Rabs Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 So you may have seen from another thread.. A friend of mine brought his Strat around as hes having issues with the electrics.. Just some pot scratching and he says that the switch is a bit temperamental too This one (a 1985 Jap made).... So I opened her up just now.. All of the connections seem solid.... A bit of corrosion here and there but cant see anything else obvious... So when do you know when its time to change a pot or a switch? (I don't own any guitars old enough for that to have happened yet).. heres what it looks like I will be checking Youtube and the like for info, but any tips will be appreciated And a Happy and Healthy New Year to all :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 I squirt aerosol electronic switch cleaner into the pot where that little indentation is and I completely marinate the bloody thing - you have to - while working it back and forth too. It can get messy and I go on until the scratchy noise is gone. If I can't get rid of the noise then it's replacement time. I personally wouldn't bother taking the pot apart....though I used to know someone who did! The switch in the pic looks like one of those sealed ones but switch cleaner if you can find a way of getting it in would be the solution there too. If you have to replace it, it is NOT worth getting a cheap switch as I tried it (crap) and then bought a Fender one which I should have done at first as it wasn't really that expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Cheers man... Yeah I was seeing that on some vids.. I just need to find some of the right type of cleaner/lubricant.... And for switches I have used the Oak Grigsby ones which seem pretty solid .. We will see how it goes then :) (I have some 250k CTS pots if needed) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Change them when cleaning won't do the trick any longer. Remember the pickup switches which would go PLINK! and switch itself to the middle position in mid solo? If not, I sure do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Looking again, it wouldn't do any harm to resolder those switch joints! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Looking again, it wouldn't do any harm to resolder those switch joints! Yes I was wondering about that too.. some of them are certainly getting rusty... But this is his No1 guitar so I don't want to mess with anything if I don't have too.. I will try the lube first and see what happens from there I guess.. (that's what she said ;)) Cheers :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 If it ain't broke don't fix it. That's what i live by when it comes to working on other peoples guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 If it ain't broke don't fix it. That's what i live by when it comes to working on other peoples guitars. Hows this for the cleaning? http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/servisol-contact-cleaner-200ml-jp17t Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I know a LOT about these, it's maybe my only area of expertise, so listen up! Firstly, the switch: These switches, if one was to compare, actually do sound a little different and a little better than the standard/vintage switches. However, they go bad, and usually don't last long. When they go, there is no saving them. Almost every time, it is the wiper wearing down the copper substrate. So, chances are nearly 100% it needs to go. Trust me, I've tried. Even going so far as to have extras on hand, but they wear out quite quickly. I like the sound, but a guy can only take so much. A lot of the "pot scratchiness" may very well be attributed to the switch, as when they start to go, they are intermitted, not just when switching them, but from the guitar vibrating. Second: Do not replace the pots, cap, or wires without thinking twice. Because, for the most part, these may very well be the best sounding ones you are likely to find. I have gone so far as to compare pots, trying everything I could get my hands on, and to me, these not only sound the best, but also seem to show the most differences in pickups, which is an indication they have more "fidelity". I am mostly referring to the pots here. So..as for the pots, I wouldn't even put cleaner to them unless the needed it, and then, only the right cleaner. They are reliable and last a long time (provided you don't solder/resolder them 50 times- see Searcy's post). If this guitar is still running the original switch and it's just now going bad, that means there ain't all that much use put on these pots. The pickups for these Japanese guitars and others like it do suck and have a reputation as such, but the electronics they used on these really are top-notch. (Except, of corse, the switch going bad). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 Well thanks for that.. Its why I asked on here cos I know you guys understand this stuff I haven't worked with this type of wiring much... So I will start with the switch and work from there... If it does need a new switch, do you have any recommendations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Can you get this stuff over there? http://store.caig.