on my cheap SX strat... volume pot question..

[scuzzo]

ok so my guitar is starting to get a bit of a humming sound, it goes away when you tap the knob a shot.. but.. its been this way for a while and its time just to get rid of the shot pot.. i have tried to re-solder the connection with no success still hum...

 

i have a few pots from a recent SX replacment.. and am wondering can i use the tone pot for a vol pot.. or are these application specific? tone for tone vol for vol.. any one got any ideas?

 

 

i tried cleaning the pots with some cleaner spray.. no joy...

[mike42]

I have no idea how the SX's are wired, but the problem might not be a "bad" pot, but just some kind of mechanical ground connection that's loose. If they're using something like a foil ground conductor on the back of the pick guard, make sure that all the pots are making good contact (that they're tight), and that the foil isn't worn through where the pots bolt on.

[IBDBB]

tone and volume pots are interchangable, but "A" pots work better for both applications, imo.

I would suggest just resoldering your connections.

 

Most foreign guitar manufacturers use "b" 500k or 250k pots for volume and "a" 500k or 250k pots for tone.

I like to swap the b pots for a's. A or audio/log pots have a gradual swell/curve, b pots basically go 0,10.

[BoneNut]

 

tone and volume pots are interchangable, but "A" pots work better for both applications, imo. I would suggest just resoldering your connections. Most foreign guitar manufacturers use "b" 500k or 250k pots for volume and "a" 500k or 250k pots for tone. I like to swap the b pots for a's. A or audio/log pots have a gradual swell/curve, b pots basically go 0,10.

 

 

Agreed.

Just buy three new CTS 250k audio taper pots and be done with it. They're only like 6 bucks a piece. Go ahead a get a good cap in there and change out the cheap switch too.

 

This is all really inexpensive stuff. Why sweat it?

[Mahuska]

 

Agreed. Just buy three new CTS 250k audio taper pots and be done with it. They're only like 6 bucks a piece. Go ahead a get a good cap in there and change out the cheap switch too. This is all really inexpensive stuff. Why sweat it?

 

this

[outtahear]

 

ok so my guitar is starting to get a bit of a humming sound, it goes away when you tap the knob a shot.. but.. its been this way for a while and its time just to get rid of the shot pot.. i have tried to re-solder the connection with no success still hum... ..

 

 

If you're grounding to the back of the pot, make sure the back (shell)of the pot's crimped down tightly to the front part (that the shaft pokes through).

 

If it's a bit loose, the ground connection (the shell of the pot grounds to the front bit, that connects to the plate and completes the ground circuit) can go intermittent.

 

Try it-lemme know.

[alfsboy]

I had a similar problem on my SX strat .If I wacked the pot it stopped !!. I just put in new CTS pots and switch etc.Alphas will also do fine . its a standard job on many cheap guitars that looks and play OK but have awful electrics.

[wagdog]

Do the sx's ship w/500k pots in their strats? They might. A lot of the chinese single coil ax's do. I know I replaced the pots on the sx strat I bought, but I don't remember what was in there. Same w/the tele's - the stock electronics were really cheap.

 

I would just buy 3 new pots, 250k and a new cap as suggested above. And yes, a new switch, and probably a new jack. If that's the strat you've done your recording with, it a nice sounding guitar you have - it's a keeper and worth upgrading.