Need new pots

[Lumper_91]

Hey everyone, sorry if this repeats things on here, I've been searching for a while, and can't find anything I can make sense of on here. I picked up a Cort Performer series 5 string today, got it at a garage sale for $65. It needs some work, new pots, new tuning pegs, and a strap nut. Already have new pegs on the way, but I'm having some trouble figuring out what kind of pots I should get. New to this kind of thing, just looking for some advice here. I'd like something simple to install, but that will give me some good sound. Any advice will be appreciated, places to look, equipment suggestions, etc.
thanks in advance guys!!
-Josh

 

[202dy]

Why does it need tuners and potentiometers?

 

[Lumper_91]

One of the tuners has been stripped, replacing the whole set for cosmetic reasons. The pots were all crackling really badly, tried to clean them, wound up not working, so I figured I'd replace them. Plus, one of them is broken, and I don't think I can fix it. Seems like it would be easier to get new ones and install.

 

[202dy]

Those are good reasons.

Look on the back of the existing pots. The value of the pot will be marked there. It will likely be something like 250K or 500k ohm. Ohms may be represented by the Greek symbol omega. Buy that value in the largest format that fits in the cavity.

If you do not know how to solder, practice on scrap.

If the work is beyond your ken, take this instrument to a pro and have them do it for you.

 

[Lumper_91]

What do you mean by Format? I've done some soldering in the past, working on stuff in my truck, and a couple other things. I feel like I can do a decent job of that. Any recommendations on what brand to buy, where to look, etc?

 

[fhm555]

Can't go wrong with CTS or Bourns. Just make sure to get the correct value and size for the holes in your bass/plate.

Off the top of my head I believe the industry standard nomenclature for the dimension you need to match to your holes is the bushing diameter of the pot.

Also look around and find pots that match the spline count on your existing pot shafts if they are splined, or the diameter of the shaft if it's a solid shaft, to avoid having to also buy new knobs.

You may also want to replace your tone cap(s) and wiring while you at it. Cost is minimal and it's all fresh when you are done.

For wiring it up, if you can't find a diagram on the interwebs, take photos of your existing wire routing and follow that when you redo it.

 

[Growlmonkee]

What 202dy meant by format is that pots are available in several standard bushing diameters, (what fits in the holes that the threads go though), and casing diameters, what you want is pots that fit in the cavity, and fit the holes well, CTS, and most Bourns pots are too big to fit in a cavity designed for "mini" pots, but, they are well made, and preferable, and they are not terribly expensive, (the casing on them is about 1 inch diameter), and may not fit in a control cavity that has mini (aprox. 3/4") pots in it now. Alpha makes smaller pots that are decent, if you can't fit the "full size" 1" CTS, or Bourns in your control cavity, the bushings on Alpha pots are also a bit smaller, if you have smaller pots now, the holes in your control plate, or in your bass body would not fit the slightly larger bushings on full size pots. The reason for getting the full size , if they fit, is the 2 full size brands mentioned are of very good quality, and the cost is just not that much more, ($20 for 3 of them, aprox. )