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  • Volume Pot Crackle

    OK, first off, I did search and read through old posts. I know there's a ton of old threads about this, but mine's a little different...

    My volume pot had a bunch of crackle, and I used some electronics cleaning oil on it and it worked like a charm. Just yesterday, I bought a new push/pull pot to replace it with and now the crackle is back. Only thing is that it only crackles when it's in the "pulled-out" position (pushed position sounds clean and crackle-free.) I have tried using the above oil, and both turning and pushing/pulling the pot to work the oil in, but it is not helping. It's not horribly bad crackling, but it just bugs me that it's there--especially since it is a brand-new pot. Anyone got any other ideas to fix it? :think: I'm stumped.
    Thanks!
    My Gear: Stoneman SG-1, Hufschmid Tantalum H6, ESP KH-6, Sully #8 JCF One-Off, Templar GuitarWorks Relic Prototype, James Hetfield Tribal Hunt KL Explorer, Coobeetsa CCG-10-DX PRO Eagle, Schecter Hellraiser C-1 Hybrid, Daly Heiro Custom, Gibson Les Paul Custom, Gibson SG Menace, Peavey Vypyr 60 Tube

    "You are dog shit in my shoe." -Newc

  • #2
    On a push/pull its using the same pot contacts in either postion. It simply has a linkage attached to the rotor(shaft) to engage or disengage the switch. My guess is when the switch is engaged(pulled up) the rotor is moving up just enough to cause the sweeper arm to not make good contact and cause the crackling noise. You can try re-treating it with the electronics cleaner to see if it clears up. If not you have a bad push/pull pot you will need to replace.
    It happens to about 1 in every 100 I replace.

    Comment


    • #3
      Thanks for the info, atdguitars. On the old standard pot, I took the knob off and put the cleaning oil on the shaft where it enters into the casing and rotated it to work it into the pot and that worked great. I did the exact same thing with this push/pull pot, but I do remember when I was looking at it (before I installed it) that there was a spot in the middle somewhere where I could see the shaft that was pushing/pulling. Should I put the oil in that area to work it in? I'm not sure where inside the pot the contacts are at for the "pulled out" position. Thanks!
      My Gear: Stoneman SG-1, Hufschmid Tantalum H6, ESP KH-6, Sully #8 JCF One-Off, Templar GuitarWorks Relic Prototype, James Hetfield Tribal Hunt KL Explorer, Coobeetsa CCG-10-DX PRO Eagle, Schecter Hellraiser C-1 Hybrid, Daly Heiro Custom, Gibson Les Paul Custom, Gibson SG Menace, Peavey Vypyr 60 Tube

      "You are dog shit in my shoe." -Newc

      Comment


      • #4
        There should be a space on the bottom of the pot where you can spray some cleaner right into the pot IIRC.

        Is there any chance you damaged the pot when soldering it? I did that with a CTS pot I bought before.
        http://www.amazon.co.uk/Steven-A.-McKay/e/B00DS0TRH6/

        http://http://stevenamckay.wordpress.com/

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        • #5
          Originally posted by DalyTek View Post
          Thanks for the info, atdguitars. On the old standard pot, I took the knob off and put the cleaning oil on the shaft where it enters into the casing and rotated it to work it into the pot and that worked great. I did the exact same thing with this push/pull pot, but I do remember when I was looking at it (before I installed it) that there was a spot in the middle somewhere where I could see the shaft that was pushing/pulling. Should I put the oil in that area to work it in? I'm not sure where inside the pot the contacts are at for the "pulled out" position. Thanks!
          As MB1 said.. right where the solder lugs are for the pot itself is where to spray the cleaner. Make sure its an alcohol based cleaner and not an oil based. Oil will just make it gunk up worse later. I doubt the crackling is in the switch itself as it only moves up and down unless you have a cold solder joint. The shaft slides through the sweeper arm when engaging the switch so the sweeper has only one set of contacts whether the shaft be pulled up or pushed down.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by MartinBarre1 View Post
            Is there any chance you damaged the pot when soldering it? I did that with a CTS pot I bought before.
            I don't think so, though it's always a possibility. All of my solder joints are good and tight (I triple checked them all lol) Everything is working and sounding great, outside of this slight crackle.

