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Post subject: Tone pot replacement suggestions?
Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 6:06 pm
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I'm thinking of replacing the tone knob in my 1983 Fender USA Bullet Bass Deluxe. The pot in it is presumably original, but it has no response. The solders look good, so if the pot is bad, I was hoping to find some replacement suggestions here. Thanks.

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Post subject: Re: Tone pot replacement suggestions?
Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 9:53 am
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The tone doesn't work ? Did you heard it work before ? Or it is a "new " guitar for you ? I think in a "new " buy .

Most of the time pots are trouble free or make noise when you turn it , but your ear it work.

If you ear nothing , yes pot could be bad or tone capacitor defective ( broken , open ) or bad wiring.
Can you send us some close picture of all the electronics; pots. We will tell you more about. To be sure you won't buy a pot if it is a wiring problem


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Post subject: Re: Tone pot replacement suggestions?
Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 11:33 am
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It's a new bass to me, so I'm unsure what it sounded like in the past. There seems to be a slight discernment when rolling the knob from one extreme to the other, but it's not much of anything and probably unnoticeable if I wasn't the one turning the knob. I'll have to take a photo or two and post them later.

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Post subject: Re: Tone pot replacement suggestions?
Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 12:05 pm
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Yes with some pictures it will help. A "new" used bass or guitar can have some mods with error. Your pot seem's to work .

if you can read the value write on the tone capacitor.

The mustang bass have probably same wiring; Tone capacitor look to be a 0.05 mfd

http://www.flatearthguitars.com/files/F ... ss-FMI.jpg


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Post subject: Re: Tone pot replacement suggestions?
Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 12:48 pm
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Yeah, I bet the Mustang was wired exactly the same.

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Post subject: Re: Tone pot replacement suggestions?
Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 11:18 pm
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Do not replace anything until you inspect everything about the wiring. The cap maybe is bad or there could be a broken solder joint. What sometimes happens is a pot nut under the control gets loose and then the whole pot moves and over time a connection breaks or the pot gets spun completely around and something gets shorted or broken. The nut then gets tightened back up, someone declares, "There I fixed it" and the internal fault the loose nut caused is not remedied. It could be something very simple. I would not replace anything on that bass if it is original. Bullets won't ever be worth what a Pre-CBS Jazz is worth but there is no sense in changing a pot just to change a pot and destroying collector value.

The Musicmaster, Mustang and Bullet USA basses all used the same control wiring scheme. Just like a P-Bass they used 250K pots & 0.05 tone cap.

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Post subject: Re: Tone pot replacement suggestions?
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 3:09 am
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brotherdave wrote:
The cap maybe is bad or there could be a broken solder joint. What sometimes happens is a pot nut under the control gets loose and then the whole pot moves and over time a connection breaks or the pot gets spun completely around and something gets shorted or broken.
Image



It's not the case as garbanzo write ; " The solders look good, so if the pot is bad, I was hoping to find some replacement suggestions here. Thanks."

Or he did not see something wrong for the expert ?


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Post subject: Re: Tone pot replacement suggestions?
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 11:47 am
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In the event the circuit is correct, you should have a tech spray contact cleaner into the pot first to see if that makes a difference. Next, check the actual value of capacitor on a capacitance meter and then check the function of the pot on a ohm meter. You will need to desolder one end of the cap for an accurate value reading. It should read between 0.04 and 0.06. The pot value and function can be checked without desoldering.

Sometimes pots can be repaired using the internal parts from a new pot without desoldering so that the pot codes still match, but this is a tedious procedure.

If readings show the cap is out of tolerance, replace it with the cap type of your choice with a stated value of 0.05. This is somewhat unlikely but it could have came out of tolerance new. This instrument probably uses a poly cap but replacing it with any generally accepted type tone cap that reads 0.05 (often marked as 0.047) would be ok. The cost of the cap will range from a dollar up depending on type chosen with ceramic and poly being the cheaper options. Every type tone cap has their own characteristic sound. If you change the tone cap, retain the original with the instrument.

If you need a new pot, the Bullets I've seen have PUSH ON Strat type knobs, so it will most likely be a split shaft 250K pot, probably the one in there is CTS made with both the CTS code and Fender part number stamped on it. If the pot code starts 137 that confirms it is a CTS pot. If it is CTS and if it has push on knobs the current Fender part number is 0990830000 and they are available at most Fender dealers. They should cost about $6 to $8 depending on the dealer's markup. The CTS OEM part number is CTS EP085 which run about $4 to $6 without the Fender part number stamped on it. Retain the original pot with the instrument.


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Post subject: Re: Tone pot replacement suggestions?
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 12:17 pm
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I have some contact cleaner and could break out my multimeter to test the pot if I can figure it out, but I figure I'm taking it to my tech for a set up (intonation, neck, etc) sometime in the next week, so it'd be easier to have him do it all. I just hoped to educate myself on the options a bit before taking it in. Kinda excited to pull off the pickguard and check out the pot in more depth now that I have some things to go on. Thanks, y'all! Please feel free to keep the info coming if you have something else to add.

Here's a shot of my bass buddies:
Image

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Post subject: Re: Tone pot replacement suggestions?
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 1:31 pm
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A nice brace there!


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Post subject: Re: Tone pot replacement suggestions?
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 1:38 pm
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I'm unfamiliar with that term, but thanks! Is a brace a duo of basses?

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Post subject: Re: Tone pot replacement suggestions?
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 3:17 pm
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One definition of BRACE = A matched pair. A brace of dueling pistols for example. Or in your case a brace of bass!


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Post subject: Re: Tone pot replacement suggestions?
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 6:06 pm
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Sweet! The finishes are different, and they're technically called different color names, but they look pretty much the same to me and everyone else. The BWB pickguard should highlight the difference in the two better for most people. I figure the Jazz has black knobs and pickup covers with a white pickguard, so it only makes sense to retain the white knobs and pickup covers on the Bullet backed with a black pickguard.

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Post subject: Re: Tone pot replacement suggestions?
Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 8:14 pm
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Keep the Bullet as original as possible. Nice ones are going up in value.


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Post subject: Re: Tone pot replacement suggestions?
Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 9:38 am
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This one is really nice. When I blew my first shot at this bass six years ago, the original pg was broken at the input jack, so the guy I bought it off of a few weeks ago had replaced it with another cheap white plastic one. Since it's not original, I have no qualms changing it out. When I got finally got it after years of remorse, I looked them up on ebay again and noticed how much more they go for now than six years ago. And the Bullet is in waaaay better condition than my workhorse Jazz, which has earned every chip, nick, stain, etc. The Bullet is definitely my backup and home practice bass, though, so it shouldn't get too beat up. I'll ask my tech if he can rebuild the same pot, otherwise I think my amp/pedal guy probably could, just to keep it as original as possible. Thanks.

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