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So I got my CTS replacement pots

#2
The knobs look like they should fit, the plate just looks like the holes need to be drilled to 3/8" and everything should work. If you decide to drill the holes bigger, screw the plate down to a block of wood, and clamp it to a bench or table. Don't try and hold the plate in one hand and drill it with another. You will get a jagged hole, but worse, the bit can hang up and spin the plate around and injure you pretty badly.
 
#4
So are your replacement pots too small for the holes in your control plate or too large?

Are the knobs for your pots not the correct bore to fit your replacement pot shafts?

Here's the original Fender part number for the pots in a Jag

080331 concentric 500KA small active bass/treble control

And OEM Jag knobs

264820 knob, volume/tone

If the holes in your control plate are not 3/8" then they are most likely 1/4" or could be 7, 8, or 9 mm. Did you measure the holes before you ordered replacement pots?

According to CTS tech specs, their 450G (guitar) series pots are all 3/8" diameter.
 
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#6
Hopkins said:
The knobs look like they should fit, the plate just looks like the holes need to be drilled to 3/8" and everything should work. If you decide to drill the holes bigger, screw the plate down to a block of wood, and clamp it to a bench or table. Don't try and hold the plate in one hand and drill it with another. You will get a jagged hole, but worse, the bit can hang up and spin the plate around and injure you pretty badly.
Click to expand...

I would just drill 'em out and put the quality CTS pots in. Follow Hopkins' procedure though ...
 
#7
If drilling the plate is something you don't want to do, take it to a tech. He'll have the tools and the know how to make it right. You might discuss with him whether oem stock pots would be best, or whether the cts would be a desirable upgrade.

Raf
 
#9
I remember opening up my MIK Fender and the stacked tone controls looked like the second pot, top line in the pix below.

70.jpg



The axles are a bit small though. One thing I noticed when I upgraded the pots on my Squier Fretless was that the control cavity was a bit narrower than that of a Fender. The sides of the full-sized CTS pots were almost touching the sides of the cavity and I had to rotate the pots so that the lugs would clear the sides for the top pot and not short the wiring. I think I had to ream out the control plate holes if I'm not mistaken (I probably am), but don't quote me on that - it's been years since I did that upgrade.
 
#10
So the pots in a VM are different? Fender does not list a separate service diagram for the VM Jag, just the Jag.

You may wind up having to buy knobs and pots to switch to the CTS pots.
 
#13
Will the knobs not tighten down on the new pots if you tighten the set screw? Or are they just a bit loose without the set screw engaged? It looks pretty close in the picture.
 
#16
Even if you mange to drill the plate, the full size pots themselves may not fit in the cavity and may wind up touching the shielded cavity walls, which is not desirable. I replaced the Alphas in a CV Jazz with CTS mini pots and they required no modification. Not sure if the VM plates are different.
 
#19
Hi, I know this is a super old thread, but I have one of the VM jaguar bass with stacked pots, and I love this bass, but the pots have been giving me terrible problems and want to replace them, did you ever find out if they'ra 500/500 pots or 500/250? Also been reading in this forum about mini pots vs CTS normal pots. Did you ever get to change them?

thanks in advance if you get to answer this.
 

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