            I'm gonna go pull the back cover off and look, but I don't remember seeing any places to put the cleaner on the back of the pot.

            I just found it really weird that it only crackles when adjusting the volume if it is pulled up. Especially if it is using the same contacts whether it is pulled or pushed, that seems so odd.
            My Gear: Stoneman SG-1, Hufschmid Tantalum H6, ESP KH-6, Sully #8 JCF One-Off, Templar GuitarWorks Relic Prototype, James Hetfield Tribal Hunt KL Explorer, Coobeetsa CCG-10-DX PRO Eagle, Schecter Hellraiser C-1 Hybrid, Daly Heiro Custom, Gibson Les Paul Custom, Gibson SG Menace, Peavey Vypyr 60 Tube

            "You are dog shit in my shoe." -Newc

            Comment


            • #7
              There is probably just a little bit of slop in the shaft/sweeper thats only noticed when its engaged.

              Comment


              • #8
                Wow, now tell me if this makes any sense?

                I was working some more cleaner into the pot when I discovered something strange. It was crackling a bunch as I was turning the knob (in the pulled position) and my strings were ringing when I hit the stop on the knob, so I deadened the strings with my other hand so I could hear the crackle better as I am turning the knob, and there WAS NO CRACKLE! I released the strings (still continuing to turn the knob back and forth), and the crackle comes back! What the...????
                My Gear: Stoneman SG-1, Hufschmid Tantalum H6, ESP KH-6, Sully #8 JCF One-Off, Templar GuitarWorks Relic Prototype, James Hetfield Tribal Hunt KL Explorer, Coobeetsa CCG-10-DX PRO Eagle, Schecter Hellraiser C-1 Hybrid, Daly Heiro Custom, Gibson Les Paul Custom, Gibson SG Menace, Peavey Vypyr 60 Tube

                "You are dog shit in my shoe." -Newc

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by DalyTek View Post
                  Wow, now tell me if this makes any sense?

                  I was working some more cleaner into the pot when I discovered something strange. It was crackling a bunch as I was turning the knob (in the pulled position) and my strings were ringing when I hit the stop on the knob, so I deadened the strings with my other hand so I could hear the crackle better as I am turning the knob, and there WAS NO CRACKLE! I released the strings (still continuing to turn the knob back and forth), and the crackle comes back! What the...????
                  Check your grounds.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    What is the best way to check my grounds? I have used my multimeter and checked for continuity throughout the grounding system and it all showed good that way.

                    If it was a grounding issue, wouldn't I already be grounding it by touching the knob?
                    My Gear: Stoneman SG-1, Hufschmid Tantalum H6, ESP KH-6, Sully #8 JCF One-Off, Templar GuitarWorks Relic Prototype, James Hetfield Tribal Hunt KL Explorer, Coobeetsa CCG-10-DX PRO Eagle, Schecter Hellraiser C-1 Hybrid, Daly Heiro Custom, Gibson Les Paul Custom, Gibson SG Menace, Peavey Vypyr 60 Tube

                    "You are dog shit in my shoe." -Newc

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      If you bother to spray it again use good quality contact cleaner. Not the stuff you can get at Radio Shak or an auto parts store. Try to find a real electronics parts store. They'll have the right cleaner for the job. I paid $8 for a small can of contact cleaner, but it actually worked so it was worth it.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by atdguitars View Post
                        Check your grounds.
                        +1.
                        Another vote for the ground connection.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I have checked my grounds and have continuity to everything, and also am receiving a resistance reading of zero between all points and the ground prong on my amp, so I think all my grounds are good, unless I am missing something??
                          My Gear: Stoneman SG-1, Hufschmid Tantalum H6, ESP KH-6, Sully #8 JCF One-Off, Templar GuitarWorks Relic Prototype, James Hetfield Tribal Hunt KL Explorer, Coobeetsa CCG-10-DX PRO Eagle, Schecter Hellraiser C-1 Hybrid, Daly Heiro Custom, Gibson Les Paul Custom, Gibson SG Menace, Peavey Vypyr 60 Tube

                          "You are dog shit in my shoe." -Newc

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Inermittant can check ok, but it can rear its ugly head under performance conditions.
                            It might also be as mentioned before, dual pots have a tough time making contact on a consistent base, so it may be fine one way, but not the other.
                            That would be a manufacturing issue.

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