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Push/Pull Pot Crackle

S

Stan_da_man

Aug 29, 2006
2,201
1,969
UK
#1
Are push/pull pots always crackling or am I extremely unlucky?

Every bass I've had with a push/pull pot has broken at some stage.

I check the grounding, use contact cleaner in the pots, look for any loose solder connections and make sure everything is tight and secure. The crackling never fully goes away...

My current bass has no problems except for when I engage passive mode and pull the pot upwards... the crackling then commences! Another pot replacement then...
 
#4
But are they real CTS?

There are so many fakes on the market.

I tested a fake "CTS 250k" pot that was installed in a loaded pickguard purchased online, it measured 410

Total garage. If anything, it looked too shiny to be real CTS
 
#6
Does this happen to you with multiple brands of onboard preamps? Can you let us know which ones? Also, is the active/passive switch on one of the preamp pots (25k or 50k) or the passive pots (250k or 500k)? Once you replace a switch, how long does it work without issue before the crackling reappears?

The cheapest of switches is typically rated for 10,000 cycles and some are 50,000 or 100,000 cycles so there's a chance you may have a circuit problem and not just terrible luck with switches.

Last but not least, the mods should move this to the pickups & electronics section for more responses.
 
#7
testing1two said:
Does this happen to you with multiple brands of onboard preamps? Can you let us know which ones? Also, is the active/passive switch on one of the preamp pots (25k or 50k) or the passive pots (250k or 500k)? Once you replace a switch, how long does it work without issue before the crackling reappears?

The cheapest of switches is typically rated for 10,000 cycles and some are 50,000 or 100,000 cycles so there's a chance you may have a circuit problem and not just terrible luck with switches.

Last but not least, the mods should move this to the pickups & electronics section for more responses.
Click to expand...
Yes, when you go from passive to active or the reverse you are using some different circuitry. It may not be the switch at all.

If this needs to be moved the quickest way to move it is to report it. Just posting in the thread is very hit or miss, because the mods may not look at the thread.
 
#8
Stan_da_man said:
Well, this isn't going anywhere...
Click to expand...

We can turn it into something positive...

Send those noisy pots to CTS and see what they have to say.

Tell them they were used in a guitar, so you highly doubt that they exceeded the 25,000 actuation life cycle in a year.

Maybe if they are fake they will take pity on you and replace them anyway. That happened with some fake Duracell batteries I bought at the Dollar Store.
 

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