Need help with a problem regarding Pots...

[Martinguy]

Its the tome and volume pots on one of my Les Pauls.

I have had it for about 15 years and took it with me to play with the group I play with. Had trouble with both the tone and volume controls. One was scratchy and the other only worked intermittantly. I was able to find a setting that worked, and I just kept it like that to get through the night. I told someone I'd have to take it to be fixxed...$$$$...and he said it isnt hard to fix yourself.

So I come home and quickly find a tutorial on the internet. It says most problems of this sort can be fixed with just some contact lubricant made for electronics. I've got the guitar upside down with the plate off. The pots are right there.

Here is the problem:

The tutorial says this...


Remove the plate or pick guard that houses the volume and tone controls by removing the screws that hold it in place. This will reveal the volume and tone control pots. Use the contact cleaner on the underneath of the pots to remove dust and other debris. This will remove the majority of problems caused by tone and volume controls, such as hissing or grinding when the guitar is plugged into an amplifier.

When it says "underneath the pots", I'm not sure what it means?

"Underneath"...meaning from the vantage point I am looking now, or "underneath" from looking at the guitar "top up"

How and *precisely* where do I apply the contact cleaner?

Thanks

[Heywood Jablomie]

I can't answer your question about where to spray the contact cleaner, but methinks that it's probably a better idea to replace the pots, considering their age.

[FrankenFretter]

Somebody feel free to jump in and correct me, but I believe that you have to spray the cleaner into the pots themselves, where the shaft meets the pot body. I don't think that cleaning the back is going to do much, other than make it look nice. The scratchiness is from the contacts inside the pots. By the way, pots aren't expensive, if the contact cleaner doesn't do the trick. Another thing you can do yourself with a minimum of soldering experience.

[Heywood Jablomie]

Here ya go (I love Google)

http://www.ehow.com/how_4809739_clean-guitar-potentiometer.html

[FrankenFretter]

Good link, Heywood. I don't think the pots on my LP have slots, but maybe you'll be lucky, MartinGuy. Good luck, and let us know how it works out!

[duhvoodooman]

I don't think the pots on my LP have slots, but maybe you'll be lucky, MartinGuy.
Most do have slots. See image below--the slot is evident in the pot shown on the left, beneath the three solder lugs.

http://www.guitarpartsusa.com/ccp51/media/images/product_detail/POT-4.jpg

AAMOF, it wasn't in a guitar, but I cleaned up a scratchy pot in somebody's TS-10 recently using this method. Now, who the heck was that??... :poke ;)

[FrankenFretter]

Most do have slots. See image below--the slot is evident in the pot shown on the left, beneath the three solder lugs.

http://www.guitarpartsusa.com/ccp51/media/images/product_detail/POT-4.jpg

Ah, thanks DVM! I wouldn't have thought to look there.

[aeolian]

I use Deoxit for cleaning up pots, you can get Deoxit from shops that sell electronic components. Spray some through the slot in the pot, then crank the pot through its range a few times and that should clear up most problems.

I have replaced the tone pot in a Les Paul before, and it wasn't really that hard. One important thing I remember is that there are various shaft lengths for Les Paul pots and you have to get one with the right shaft length. The other thing to know is that volume control and tone control require different pots, one is audio tapered and the other is linear tapered.

[Martinguy]

Yes!

The last photos cleared it up. The pots I am refering to do indeed have those little "slots" on them. I can now proceed.


Thanks a bunch everyone!

[otaypanky]

Caig Deoxit is definitely the right stuff. Don't settle for a Radio Shach cleaner/lube, get the Deoxit. It's pricey, I think I paid about $16 for a can, but it's a great product that chemically helps clean the oxidation that will occur from a guitar sitting. I use it on input jacks, pots, amp controls, tube sockets, etc ~

[Martinguy]

Well, I just did the deed.

Got the Deoxit and lubed everything, then worked the pots back and forth for a minute or so.

She is singing like new again!

Thanks everyone for the tips.

:AOK :AOK :AOK :AOK