Changing pots questions

[Bob From Accounting]

Hello!
i desperately need to change pots in one guitar, it makes crackling noises when you move the guitar without even touching the vol/tone and also same noises when you do.
The guitar is an import Jackson with 2 humbuckers. JB in bridge, stock in neck.

I know i need a short size 500K pot like this


Is the Volume and Tone the same kind of pot or are they different? do i need two of the same? I looked at my guitar and the tone pot had some kind of green thing coming of it, the vol pot didn't have that.

And also if you have any tips on how to best do the changing procedure I'd be grateful!

[Trem]

Honestly,
Do a google search, and or start with http://www.guitarelectronics.com/cat...s.wiring_faqs/

[DonP]

Hello!
i desperately need to change pots in one guitar, it makes crackling noises when you move the guitar without even touching the vol/tone and also same noises when you do.
The guitar is an import Jackson with 2 humbuckers. JB in bridge, stock in neck.

I know i need a short size 500K pot like this


Is the Volume and Tone the same kind of pot or are they different? do i need two of the same? I looked at my guitar and the tone pot had some kind of green thing coming of it, the vol pot didn't have that.

And also if you have any tips on how to best do the changing procedure I'd be grateful!

Welcome,

Well, lets start.

1. Imports usually have smaller pots than USA models, so you will probably need the small pots. But, if you want an upgrade, drill out the pot holes and find some larger shaft knobs. That way you can use USA sized pots.

2. DC Resistance. The larger the number, the brighter and somewhat louder your guitar will be. Use the pot value to control brightness when everything is dimed. 250K is recommended for a JB and singles, most other HBs use 500K. The volume and tone don't need to be the same. It's all about fine tuning the "wide open" tone of your guitar. Experiment with what works best.

3. Taper. You hearing isn't linear. Most people say neither should be your pots. Pots should change in volume log(where's Ron when you need a spell checker?)rhtmecly(sp?) like your hearing. So get Log taper pots.

4. The little green thing is a capacitor (cap for short). The way a tone works, high frequencies go easy through a cap to be controlled by a tone pot. Ever wonder why a tone pot cuts down the highs? That's the cap at work.

5. Tips. Get a healthy soldering iron. A whimpy iron can be very frustrating trying to solder stuff on the pot case. A higher powered iron (50 watts) can let you get in and get out quickly.

6. Free tip: Maybe try contact cleaner first to avoid all of the work I just typed up for you. Find it at Radio Shack.

[Rsmacker]

Pots should change in volume log(where's Ron when you need a spell checker?)rhtmecly(sp?) like your hearing. So get Log taper pots.

Logarithmically.

Great post by the way Don, all the info Bob needs is there, he should start with point No6 though!

I'll just add my usual warning about soldering - use the 50w iron for the earth on the back of the pot but make sure you have a fine tip on it for tagging the wires, don't use something that looks like a fucking chisel. (I use a 45w only for pot cases and my 25w Weller for everything else, it's easier to hold and get in to nooks and crannies) Swaddle the guitar body with towels, stray splashes of solder will damage paintwork, especially if you aren't used to soldering.

[Bob From Accounting]

Welcome,

Well, lets start.

1. Imports usually have smaller pots than USA models, so you will probably need the small pots. But, if you want an upgrade, drill out the pot holes and find some larger shaft knobs. That way you can use USA sized pots.

2. DC Resistance. The larger the number, the brighter and somewhat louder your guitar will be. Use the pot value to control brightness when everything is dimed. 250K is recommended for a JB and singles, most other HBs use 500K. The volume and tone don't need to be the same. It's all about fine tuning the "wide open" tone of your guitar. Experiment with what works best.

3. Taper. You hearing isn't linear. Most people say neither should be your pots. Pots should change in volume log(where's Ron when you need a spell checker?)rhtmecly(sp?) like your hearing. So get Log taper pots.

4. The little green thing is a capacitor (cap for short). The way a tone works, high frequencies go easy through a cap to be controlled by a tone pot. Ever wonder why a tone pot cuts down the highs? That's the cap at work.

5. Tips. Get a healthy soldering iron. A whimpy iron can be very frustrating trying to solder stuff on the pot case. A higher powered iron (50 watts) can let you get in and get out quickly.

6. Free tip: Maybe try contact cleaner first to avoid all of the work I just typed up for you. Find it at Radio Shack.

1. Yes the stock pots are small and the one in the picture won't fit. I don't know if i can find small pots, so i might have to drill it up.

2. The stock pots are 500k so that's what i want

3. hmm had no idea there were different kinds, i just asked for a 500k pot...

4. I looked at my DK2M and it also had a capacitor "2A223J" was written on it and it also had 500k pots. So i'm going with that.

This guitar has some messy soldering after a pickup change so I'd rather get all new pots and fresh soldering.

Thanks for the help!

[Bob From Accounting]

5. Tips. Get a healthy soldering iron. A whimpy iron can be very frustrating trying to solder stuff on the pot case. A higher powered iron (50 watts) can let you get in and get out quickly.

I'll just add my usual warning about soldering - use the 50w iron for the earth on the back of the pot but make sure you have a fine tip on it for tagging the wires, don't use something that looks like a fucking chisel. (I use a 45w only for pot cases and my 25w Weller for everything else, it's easier to hold and get in to nooks and crannies) Swaddle the guitar body with towels, stray splashes of solder will damage paintwork, especially if you aren't used to soldering.

I have 3 soldering irons 25W, 30W, and 100W... Sorry for newb questions but how are they different? if the solder wire melts it melts ??

Is it best to mount the pots before soldering or vice versa?

[DonP]

Capacitors are rated by voltage and by how "big" they are. Most humbuckers use a .022uf microfarad (size) capacitor. A bigger cap will darken the guitar more, a smaller cap brighter. Fender uses .047uf in Strats. For a Les Paul I have, I put an .015uf for the neck and .022uf for the bridge. Since guitars put out tiny voltages, you can get a tiny cap. 10 volts is the smallest I think. Back in the 50s Gibson stuffed 400volt caps into Les Pauls, just because they had tons of them laying around from building amps. If you get a cap that's too small voltage wise, it will fry. Too big, no worries. If you are a cork sniffer, you can get fancy paper in oil caps that supposed to help in tone.

Wattage of the iron - higher wattage puts out more heat. When soldering a couple of wires together or soldering a wire to a pot lug, you don't need much heat. But when trying to heat the back of a pot to solder a ground wire on, you could be waiting forever with a 25 watt iron, or a few seconds with a 100 watt. With the 25 and waiting forever, everything else inside the pot is heating up the pot as well, cooking the insides of the pot. That's why you want the hot iron and get it done quickly. It will heat a smal area on the pot case very quickly and you are done.

Also, take some sandpaper and scuff up the case of the pot where you want to solder ahead of time.

[Spivonious]

Just to comment on iron wattages...25W is too low in my experience, but 40W works fine. I would think that 100W would start to melt things.

[Bob From Accounting]

The guitar is done, sounds SO much better now!! more "oompfhh" and distortion. Sounds fantastic and no more crackling noises. fantastic!

Thanks for the help!

[Rsmacker]

No problem, would you like to pay by cheque or cash?