The Steel Guitar Forum

Is anyone able to tell me if and/or where I can get the old Allen Bradley potentiometer (sp)?

Thank you kindly

You can usually find them on ebay. Some new, some rebuilt. The hard part is finding them with an algorithm taper (better for volume pedals) instead of a linear taper. Also, you need a long shaft model.

George . .
I've never heard of a potentiometer being rebuilt.
Any idea of just what the rebuild consists of?
~Russ

Russ Wever wrote:George . .
I've never heard of a potentiometer being rebuilt.
Any idea of just what the rebuild consists of?
~Russ

A "rebuild" could be anything from a simple cleaning and re-lubing, to replacing the wiper block, element wafer, and/or shaft assembly. (The shaft wiper fingers and the carbon block are where most of the actual wear takes place.)

What Donny said. I was reminded of this when I was talking about the old AB pots with Jay Dee Maness at the Dallas show. I told him I had a couple of old scratchy ones. He said you know you can take them apart and rebuild them. Maybe a year ago, I was hunting for them on eBay and ran across some from some electronic service that had some they had refurbushed. I found plenty of new ones but most of them were short shafts, linear taper.

I have a couple of worn out old ones in front of me, and can't seem to get them apart.
I've lifted the 4 tabs, but don't want to force anything.
Any detailed instructions or help would be much appreciated!

Lee,

If you have the tabs lifted, just pop the metal cover off. The ones I have taken apart have a fairly tight fit for the metal cover.

Robert

Thanks Robert.
Did you just pry it off with a flat blade screwdriver, or some similar tool?

Donny Hinson wrote:
A "rebuild" could be . . . replacing the wiper
block, element wafer, and/or shaft assembly.

Donny,
I didn't think these parts are available.
Do you know of a source for them?
Thnx,
~Rw

Once the tabs are lifted, a slight tap on one of the tabs will release the cover. (Sometimes, the pots were sealed with a couple dabs of varnish.). Replacement parts are not (and never were) available. They just salvage whatever they need in the way of parts from other pots, which may be either NOS or used. Be aware, though, that a rebuilt pot may not perform as well as a brand new one...meaning that a pot can work fine electrically, but can still be somewhat "noisy" in an audio application. Also, be aware that DC leakage at the amp input, or even static electricity, can make even a new pot sound noisy

I would be leery of a "rebuilt/refurbished" pot. The model that was used with a steel volume pedal is a modified logarithmic (audio) taper. If they replace the resistance element most likely its not the modified logarithmic taper and thus not what is desired. I have heard of replacing the wiper pads which should not change the taper but if the wiper pads were worn to the point of replacing the resistance element probably is well worn too.

The replacement volume pedal pots from (I think) Boss are 500K audio but not the modified taper. I put one in a Goodrich 120 that the original AB pot finally died and I hate the way the new pot's taper works.

I HAVE REBILT ALLEN BRADLY., OMITE .CLAROSTAT,POT'S FOR THE LAST 30 YEAR;S NEVER BOUGHT A NEW POT SINCE, I PUT A POST ON THE FORUM ABOUT HOW TO REBILL THE POT,S .MAYBE YOU CAN LOCATE IT,

Use no 4 dow corning or silicone dielectric grease
on the pot carbon strip Apply a thin coat .and no
more erratic sound.Chuck Abend
Amp repair and rebuild and setup pedal steels
Chuck Abend