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skilsaw Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I just need to find some of the right type of cleaner/lubricant.... I've been told the WD in WD-40 stands for "Water Displacement" and was sprayed liberally on electronics. That should clean and lube everything. Good Luck. And remember not to try to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. The guitar is perfect for fiddling around on and trying things for the first time. But if it gets too complicated, time consuming or expensive, you can replace the whole guitar for a couple of hundred quid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 Can you get this stuff over there? http://store.caig.com/ Don't think so.. I can get stuff off Ebay or Amazon but am looking for something I can pick up locally... If not I will have to order online and my mate will have to wait a bit :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 I've been told the WD in WD-40 stands for "Water Displacement" and was sprayed liberally on electronics. That should clean and lube everything. Good Luck. And remember not to try to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. The guitar is perfect for fiddling around on and trying things for the first time. But if it gets too complicated, time consuming or expensive, you can replace the whole guitar for a couple of hundred quid. Well ive looked in to WD40 but from what I have read the issue with it is the type of gunk it leaves behind actually attracts more dirt than the specially made lubricants you can get. And no it cant be replaced... As far as I know this is my friends first guitar so it means a lot to him.. Thus why I don't want to mess around with it unnecessarily.. If I can get some of this cleaner/lube and it works without me having to replace anything, that will be the best result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 CRC electrical contact cleaner works but it doesn't have any lubricant in it. It shouldn't damage the paint but just to be safe cover everything with a towel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 The stuff I work on, if anyone uses WD40 on it they'll get thumped pretty bad. DeOxit here in the US. You people surely have progressed enough to have something called "contact cleaner". It will clean the object but leave no siliconish stuff behind like the above. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshall Paul Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 And a Happy and prosperous New Year to you too mate. Now, I'm no electrics wiz kid, so I really can't answer with any authority. However, I still have my very first strat from '77 and after countless string changes, three nut change-outs and a re-saddle, one thing I've never had to touch is the electrics. And that baby sounds even better today than it did when I first got it. And I have and still do gig my instruments, they're tools not toys. But I look after them too so... go figure. I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshall Paul Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I know a LOT about these, it's maybe my only area of expertise, so listen up! "Yes Sir, excercise book and pencil out! Ready! LOL! love it .I think we'd better listen to this man, he sounds like he know's what he's talking about. Where's Ryan? He's good with this too. And don't use WD40 on electrical components mate, it can stuff them up, really. Use a quality electronic spray on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 I know a LOT about these, it's maybe my only area of expertise, so listen up! "Yes Sir, excercise book and pencil out! Ready! LOL! love it .I think we'd better listen to this man, he sounds like he know's what he's talking about. Where's Ryan? He's good with this too. And don't use WD40 on electrical components mate, it can stuff them up, really. Use a quality electronic spray on them. Yeah cheers man... As I say ive read that it does work initially with WD40 but very soon dirt builds up cos of whats left behind... I will just make sure im careful to get proper electro/mechanical contact cleaner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshall Paul Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 sounds the go mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Whenever Searcy tells me. My Sonex was built in 1981. I used that guitar on steady gigs for over 10 years straight, and it took a serious beating. I used to clean it up here and there, but I never had to do anything to the electronics, even after people spilled beer on it (can't say the same thing for my amps though!). The Texas humidity killed it though. I hadn't opened it up in the entire 3 years I lived down there. When I did open it up it had oxidation all over the metal parts, the toggle switch was shot, and the pots moved like a tongue across a frozen pole. I did break the coil tap during my gigging days but I never cared because I didn't use it. The worst part was that the neck had a torsional warp to it (I didn't even know a guitar could do that!). The pickguard was broken too. I ordered a new pickguard from WD® Custom Pickguards, cleaned up the entire guitar, forgot what I used on the pots but whatever it was it worked, soldered everything up including fixing the coil tap, and took it to a professional to fix the neck. He took the neck off (luckily it was a bolt on) and shaved parts of it off to straighten it up. He also crowned the frets. Now she looks and plays like new. I wish I had a before picture, because it looked really bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 But if it gets too complicated, time consuming or expensive, you can replace the whole guitar for a couple of hundred quid. Actually, if the stickers did not leave any shadows, a 50's reissue Jap Strat from '85 would be worth 450-650 American over here. Especially if it has the "v" shaped neck with that spine on it, which this may have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 The stuff I work on, if anyone uses WD40 on it they'll get thumped pretty bad. DeOxit here in the US. You people surely have progressed enough to have something called "contact cleaner". It will clean the object but leave no siliconish stuff behind like the above. rct Re-read this over and over until it sticks. If it doesn't, thump yourself in the head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 And don't use WD40 on electrical components mate, it can stuff them up, really. Use a quality electronic spray on them. Thanks for the compliment. Just wanna repeat what you said here. WD40 is NOT for electronics. And yea, even when used as directed, it does dry out and leave a gunk all on it's own. Sticky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4Hayden Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 First mistake was he didn't buy American made Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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