Sgt. Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Is this the 'right' way to clean a scratchy sounding potentiometer ... take the knob off and add a dap of isopropyl alcohol on to the inside of the twist part and twist it several times? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dem00n Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 Have you tried twisting the pot back and forth a few times in till the problem is fixed? Works all the time for me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHTom Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 I just did a bunch on an amp there is a small hole in the back of the pot, sprayed a small shot of "de-oxit" contact cleaner in each one and worked it back and forth. They work like new now. NHTom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaysEpiphone Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 You have to be careful witch type of cleaner you use. The lubricating type will keep things from drying up and falling apart while the other stuff will really clean a goopped up pot. Best to use the degreaser type first and then the lube type second. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12784986# Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12784986# Leave it to Radio Shack to be still calling it "TV tuner cleaner!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codename Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 WD-40 works best from my experience .I Have an old Kenwood amp that would need the volume pot cleaned at least twice a year. Tried all types of electrical cleaners but nothing seemed to last very long. I had used WD-40 on a frozen pot on an old Cort bass and it worked perfectly afterward so I thought I'd try it on the Kenwood. It been years and still working fine. Just be careful not to over do it or you will have some cleanup to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 Be careful with WD40, it leaves a conductive film behind. It can do damage to anything carrying any meaningful voltage and can short a pot, or at least reduce it's value. You'd probably be OK 99 times in 100 but you only need some bad luck once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quapman Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 WD-40 is a lubricant so a big no from me on that one. If you have an electronics store close they will have electronic contact cleaner. Can probably find it at a hardware store also. I prefer electronic shops because they tend to specialize. I also like to support family business so I avoid the big stores at all cost. You want something to displace the gunk and dust and leave no residue behind. Especially if the amp has been in a room with smokers. Smoking and pots are a bad mix.... pot smoking on the other hand...... A good electronic contact cleaner will fix you right up. Just pop off the knobs and spray it in and twist the pots a bunch. good as new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiz Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 Smoking and pots are a bad mix.... pot smoking on the other hand...... Ha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHTom Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 have had great luck with this stuff over the years.... NHTom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender 4 Life Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 Have you tried twisting the pot back and forth a few times in till the problem is fixed? Works all the time for me... me too....a good "vigorous" back-n-forth usually works wonders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krock Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 I've always just replaced them. Maybe I'll give cleaning them a go next time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Posted November 19, 2013 Author Share Posted November 19, 2013 I just did a bunch on an amp there is a small hole in the back of the pot, sprayed a small shot of "de-oxit" contact cleaner in each one and worked it back and forth. They work like new now. NHTom isn't contact cleaner just compressed air and isopropyl alcohol in a can? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHTom Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 This stuff is actually meant to remove corrosion and lube connections...... Yes, there is plain old "contact cleaner", this is different. I work as a boat/snowmobile mechanic, and this product is spec'd by a couple of the manufacturers I deal with for use in areas of salt water corrosion, etc on fine electrical connections, etc. We use it to save the wiring harnesses on boats that have sank. I had not even though about it for guitars until I saw it listed on guitar center's web site. I said "I've got that". Brought some home and was blown away by how well it worked. In my job, I've only used it for connections, never anything that makes a sound. I'm talking a volume pot on an amp that was so bad, it wouldn't even hold a setting.....it would scratch and static pop while turning and "4" might be the volume of "10" or the other way around......a few shots of de-oxit and it now works silently and accurately through the whole range. I actually took a hour this afternoon and did all the pots in all my guitars with it.....even my 85 explorer now works silently. NHTom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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