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Post by efnikbug on Aug 7, 2008 21:44:05 GMT -5
What I prefer doing is to flux all the pot legs, use a 45w iron and place the tip across all three pot lugs and pull up on the pot. That usually works bestest and fastest. Then I throw away the PCB board and the pots, lay down a bed of heavy aluminum foil, and bolt in a new set of CTS pots. Good call.
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Post by Ray M. on Aug 8, 2008 0:26:19 GMT -5
I bet it won't be long before we see a picture of a rehab'd '08 Standard's control cavity. I wonder ...surely there's still just a plain wire coming from the bridge stud.
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Post by Rob DiStefano on Aug 8, 2008 4:46:43 GMT -5
I bet it won't be long before we see a picture of a rehab'd '08 Standard's control cavity. I wonder ...surely there's still just a plain wire coming from the bridge stud. Hasta always be one, else it's buzz city - look at yer cavity pic and the bridge ground is that bare silver wire at the top left of the cavity, sprouting from the cavity wall.
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Post by bloodrose on Aug 8, 2008 9:07:26 GMT -5
. Then I throw away the PCB board and the pots, lay down a bed of heavy aluminum foil, and bolt in a new set of CTS pots. Really? would you recommend Copper foil? Yeah the metal plate in my lester drives me batty and the new ones look like royal mess. There are no grounding issues or anything with going this route? Would this take short shaft pots?? Not to mention the risk of messing whole thing up if you over heat etc. So this is a bigger pain than I first thought it would be.. Im sure it saves them money as they dont have to solder any more, just snap it in and then Im sure they charge a pretty penny for replacement parts.. I know alot of the Gibson fanboys will opt for only genuine parts to maintain the value of the guitar.
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Post by Rob DiStefano on Aug 8, 2008 9:19:15 GMT -5
Copper foil is fine, so is heavy duty Reynolds aluminum foil - and easier/cheaper to find. Install the foil with any kinda contact cement.
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Post by Ray M. on Aug 8, 2008 11:40:01 GMT -5
Seems like aluminum (duct) tape would be an easy and cheap method.
continuity between two strips of it might be a problem because of the adhesive though....
any experience with that?
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Post by Rob DiStefano on Aug 8, 2008 13:05:02 GMT -5
Aluminum tape (car muffler, duct sleeve, etc.) works well - just needs to be one piece, unless you fold over and staple a seam into the cavity wood.
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Post by Ray M. on Aug 8, 2008 19:37:00 GMT -5
makes sense....
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Post by Rob DiStefano on Aug 8, 2008 19:53:40 GMT -5
I prefer the hd alum foil because there's no sticky back and it can be easily trial fitted. A bit of brushed on Elmers contact cement and yer good to go.
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Post by bloodrose on Aug 9, 2008 9:02:53 GMT -5
Line the whole cavity with that? Or just on the surface where the shafts go thru? Am I safe to assume that using this method, I would go with short shaft pots???
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Post by Rob DiStefano on Aug 9, 2008 9:08:01 GMT -5
Line the whole cavity with that? No. Or just on the surface where the shafts go thru? Yes. Am I safe to assume that using this method, I would go with short shaft pots??? Absolutely.....
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Post by bloodrose on Aug 10, 2008 16:09:28 GMT -5
Thanks so much Rob!! One last question... Other than a clean look, is there any other benefit to gutting the guitar and doing this right away?? Im gonna change the bridge pickup in my LP in prob the next month.. Will I get any kind of gain or benefit if I do this right away, or wait until then, or sometime when I get to it?
Would I benefit by going to 500k pots?? I think the stock Gibsons are 300k right??
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Post by Rob DiStefano on Aug 10, 2008 16:24:30 GMT -5
Thanks so much Rob!! One last question... Other than a clean look, is there any other benefit to gutting the guitar and doing this right away?? Im gonna change the bridge pickup in my LP in prob the next month.. Will I get any kind of gain or benefit if I do this right away, or wait until then, or sometime when I get to it? What I already said - this swap is for ease of maintenance.Would I benefit by going to 500k pots?? I think the stock Gibsons are 300k right?? I don't get too hung up on pot values, they're not as critical as some "experts" avow. You'd be surprised how much pot values vary, anyhoo. I use 500's for standard humbuckers and 250's for all true and noiseless "single coils".]
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Post by Ray M. on Aug 10, 2008 17:36:25 GMT -5
me too Rob, but like you said....a 500k can range from 400-600.
even more.
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Post by Rob DiStefano on Aug 10, 2008 17:48:06 GMT -5
I'm amazed at how off even the good USA pots values are - I got a big box of new CTS 250k and 500k audio taper pots and the first five of the 250k batch all measured under 210k. Measuring under isn't a big deal to fix - just open the pot cover (CTS pots are extremely easy to work on), attach a VOM to the outer lugs (the carbon strip), and using a sharp edge (Xacto or single edge razor blade) scrape away on the inside or outside edges of the carbon resistance strip - watch the VOM needle and when it hits the number yer after, yer good to go. I like a 250k pot to register around 260-265k. Likewise, though I haven't done it, it seems logical to scrape up a 250k pot into a 300k.
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