kent Armstrong/Aguilar

StoutXXX · #1 10-19-2007, 10:55 AM

I just got wired up on a Kent pup and Aguilar 3 band preamp and when I turn my mid pot either direction I get swooshy static sound. Any ideas? I got the beast grounded the best I can and was just wondering if this is just a quick fix that I dont know about. All other pots turn without a sound. Thanks ahead of time guys.-Ryan

luknfur · #2 10-20-2007, 09:14 AM

Does the pot function properly otherwise? If not it's probably not properly wired - ground or otherwise. If so, probably poor ground or could be crude in the pot which cleaner may resolve. If everything else works properly then check the pot with a meter, may just be a screwed up pot - but that's not likely. With few exceptions the source is typically the install.

StoutXXX · #3 10-20-2007, 06:03 PM

yea its the noisiest one when I touch the back of all the pots. It still boosts so I guess I'll get it checked out. I just don't understand why eveytuing else is so clean on it.

StoutXXX · #4 10-21-2007, 06:19 PM

so it works....its just unusable because of the static noise it produces. I cant turn my treble up either cause then it will just make the hissing and static more pronounced. Is this still a grounding issue? How can just one pot not be grounded? Bad pot maybe? Still works boost cut wise. Just noisy as crap. Any other input?

StoutXXX · #5 10-21-2007, 06:22 PM

If someone can help me get this going I will post the pics of it. Its a Benavente with ebony pickup covers on a kent armstrong/aguilar set up.

22pauld22 · #6 10-21-2007, 06:42 PM

sorry I'm sure you know what your doing but its best to always go right back to the start in these situations the best people forget something now and then

how do you have it all setup ? you either earth all your earth wires on to the back of one pot and then sheild the whole control cavity therefore having everything earthed .. this will mean that none of the pots have anything keeping the metal surfaces from touching the sheilding .. or the old school non sheilded cavity version had all the pots daisy changed to each other therefore all of them being earthed .. you then obviously have to have that same earth wire going to the sleave on the jack and the bridge also
don't have both the cavity sheilded and your pots daisy chained as thats an earth loop

and if you have a multimeter / continuity tester make sure everything is earthed as looks can be decieving

have fun
Paul

luknfur · #7 10-22-2007, 07:53 AM

See FAQ Dimento's Trouble Shooting Guide and Caldwells shiedling link.

One pot can be not be grounded for the same reason one pot can make noise, pots are independent of one another. Treble is likely to create more noise on any bass cause that's the frequency range that's most audible but it's normally only so near maxed treble. Could be cold solder joint/lots of things.

StoutXXX · #8 10-24-2007, 12:08 PM

I have a few extra pots left over from the bart preamp. Are the aguilar 50k mini pots? I was just gonna do a quick swap and check for defective pot.

luknfur · #9 10-24-2007, 12:34 PM

Aguilar lists 50k linear pots for tone but it wouldn't make any difference electronically whether they were mini pots or not. Functionally it would matter in terms of whether they would fit a particular bass. At any rate, replacing it with practically any pot tht would fit the basswould probably tell you something - not necessarily whether the current pot was bad as mentioned before, could simply be a poor solder joint. You could check the current pot with a meter once the leads are disconnected. Or for that matter simply switch the leads between current tone pots (like mid and treble). If the issue stays with the pot then could be the pot. If it swaps pots then probably not a pot issue at all.

StoutXXX · #10 10-26-2007, 01:05 PM

yea my computer is still in the shop so Im just jumping on my friends when I can. I should have a report back by tuesday or so. Thanks again.-ryan

StoutXXX · #11 11-06-2007, 11:10 AM

Damnit. Just replaced the pot and that was it. Bad straight from aguilar. But now I just messed up again. I put a linear pot instead of one with a detent. Im glad I got the noise away and solved the problem but till I get the right pot is this just acting as boost only? I cant tell cause I just tested for pot noise on a small guitar amp and cant tell really what that pot is doing tone wise.

DavidRavenMoon · #12 11-06-2007, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StoutXXX

Damnit. Just replaced the pot and that was it. Bad straight from aguilar. But now I just messed up again. I put a linear pot instead of one with a detent. Im glad I got the noise away and solved the problem but till I get the right pot is this just acting as boost only? I cant tell cause I just tested for pot noise on a small guitar amp and cant tell really what that pot is doing tone wise.

The only difference in a pot with a detent is it clicks at that point in its rotation.

A linear pot of the save value will give you the same result as the original. Just rotate the knob to the mid point for flat until you get a replacement. It's still boosting and cutting.

I'd try cleaning the original pot. Believe it or not, WD-40 works wonders!

StoutXXX · #13 11-06-2007, 01:05 PM

Yea that pot was clean as a whistle. Just bad I suppose.