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Post by ozboomer on Jan 20, 2012 7:00:33 GMT -5
Here's an interesting one I haven't come across before...
I would expect most would be familiar with pots that go scratchy over time, where dust and muck gets into the wiper of the pot. You can generally make-do for a little while if you use a graphite lubricant or something like a light-weight WD-40-type of thing... but ultimately, the pots will need to be replaced.
Well, I've had the pots in my Squier Bullet Strat for a few months.. and all my playing has been at home.. and I'm very gentle with how I use the controls on my guitars... but as I was playing just now, the sound disappeared entirely. After a bit of fiddling about (including removing the knobs), it seems the pots are being temperamental. In fact, I can feel a very slight vertical movement (along the axis of the shaft) and the sound crackles and such like the pot is dirty.
Now, fair enough, that I play this guitar almost daily for an hour or two (more often less than that)but d'you think it's normal for a pot to go instantly "crackle-crazy"? ...and all of them at the same time!? It's weird.. even more so, as the 5-way switch has decided to also go crackly if I move the 'blade' of the switch against the sides of the switch (right-angles to the normal motion of the switch) -- it's like it's gone out in sympathy or something...
An interesting observation with the pots... If I press vertically down on the pot axis, the sound is on and Ok...
Maybe it's a clearance issue in the guitar, under the pickguard... but I don't think so - there's no obvious bend in the pickguard (a steel ruler sits flat when on-edge across the pickguard)... and why have things gone weirdo all at the same time?
Just wanting to know if anyone has seen this sort of behaviour... The pots are a mix of CTS and Alpha, while the 5-way is an 'import' style made by 'who knows'...
Ta.
John
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Post by newey on Jan 20, 2012 12:14:07 GMT -5
Sounds more likely to be a bad connection, or something shorting to the shielding, rather than having both pots and switch go bad at the same time. Perhaps your manipulation of the shaft of the pots and/or the switch is moving one of the connections slightly, enough to have it contact something it shouldn't. I'd start with the jack connections and work backwards.
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Post by cynical1 on Jan 20, 2012 14:33:57 GMT -5
It sort of sounds like the pot casing has separated from the pot. I've done this myself getting a bit too aggressive in installing knobs.
HTC1
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Post by lpf3 on Jan 20, 2012 14:39:01 GMT -5
Sounds more likely to be a bad connection, or something shorting to the shielding, rather than having both pots and switch go bad at the same time. Perhaps your manipulation of the shaft of the pots and/or the switch is moving one of the connections slightly, enough to have it contact something it shouldn't. I'd start with the jack connections and work backwards. I agree, especially the part about something shorting to the shielding. Try putting some electrical tape on the areas of the shielding that are in close contact with your pots & switch. One one of my guitars I just wrapped the electronics in tape- worked fine. That definitely sounds like a shorting issue- I'll bet your components are moving around just enough to touch the shielding. Also look at the input jack to see that the tip of your cable isn't shorting out as well. -lpf3
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Post by sumgai on Jan 20, 2012 15:18:58 GMT -5
ozzy, Short message: it's physical, not electrical. Sorry 'bout that. HTH sumgai
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Post by JohnH on Jan 20, 2012 15:22:22 GMT -5
Before opening up, it might be a good idea to put a multimeter across the guitar cord and see if you can tell if its something shorting or something going open-circuit, depending if resistance rises or falls when you do the things that make it happen.
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Post by reTrEaD on Jan 20, 2012 21:17:19 GMT -5
Before opening up, it might be a good idea to put a multimeter across the guitar cord and see if you can tell if its something shorting or something going open-circuit, depending if resistance rises or falls when you do the things that make it happen. I agree.
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Post by ozboomer on Jan 20, 2012 21:19:15 GMT -5
Well, the 'operating table' must've spooked the guitar... 'coz as soon as I set-up the work table and laid the guitar down.. and took off the knobs (again)... nothing was broken. It all worked quite happily.. and I hadn't DONE anything. Perhaps pulling the knobs off did some tension something-or-other... or maybe 'coz it's a cooler day and all the metal has contracted... Pffft. I hate when this happens. ...and I've been playing the guitar normally, using all the controls (sans knobs) for the last hour or more.. with not a crackle. I've made a note to check things out again at the next string change... unless everything goes belly-up again tonight... we'll see what happens then... 'tis a puzzlement ...
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