Ibanez SR505 - noisy treble pot fix?

[GGEOO]

I just bought a used Ibanez SR505 5 string bass and the treble pot is pretty noisy. Is there a way to address/fix this-make it quieter? Everything else about the bass is cool so if I could have a quieter treble pot it would be near perfect. I've read on the HC reviews of this instrument that it is an issue on all of them. Mine is made in Korea so a couple of years old. (new ones are made in Indonesia) Thanks for any help. GEO

[WRGKMC]

Get some contact cleaner and spray inside the pot. It usually works for awhile. Eventually it will need to be replaced.

[BigPigPeaches]

You can get the contact cleaner at any decent electronics parts store. Be very careful to avoid overspray, this stuff will damage some types of finishes.

[Belva]

It usually works for awhile. Eventually it will need to be replaced.

:thu:

[Htaed]

Avoid the contact cleaner if possible and just drip a little olive oil in there, work the pot left and right and then clean it with some rubbing alcohol. Should be fixed and cleaning out the oil with rubbing alcohol eliminates the conductivity loss the oil can cause if left behind.

 

Contact cleaner will generally damage any kind of plastic, that includes lacquer, enamel, polyurethane etc.

[WRGKMC]

Avoid the contact cleaner if possible and just drip a little olive oil in there, work the pot left and right and then clean it with some rubbing alcohol. Should be fixed and cleaning out the oil with rubbing alcohol eliminates the conductivity loss the oil can cause if left behind. Contact cleaner will generally damage any kind of plastic, that includes lacquer, enamel, polyurethane etc.

 

Not very good advice, Rubbing alcohol has alot of water and olive oil residue dry and become tackey and make the problem much worse. More on this below.

 

If you work in the business, you learn there are many types of contact cleaners designed for different purposes.

 

A good potentiometer cleaner uses a form of denatured alcohol not rubbing alcohol and also contains a lubricant. It will not damage the carbon contacts nor any of the plastic components inside.

 

It will not FIX a worn pot. Once the carbon contact is worn through it needs replacement. It will remove dirt and moisture which can make the pot scratchey.

 

You dont want to use a dry contact cleaner that is strictly alcohol on pots. These type of cleaners are designed to clean carbonized electrical contacts and remove oxidation off metals.

 

You also have different types of pots. Most are either dry or lubricated. The dry ones can use the Contact cleaner with a lubricant.

 

The Lubricated pots are packed with conductive grease which is a petroleum grease that promotes non conductivity and extends the life of the carbon contacts. These kind of pots are normally found in Mixers, HiFi equipment etc and they have resistance when turned because of the grease inside.

In general these pots get thrown out when they dry out. You can rejuvinate them by using clear/pure petroleum oil with no additives like teflon or other lubricating additives (not olive oil) The Oil will reliquify the conductive grease and make the contact ride on the carbon contact again instead of riding over the dried up grease causing arching.

 

You can, liquify the grease with the oil, Clean the pot with a safe degreaser, then repack the pot with conductive grease. I only do this for oddball pots that may be hard to find. Otherwise, replacement for a few dollars is a lot less time consuming and a relyable fix.

[Belva]

I haven't had a dirty pot customer since I went legit with my home guitar repair biz. But I plan on spelling it out on the work order that cleaning is a temporary fix with no guarantees.

[Corey McNaught]

Nobody seems to understand the real issue here. It’s not a dirty pot.(it doesn’t crackle when you turn the knob) It doesn’t need cleaning of any sort. It’s an issue with ALL of those (at least the older ones) 505s. Unless the treble knob is fully cut off it will make a noisy hissing hum, even in the center position. Seems to be an actual design flaw with the active pre-amp. I have an old 505 myself which I absolutely love. But I sure wish I could get some treble with it. Absolutely useless for recording if that knob is anywhere other than fully cut off. Came here hoping someone has a solution.