A crackling volume or tone control on you guitar is one of the most annoying problems to arise. Crackling pots can also affect your amp or even FX pedals and in the most serious of cases can even render your gear useless!
In this blog I'm going to show you how to clean the potentiometers properly, stopping that irksome crackle and restoring your volume and tone controls to their original condition.
Before you get stuck in dismantling you guitar, pedal or amp make sure that you've got the necessary tools and cleaning products.
- Screw driver/s
- Air duster - compressed air
- Cleaning product such as DeoxitD5
Note: if you're working on your amp make sure that you don't touch any of the capacitor terminals as they could still have charge in them and this may result in a nasty shock. Always isolate the amp from a live power source before opening!
The cleaning products are crucial as some products are not up to the job. Please don't use WD40! It contains solvents that will strip away the grease lubricating the pot and will also leave an oily residue on the contact surface, which in time will become clogged with dust and dirt that has stuck to the surface, ultimately making the problem worse.
I would recommend Deoxit D5. It's a specially designed cleaning product specifically made for cleaning potentiometers. They also make a product for cleaning switches which is useful for cleaning the pickup selector. You can buy a can of compressed air like Airduster from Maplin
Joff Winks Guitar - Guitar lessons in Oxford and Online © joffwinksguitar.com 2016
I'm going to use a trusted old FX pedal as a demonstration but the process is identical for cleaning any crackling pot.
First remover the cover that protects the circuit board or guitar controls. In the photographs above you can see a series of pots running along the bottom of the pcb. There is a small notch cut into the back of each pot that allows you access to the internal mechanisms.
Using the Airduster with the pipe attached, blow out the dust from each pot. A couple of seconds blast for each pot will do the trick.
Next using the pipe attachment spray a little of the Deoxit into the pot. You may find that some of the product leaks out and this can be cleaned up with a paper towel or cotton bud afterwards. Give the pots a good turn back and forth through their entire range.
Repeat for each pot in the circuit and then after cleaning any residue replace the cover.
No more crackle and a happy guitar amp or FX pedal.
Don't be shy, if you like the blog please hit the like button or share on your favourite social media.
Hope you find the information useful.
