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Post subject: Tone pot problem!
Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 11:16 pm
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hey all,

I am having an issue that may require a tech but ill ask here first to see if you all can help me.

The tone pot for my neck pickup on my strat seems to not be working right, The tone is not changing from 3 to 8 then there is a big jump. Could there be a wiring issue or is it something else?

Thanks

Dave.

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Post subject: Re: Tone pot problem!
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 3:34 am
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Year ?

Some mods or not ?

Pot look to be dirty. Remove pickgard, spray good contact cleaner with lubricant on the small hole on the pot . Turn a least 20 time pot knob.

But fist before buying contact cleaner and remove pickgard , turn pot knob at leas 20 time , Il could clean the pot without need cleaner if you are lucky . Often turning a pot keep it clean.


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Post subject: Re: Tone pot problem!
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 11:42 am
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Hey its a 2012 american standard. It is clean i keep it in prestine shape. I tryed turning the knob 20 times as you suggested but still no go so i think i will bring it into the tech when im at the shop next week and get him to take a look.

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2012 Limited Edition Fender Blues Junior III
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Post subject: Re: Tone pot problem!
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 12:25 pm
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Just spray some contact cleaner in there, turn the pot a few dozen times and it should be right as rain

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Post subject: Re: Tone pot problem!
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 4:18 pm
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GilgaFrank wrote:
Just spray some contact cleaner in there, turn the pot a few dozen times and it should be right as rain


Maybe that will work.

Firstly I'm primarily a bass player, but I've run across this same thing a lot on basses. The problem you describe on your guitar I call a "Razor Edge" on a bass tone control and I run across this a lot.

You will read musings that a "Razor Edge" in a tone control is associated more frequently with linear taper pots than audio taper pots. I however pooh-pooh that because I've seen it happen with audio taper pots including the CTS made audio taper ones Fender uses. There is NO TONAL BENEFIT to using anything other than audio taper pots anyway. Fender uses ONLY audio taper pots in passive instruments to keep things simple, yet touchy tone controls on passive Fenders isn't exactly rare. I usually just change both the tone cap and pot and the problem is gone forever. I don't care about what actually was the culprit so long as it is gone. It is annoying as heck and I just can't abide it for long. Cleaning may or may not help depending on the cause, but almost always the cause isn't dirt so cleaning isn't going to be the solution much of the time.

If cleaning doesn't fix it, just swap out the pot and the tone cap and get it over with. If this was a vintage instrument we were talking about then I would suggest a more complicated and time consuming diagnostic procedure leading possibly to a different solution, but this is a new instrument, so just fix it as quickly and cheaply as possible.

A final thought. Since it is NEW it is covered under the warranty this less than stellar functioning should be covered. If you let someone other than an authorized Fender service center fiddle with it then you will void your warranty. Just FYI.


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Post subject: Re: Tone pot problem!
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 4:37 pm
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Personally, I never use a neck tone pot. The pickup is usually "bassy" enough. The last thing I want to do is cut anymore treble from them. I never liked the Strat tone setup. If anything, those two knobs should be for bridge and middle pickups.

Just remember, your neck pickup is mainly bass tones, and with your tone pot cutting more treble, that sweep range will probably by nature be smaller than the sweep range of the middle anyway. There comes a point to where there's just no more treble left to cut.

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Post subject: Re: Tone pot problem!
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 4:41 pm
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brotherdave wrote:
GilgaFrank wrote:
Just spray some contact cleaner in there, turn the pot a few dozen times and it should be right as rain


Maybe that will work.

Firstly I'm primarily a bass player, but I've run across this same thing a lot on basses. The problem you describe on your guitar I call a "Razor Edge" on a bass tone control and I run across this a lot.

You will read musings that a "Razor Edge" in a tone control is associated more frequently with linear taper pots than audio taper pots. I however pooh-pooh that because I've seen it happen with audio taper pots including the CTS made audio taper ones Fender uses. There is NO TONAL BENEFIT to using anything other than audio taper pots anyway. Fender uses ONLY audio taper pots in passive instruments to keep things simple, yet touchy tone controls on passive Fenders isn't exactly rare. I usually just change both the tone cap and pot and the problem is gone forever. I don't care about what actually was the culprit so long as it is gone. It is annoying as heck and I just can't abide it for long. Cleaning may or may not help depending on the cause, but almost always the cause isn't dirt so cleaning isn't going to be the solution much of the time.

If cleaning doesn't fix it, just swap out the pot and the tone cap and get it over with. If this was a vintage instrument we were talking about then I would suggest a more complicated and time consuming diagnostic procedure leading possibly to a different solution, but this is a new instrument, so just fix it as quickly and cheaply as possible.

A final thought. Since it is NEW it is covered under the warranty this less than stellar functioning should be covered. If you let someone other than an authorized Fender service center fiddle with it then you will void your warranty. Just FYI.


There could be dust in the pot, but if not I would do this.

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Post subject: Re: Tone pot problem!
Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 1:10 pm
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Thankyou for the help guys ill give your suggestions a shot lets hope it works.

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2011 60th Anniversary Telecaster
2011 Epiphone Dot
2010 Squire Affinity Strat
early 2000's Ovation Celebrity
2012 Limited Edition Fender Blues Junior III
Fender Frontman 10g


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