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volume pot drama help

givememytoys

Senior Member
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any anwsers would help ive had the last two pots i installed go bad right off the bat. one emg push pull and one standard 500k im useing the same solder and flux ive used on all my pots for years about 40-50. i dont get it. the push pull has a dead spot in it thats not in the same place all the time. sometimes low then high. the 500k pot is scratchy its killing me.
 
I don't know if this is related to your pots or not, but I've heard a lot of the new Ibanez RG550 reissues have had the volume pots just lock up on them.
 
Hey Toys, yeah I hate those head scratching moments,....hahahahaha, usually with me its after trying to alter a wiring schematic...........

Im thinking you probably just ran into some defective parts, I always use the best pots I can buy, Warmoth sells great pots "CTS Brand"  (but with any brand you could run into a defective part)
 
There are others as well, but CTS pots, I have found to be one of the most reliable and of the highest quality, I have also used Gibson brand pots as well, but found after running across a site that spoke of pot values vs. brands, that CTS had some of the strictest and highest quality controll where as the Gibson values would fluctuate quite a bit. (it may be the secret to the Gibson sound, hahahaahha  not quite 500K, maybe 400K seeming warmer????? hahhhahahha...........
So I have stayed with the CTS. there is a company that makes supposedly the best pots available, but I can't remember the name right now, but only slightly better than the CTS pots, so its really more an apples or oranges thing there.

  I was using dutch boy electronics solder and sterling flux but then happened to run across this place and picked up a couple tubes of thier Kester electronics solder, and was amazed at how much thinner it was, like 1/3 the diameter of the solder I was using, heheheeheheehhe
which makes it Super easy to use, though I still use flux on most stuff as well as sanding off the surface of my pots before soldering.
I have also found 35-40 watts to be the Ideal solder Iron, it seems to be just enough to melt the solder easily with out heating things up too much.
heres the link for the Kester solder and 35 watt Iron, though I don't believe your solder is the problem, you might enjoy the ease of use this stuff provides.....

  http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/tools.htm

  I have melted the Sh*t out of a pot or two in the past, both Gibson brand and CTS brand and still they worked, so I can only speculate and say that probably you just got a bad batch, as wierd as it would seem two different brands and all, stranger things have happened, but I will also say (for the sake of newer builders viewing, as I know you have alot of experience) it dosn't pay to skimp on cost when it comes to pots, because the little bit a guy may save isn't worth the headache of changing them out unexpectedly.

If you do discover what caused the problem, please post for future reference..........
 
I thought EMG's used 25k pots?  I've always used prewired arangements for my EMG's though.  Wireing is not my strong suit though. 

I'd love to wire up my strat set with one volume knob.  81/SA/SA with a 3 way switch.  I hate the strat volume knob placement.
 
your right about the emg pots.  this one is a push pull pot for the emg 89 .the 89 has a humbucker and a single coil in it so it needs this type of pot to switch between the two.it has  a really tall wireing place on the bottom to allow for all the wires.i also dont use a tone knob ever so i take them out of the chain. look at two of my stats in the strat forum under evil twins.  thanks kayle
 
Thumb,    I am glad to see I'm not the only one who hates the volume knob placement on strats.

When I play  EVH Aint talkin 'bout love, that knob gives me fits, it makes it hard to semi mute the strings. 

Thats why I have 3 VanHalen Copies  he put his knobs in the right spot. My Frankie is almost done, 5150 is white and needs red and black.

The black and white one is done and works great

John
 
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