Pot Problems

[Slaphappy]

A friend has recently acquired a strat-a-like of some variety. Not bad for a case for a strat that cost a little over $100AU!

The guitar is currently undergoing renovation; I thought I'd help out.
We have encountered a problem with one of the tone pots. Basically it does sod all.

We've taken off the scratchplate and had a bit of a poke around in the bowels of the beast and I can see nothing suggesting a problem (i.e. wires danging around, blackened remnants of something that wasn't charcoal..). As a consequence I am somewhat stumped.

I have only encountered the above problems prior to this and generally stay away from too much home maintenance for fear of ballsing up one of my own pride-and-joys - a potentially fatal and costly mistake...

Any suggestions?

Or do we just go out and replace the bloody pot with a nice shiny one?

If so are there any preferred brands that function infinitely better than others... without costing as much as the guitar?



Assistance, as ever is greatly appreciated.



I know I preferred Gibsons for a reason...

[M1979]

buy or borrow a cheap digital multi-meter and check to see if the pot has gone open or short circuit

also stupid question but you are using the right pot/pu combo, ie one pot for the neck pu, one for the middle and nothing connected to the brige pu?

my nephew asked me why his tone pots did nothing on his squire but turned out he was only ever using the bridge pu

[Slaphappy]

All configurations have been tried so far.

I can get hold of a multi-meter at the weekend and strip the bugger down and investigate further.

Cheers.

[TheUDE]

Considering how little they cost and how pots and switches tend to age, especially the cheapo ones on budget guitars, I'd consider repotting and rewiring the thing anyway and making sure the shielding's up to scratch.

[Slaphappy]

Could be a plan.


My mate came over from the UK and started picking up the acoustic in my front room and has learned a few chords. He has a kit to build a strat and wanted a reasonably priced hard-case. Just by chance he headed into a Salvation Army charity depot here and spotted this case on a shelf - quite taken aback when he discovered that it contained a black strat-a-like. Dirt cheap. We played it (on the four strings it had) and it seems okay other than the tone pot and a couple of other bits and pieces - nothing that wasn't easily rectified.

[TamBaird]

TheUDE wrote:

Considering how little they cost and how pots and switches tend to age, especially the cheapo ones on budget guitars, I'd consider repotting and rewiring the thing anyway and making sure the shielding's up to scratch.

+1, it shouldn`t cost more than about £15/20, (whatever that is in Aus $) and you `ll have a passable second or beginners guitar

[REDSTRAT]

Guitar Instrution-guitar Care Fix For Scratcy Pots

[Sporky_McGuffin]

Just to be sure, and my apologies if it sounds patronising, but have you tried it with all the pickup positions? Dun't the Strat usually have two tone controls doing different pickups?

Just an idea.

[Foster]

yes on a strat there are only 2 tone pots, one for the neck and one for the middle pickup.

The bridge has no tone control, which is strange as in my opinion it's the pickup that needs one the most!

[Lixarto]

Originally Posted by Foster

yes on a strat there are only 2 tone pots, one for the neck and one for the middle pickup.

The bridge has no tone control, which is strange as in my opinion it's the pickup that needs one the most!

But Leo was thinking in terms of clean trebly lap steel type sounds, this being pre-Rock & Roll.
Middle pick-up? You've lost me.

Zap