Signs of a fried volume/tone pot?

[kevinT]

I am doing a lot of testing these days and i think i fried my volume pot with all the repetitive heating with the iron. What are the signs of a burned out volume pot. I'm getting thin and shrill tone from one of my guitars.

[Dr. Guitar]

put it on as multi-meter, and make sure you're getting the rating that you're supposed to. otherwise if when you pan it, it crackles, or cuts out, and won't clean, it's time to get a new one.

[Possum]

....

do you have to unsolder the leads to get a reading?

[GlennW]

If you're unsoldering and resoldering a lot you might want to leave a couple wires 2"-3" long on the pot and use wire nuts or just twist the wires for testing. It's a lot easier and quicker, and won't cook your stuff.

[kevinT]

If you're unsoldering and resoldering a lot you might want to leave a couple wires 2"-3" long on the pot and use wire nuts or just twist the wires for testing. It's a lot easier and quicker, and won't cook your stuff.

I actually thought about this but instead of using the nuts, i was going to use gator clips...I think david schwab did something like this that he mentioned a while ago.

[kevinT]

do you have to unsolder the leads to get a reading?

I'll have to check.

[Possum]

...

I bought some NOS Centralab pots for my LP's but they don't have splines on them any idea how to use typical gibson knobs on these? They're supposed to the stuff to use for original burst tones, I have NOS bumble bee caps in the Epiphone....

[greenfingers]

Solderless Connection

I dont know if any of you have used solderless connections in your work? but that will save time and your pots, Acme guitar works use them in pre wired pickguards for strat's and they do the same humbucker as well.

[David Schwab]

I actually thought about this but instead of using the nuts, i was going to use gator clips...I think david schwab did something like this that he mentioned a while ago.

I have a few output jacks with alligator clips on them, and on my current test bass I have clips attached to the controls so I can swap pickups in and out, as well as trying them series/parallel. Saves soldering re-soldering.

[Joe Gwinn]

I am doing a lot of testing these days and i think i fried my volume pot with all the repetitive heating with the iron. What are the signs of a burned out volume pot? I'm getting thin and shrill tone from one of my guitars.

Unsolder the center terminal, which goes to the wiper. Put a multimeter between this terminal and either other terminal, Turn pot slowly while watching the resistance reading. It should increase or decrease gradually, without jumps, and achieve more or less the rated resistance at one end. Do the same test, only between the wiper and the other end of the control. A volume control pot will be nonlinear, but should still be smooth.

The classic trick for temporary hookups is to stick the wire to the terminal with only a drop of solder, without wrapping the wire around the terminal or poling the wire through the hole in the terminal. And do the soldering fast, so you don't heat things up too much. But I've never damaged a pot by soldering.

[John_H]

I've never damaged a pot by soldering.

Neither Have I. I usually blame the cat. It's convenient, and the cat doesn't care.

I recently bought a epi les paul studio to use as a test guitar. The pigtails, and mini-clips I put in make swapping pickups easy. I back the strings off enough to allow the tailpiece to clear the posts, and use a capo to hold things in place. I plan to add a couple more pigtails so I can try different capacitors also.

[David Schwab]

I get so tired loosening the strings that at some point, when I get the time, I want to make a bass I can slip the pickups in and out of with the strings on.