alans056 Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 Hey y'all. The other day I noticed my neck pickup lost 95% of volume. -> I had the same problem last year and my guitar tech fiddled with the knobs and turned them so hard that the entire pot would turn. That's how he fixed the problem. He said something interfered with the pot ? It was a year ago and I can''t remember enough to do it again myself. Do you have any ideas ? (I cant see my tech hes not where I live). Thanks!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lefty Bill Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 Hey y'all. The other day I noticed my neck pickup lost 95% of volume. -> I had the same problem last year and my guitar tech fiddled with the knobs and turned them so hard that the entire pot would turn. That's how he fixed the problem. He said something interfered with the pot ? It was a year ago and I can''t remember enough to do it again myself. Do you have any ideas ? (I cant see my tech hes not where I live). Thanks!!! I think it's likely that one of your controls has rotated inside, causing a wire to cross a contact where it shouldn't, or that a wire may have broken if the control has been loose for a while. Dry air (air conditioning will dehumidify the air) will cause the wood to shrink a little, and the control can loosen slightly, enough to turn a little without really noticing. When rotating a control knob back 'n forth, a loose control pot may get moved enough to cross a wire, or possibly pull a wire free from where it was attached. I dunno if there is an accurate way to evaluate the problem remotely/long distance.. you might check out some websites related to installing new tone or volume controls. The controls cover would likely need to be removed, and the knobs will probably need to be gently removed (being careful not to damage the guitar's finish), and a wrench would typically be used to carefully tighten the control nuts after the controls have been properly positioned. Some wire sorting may need to be done, which requires some knowledge of the guitar's wiring, and it's possible that some soldering may be required. If any of these possibilities aren't things that you're already familiar with, it would probably be worthwhile for you to try getting the guitar looked at by someone with some experience in repairing guitars/instruments (or other equipment that requires special handling). Regards, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amx05462 Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 from what your saying it sounds like your guy pushed it past the stop. were it me id just replace the pot. simple transfre of wires and soldering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigneil Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 If that was my guitar I would replace the knob(potentiometer). But, in the mean time, try some contact cleaner spray it just might fix the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alans056 Posted June 18, 2011 Author Share Posted June 18, 2011 Okay I see! I am not too familiar with repairing electronics so I will give my guitar to a tech! If the knob has to be replaced should I buy one and give it to the tech ? Or does he normally have everything he needs ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigneil Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 Any Tech that's any good should have spares parts handy, or at least be able to order them for you. But if you wanted a specific brand or a particular value of resistance or taper then there would be nothing wrong with ordering your own. In fact you could order a full set including replacement switch and capacitors and ask your tech to wire them all in with some good quality shielded wire. it would be a good upgrade and make your guitar more reliable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordy01 Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 Sounds like your pot should be replaced. Reduced volume is caused by either a bad ground connection, or a bad pot. If you are taking the time to do a repair, for the small cost of replacing a pot, you should do it anyway. Whether your tech has parts or not depends on the shop. I run a small luthier business, part time, and I stock pots as part of my business. I would not want a customer to have to wait 2-3 weeks for a simple pot replacement. I can source pots locally but the price is very high, so when I order parts I order a few extra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amx05462 Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 personally id try someone else . forcing a pot doesnt really fix anything. someone who did that to a guitar of mine ....that would be the lastwork he ever did for me. fortunatley i do my own work. putting in a pot is simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alans056 Posted June 18, 2011 Author Share Posted June 18, 2011 Oh right I see! So unfortunately I don't have the money to upgrade all the electronics (pots swtich etc). But changing only the faulty pot is possible right ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
animalfarm Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 Okay I see! I am not too familiar with repairing electronics so I will give my guitar to a tech! If the knob has to be replaced should I buy one and give it to the tech ? Or does he normally have everything he needs ? I hate to hear when someone hasn't learned to do their own soldering! Lots of vids on Youtube, or just google How to Solder. Being able to do your own work opens up so many doors... You can pick up a USEABLE 25 - 30Watt orange Weller soldering Iron from home Depot for around $20.00, but it's really just passable. A higher wattage iron is preferrable to get on and off the part quickly. Parts for my NEW SX Hawk Strat copy arrived yesterday, plus a couple of spare pots. Also a couple of Sprague "Orange-Drop" caps for the tone pot, just can't see them in the picture... I'm replacing the Factory Toggle switch, jack, and the mini-pots with full sized Alpha pots, all purchased from "GuitarFetish". CHEAP! Go ahead and remove the control cover (unless git is strat or tele) and LOOK at the back of the pots - is the one you're having problems with turned/twisited? Any broken wire connections on it? Regarding CLEANING of the suspect pot - this is from the "Do-it-Yourself" Sticky in the EPI Lounge... I'm thinking the replacement is the best long-term solution, pots run around $2.50 each. Guitarftish link: http://www.guitarfetish.com/Guitar-Electrical-Components_c_14.html DIY: ***GUITAR HUM/BUZZ/SCRATCHY VOL or TONE POTS FROM GUITAR Clean Scratchy-Sounding Pots/Crackling while turning Vol/Tone Pots: http://forum.gibson.com/index.php/topic/52017-94-epi-les-paul-crackling-while-turning-volumetone-pots/page__pid__715802#entry715802 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alans056 Posted June 19, 2011 Author Share Posted June 19, 2011 AnimalFarm it is you who helped me installing the Gibson 57 classics on my les paul a while back, remember ? So I did some work myself on my guitar! But this pot problem is something totally new and my tech is awesome he shows me what he is doing and explains it to me. So I will stick with him I think. It's my only guitar. And I'm getting better and better (1 year of playing) and I can't afford not being able to play for too long! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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