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Typical cost for volume pot replacement?

CPplaysBASS

CPplaysBASS

Mar 17, 2007
1,021
1,780
Ontario
theradiosonics.com
#1
I need to replace a scratchy pot on my Genz Benz GBE600 , personally have no business holding a soldering iron, and will need to bring it in. I can manage to spray a can of something to clean the pot, but I'd prefer to replace it now since it's inevitable it will need to be replaced sooner rather than later.

How much can I expect to pay, or should pay (parts and labour)? I'm an easy target to get taken on these kind of things.

Also would any electronics shop do as opposed to an "amp shop" that may charge more?

Many thanks,
Clarence
 
#4
I'd go to Radio Shak and get some "TV Tuner Cleaner".

I've used this stuff for years. If you use this, and it doesn't work for the long haul, I'll send you a pot free.
 
#8
Wait, do not use tuner cleaner on ANY of today's pots. While it worked ok on the molded composition and wire wound pots of years gone by, they can destroy a perfectly good pot or dissolve the lube in the end of the bushing and make a mess out of everything.

The ONLY product I have found to be safe for cleaning screen printed carbon, cermet and conductive plastic is Caig R-5 or De-Oxit. A little (tiny) bit goes a very long way.
It's a good bet that there's just a micron thin coating of debris and just a tiny shot of De-Oxit will take care of the problem for good. If not, one of us will send you a pot. Need to know which pot is bad, there are different values and tapers for the various controls.
 
#11
agedhorse said:
Wait, do not use tuner cleaner on ANY of today's pots. While it worked ok on the molded composition and wire wound pots of years gone by, they can destroy a perfectly good pot or dissolve the lube in the end of the bushing and make a mess out of everything.

The ONLY product I have found to be safe for cleaning screen printed carbon, cermet and conductive plastic is Caig R-5 or De-Oxit. A little (tiny) bit goes a very long way.
It's a good bet that there's just a micron thin coating of debris and just a tiny shot of De-Oxit will take care of the problem for good. If not, one of us will send you a pot. Need to know which pot is bad, there are different values and tapers for the various controls.
Click to expand...

I've used it to good effect on my GB amp.:confused:

You're the engineer.
 
#12
There are many different production processes used on pot's resistive elements. The materials and binders along with the firing or baking techniques for deposited carbon films means that what may work ok on one compound can destroy another even though they look identical to the eye. "contact cleaner" may work ok on our pots, but because of some nasty experiences on products returned to us for service, I hesitate to recommend anything other than what I know for sure will work. Obviously on the units I have seen, SOMETHING was very incompatable.

I just wanted to be sure we didn't end up with a reader of this thread ending up with a big problem because the pots on his amp happened to use an incompatable binder. I have never experienced a problem, nor heard of any problem with the Caig products I mentioned, over a period of about 15 years.

P.S. I'm a conservative engineer. ;)
 
#14
Just for the record ... after my last post, I forgot to "subscribe" and immediately went out to find some TV Tuner Cleaner!

It was the master volume pot, and fortunately, I only sprayed enough to just barely get it out of the nozzle. It worked like a charm. Everything is perfect now.

I appreciate the tip on the Craig products though and will keep it in mind for future!

Most of all, I really appreciate GB products (enough to maintain the list for the Genz Benz owners club on here ... 2 X 12 cab is in my crosshairs at the moment).
 
#15
agedhorse said:
There are many different production processes used on pot's resistive elements. The materials and binders along with the firing or baking techniques for deposited carbon films means that what may work ok on one compound can destroy another even though they look identical to the eye. "contact cleaner" may work ok on our pots, but because of some nasty experiences on products returned to us for service, I hesitate to recommend anything other than what I know for sure will work. Obviously on the units I have seen, SOMETHING was very incompatable.

I just wanted to be sure we didn't end up with a reader of this thread ending up with a big problem because the pots on his amp happened to use an incompatable binder. I have never experienced a problem, nor heard of any problem with the Caig products I mentioned, over a period of about 15 years.

P.S. I'm a conservative engineer. ;)
Click to expand...
Well if you want a non scratchy pot its only!.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
P.S. I'm a Liberal Engineer.:D
 
#16
CPplaysBASS said:
Just for the record ... after my last post, I forgot to "subscribe" and immediately went out to find some TV Tuner Cleaner!

It was the master volume pot, and fortunately, I only sprayed enough to just barely get it out of the nozzle. It worked like a charm. Everything is perfect now.

I appreciate the tip on the Craig products though and will keep it in mind for future!

Most of all, I really appreciate GB products (enough to maintain the list for the Genz Benz owners club on here ... 2 X 12 cab is in my crosshairs at the moment).
Click to expand...

I'm glad it worked. See Andy- :spit: ;):hiding:
 

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