22 Aug 2005 9:23 am

What makes me wonder about this post is that I first posted it four years ago. But it is interesting reading.

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 22 Aug 2005 7:32 pm

I received a just built, brand new volume-pedal several weeks ago that had a Clarostat-Pot. About half~way on it had a dead~spot and it was sticky. Then farther on it popped back in. Nothing cured the problem and I had to return the pot to the supplier, Geo. L., who exchanged it for a new pot which does not have a sticky/dead~spot! I think you're right! Poor Quality~Control nowadays!

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“Big John” Bechtel
’04 SD–10 Black Derby w/3 & 5 & Pad
’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15” Eminence
web site

Larry Hamilton · Post by **Larry Hamilton** » 26 Aug 2005 10:25 am

I installed a Canadian made pot in a Goodrich L-120. Good smooth travel, no scratchiness. great taper just a really good pot. The one thing I noticed is that it worked best if I adjusted the pedal to leave a tiny bit of volume on when the pedal was off. I always ran my pedals like this anyway so there wasn't any problem.

Just give Richard McDonald at Spirit Steel a call. A wonderful man to deal and visit with. He did his homework on this pot so give them a try.

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Keep pickin', Larry

Michael Garnett · Post by **Michael Garnett** » 26 Aug 2005 11:14 am

Yeah, I hear that Canadian pot is some good stuff...

Oh wait.

I've just about decided as soon as this next pot goes out (bought it in Dallas this year) I'm buying a Hilton and never worrying about a pot again. It'll pay for itself several times over the rest of my career.

-MG

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 26 Aug 2005 4:18 pm

I've fixed several "bad" pots in volume pedals by putting a drop of oil on the shaft, and then rotating the shaft back and forth 15-20 times.

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 26 Aug 2005 7:05 pm

Donny, I went one further on a pot onetime.
I thought if oil works, Breakfree would work better. DO NOT USE BREAKFREE UNLESS YOU WANT TO BUY A NEW POT. It totally ruined the pot, would not work at all. Just a warning.

Stupidity is a great way to learn new things. Like how to ruin things in one easy lesson.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 27 Aug 2005 4:41 am

Yeah, it'll ruin your guns, too.

I certainly wouldn't recommend "Breakfree", as it's known to be a poor lubricant. Our state police were ordered to stop using it, as it had caused at least 10 jams in service weapons.

Forget the fancy, whiz-bang "multi-use" products that promise too much. A light oil is all you need...on your pot, your guitar, or your guns. Sewing-machine oil is ideal!

Don Benoit · Post by **Don Benoit** » 27 Aug 2005 8:48 pm

Ordinary oil should not be used on a pot shaft because it will eventually make it's way to the carbon element on the pot and will ruin it. You can use a product called "NU-TROL" made by MG Chemicals in Canada. It is a combination cleaner and lubricant and can be applied on the shaft or on the carbon element. When you have any pot that you can't spray the carbon element without taking the pot apart then you can cut a short piece of surgical tubing that will fit over the pot shaft AND the threads of the pot and then put a very small quantity of NU-TROL into the tubing and work the shaft back and forth while pushing down on the shaft. This will cause the cleaner to make it's way to the carbon element and clean it.

Curt Langston · Post by **Curt Langston** » 2 Sep 2005 5:32 am

Electronic cleaner from Radio Shack will work 95% of the time. About 5.95 a can.