Jack Casady Volume & Tone pot values?

[jeffbonny]

I've tried to contact Epiphone to find out the values for the tone and volume pots on the Casady bass but their website form won't send...I keep getting a server error. Anyone know the values? I've managed to break the split shaft on the tone pot and would like to replace it.
TIA

[warnergt]

Here's a thread with a schematic:
Jack Casady bass prob...

Looks like both pots are 2.5K.

And there's a transformer in there!

[jeffbonny]

Originally Posted by warnergt

Here's a thread with a schematic:
Jack Casady bass prob...

Looks like both pots are 2.5K.

And there's a transformer in there!

Thanks! 2.5K would explain why the 500K pot I tried didn't work very well.

[1stnamebassist]

Mines in the shop right now. They replaced both pots and have the same issues. The volume stays full on and the tone pot does nothing. Starting to wish I never got this bass.

[jeffbonny]

Originally Posted by 1stnamebassist

Mines in the shop right now. They replaced both pots and have the same issues. The volume stays full on and the tone pot does nothing. Starting to wish I never got this bass.

Wow, it's just pots man. I wish they'd gone for higher quality parts too but in the overall scheme of things it's a pretty minor point that once dealt with is done.

[Cadfael]

The Epiphone Jack Casady bass is also in my wiring compendium ...
http://161589.homepagemodules.de/t29...-E-Baesse.html

It says 2.5k - so, as far as I know, warnergt was right!

The Epiphone Jack Casady is the "simple copy" of a Les Paul Signature bass (can also be found in my compendium). Les Paul also used 2.5k pots. The "real Les Paul basses" (no plain LP bodies with PAF wiring) were real adventures.

[1stnamebassist]

I didn't think it would be a big issue, but after reading several threads it seems to be a problem with a lot of Jack Casady basses.

[jeffbonny]

Originally Posted by 1stnamebassist

I didn't think it would be a big issue, but after reading several threads it seems to be a problem with a lot of Jack Casady basses.

Yeah it is a common problem...HELLO EPIPHONE, THE POTS IN THE CASADY SUCK LARGE!
The way I look at it though is the bass was cheap enough for me to spend $10 on new ones without feeling too ripped off and the place I bought it will do the install under warranty. I guess I like the bass enough to be willing to put up with this BS. That said I'd rather have paid a few bucks more and gotten decent parts.

Reading the link warnergt posted and searching online it does seem that 2.5K audio taper pots are kinda hard to find. I'm going to check with my electronics parts place this week but it seems like the much more common 5K ones will work fine if that's what's available.

[Cadfael]

Epiphone LP toggle switches are even worse pots ...

BUT there is another "problem" ...
It would be easy for Epiphone to order a large amount of good / musician quality pots for other basses and guitars. But the pots in the Casady are so seldomly used, that you can only get the same quality for much more money (quantity matters) ...

[sven kalmar]

if one buys a epiphone, stuff like this is to be expected, i think.. i still think its a great bass.

[Stealth]

Has anyone actually measured them? Given that those are low-impedance pickups I'd say the pots ought to be 25K, not 2.5K.

[Cadfael]

Originally Posted by Stealth

Has anyone actually measured them? Given that those are low-impedance pickups I'd say the pots ought to be 25K, not 2.5K.

Hi Stealth,

I haven't measured them ...

But the 25k/50k in other low impedance electronics mostly work together with a preamp (integrated or extra).
Here is no battery or preamp.
In the Epi or Gibson LP siganture, the signal from the PUs goes through the pots to a passive impedance converter ...

[Stealth]

Originally Posted by Cadfael

But the 25k/50k in other low impedance electronics mostly work together with a preamp (integrated or extra).
Here is no battery or preamp.
In the Epi or Gibson LP siganture, the signal from the PUs goes through the pots to a passive impedance converter ...

Since the pots are connected directly to a low-impedance source (either a low-impedance pickup like the ones in the LP or a preamp with a low output impedance), you need low-value pots such as 25Ks and 50Ks. The passive impedance converter (low-Z to high-Z) comes after that so that doesn't affect the need to have those pots as low-value.

An opposite example would be if you had Lace Alumitone pickups. They are a special construct that has an extremely low-Z coil (up to only several or several tens of ohms), but they have an integrated impedance converter (again, low-Z to high-Z), so by the time the signal gets to the controls it's considered as coming from a high-Z source, and you need regular 250K or 500K pots.

[jeffbonny]

Since there is pretty strong evidence that the stock value is 2.5K and a report of 5K pots working well I'd think they are 2.5K.

[1stnamebassist]

I guess the point i'm trying to make is replacing the pots even with the correct pots doesn't seem to solve the problem on mine as well as others on these forums. It was done on mine it it did not work. I would be willing to pay 100.00 to make it work right, but as of now I am still dealing with the same issue. Hopefully they are able to resolve the problem and make it work. I love the bass except for this issue. Hopefully yours works out O.K. Good luck!

[jeffbonny]

I was talking to a luthier friend today about completely gutting the pots and transformer and replacing them with readily available, high quality parts. He's doing some research and hopefully between the two of us we can figure out something that works. This is such a great bass in so many ways I'm willing to make this effort. I gotta say though it was pretty damned shortsighted and irresponsible of Epiphone to put out a product with inferior parts that can't be easily replaced or upgraded.

[jeffbonny]

Heads up on a source for the somewhat elusive 2.5k mil spec audio taper pots.
CLAROSTAT 2.5K POT - AUDIO TAPER - 1/2" SHAFT