Vintage potentiometers

[Terrence]

Hello all you good ESG people...

The volume potentiometers on my 1968 SG completely cut the sound dead if you turn them down slightly.

For this reason I keep them up on full. Does anyone know what might be the issue with them? And whether they are fixable? And also whether they will get worse and eventually completely cut out the guitars signal?

Thanks for any help. I could replace them but they are original so I'd like to keep them installed if I can.

 

[DrBGood]

Just like most mechanical parts on anything, they require maintenance so they keep doing what they were designed for without failing. What you describe is what a dirty pot will do after a while. Buy a can of Deoxit or similar cleaner and spray the pots (all of them) while turning them. While you're at it, spray the toggle switch and move it up and down several times.

Once you've found that it works out great, do it twice a year and problems won't come back. People keep replacing parts when they are still good. It's like changing your car door because its hinges are noisy.

 

[Go Nigel Go]

Not much to add to the above. If you can't get it to clean up using the above, it is probably time to replace it. Unless you have some exceedingly rare and historic guitar replacing a failed pot should not adversely effect it's value. It will probably be worth more working properly unless the original pot was once manipulated by a Hendrix or Claption...

 

[donepearce]

Not much to add to the above. If you can't get it to clean up using the above, it is probably time to replace it. Unless you have some exceedingly rare and historic guitar replacing a failed pot should not adversely effect it's value. It will probably be worth more working properly unless the original pot was once manipulated by a Hendrix or Claption...

You can always replace a bad pot even on a vintage guitar. Just keep the original in the case.

 

[Go Nigel Go]

You can always replace a bad pot even on a vintage guitar. Just keep the original in the case.

True, and personally I would do just that, but from a "value" standpoint I could see someone argue the that solder joint was no longer the one the guitar had when the "magic happened" and that might effect what someone is willing to pay for a famous guitar of unique provenance like putting one of Pete Townsend's stage smashed guitars from a celebrated performance back together for example. It might be worth more in fragments.

Personally I would have no problem replacing any part that has ceased to function, but then again I don't/can't afford to collect such rarified gear so it is a matter of no consequence to me... The OP likely won't be facing such concerns either.

 

[Terrence]

Thanks

 

[Terrence]

Just like most mechanical parts on anything, they require maintenance so they keep doing what they were designed for without failing. What you describe is what a dirty pot will do after a while. Buy a can of Deoxit or similar cleaner and spray the pots (all of them) while turning them. While you're at it, spray the toggle switch and move it up and down several times.

Once you've found that it works out great, do it twice a year and problems won't come back. People keep replacing parts when they are still good. It's like changing your car door because its hinges are noisy.

Thanks for the info guys! Dr.BGood which deoxit would you use in this situation, d5 or f5?

 

[DrBGood]

Thanks for the info guys! Dr.BGood which deoxit would you use in this situation, d5 or f5?

Didn't know there were different ones. Looking them up, F5 seem to be made for plastic, so D5 I'd say.

There's also a cheaper solution with the WD40 Specialist Contact Cleaner.
https://www.wd40.com/products/contact-cleaner/