crackling noise while turning Gretsch White Falcon up and down

[nashvillebones]

Hello
I have a Gretsch White Falcon (G6136TLH - Lefthanded). Since a few weeks it makes a crackling noise when it turn the guitar from up to down while playing. First I thought it was the cable then I also checked the Jack Input but it seems not to be from this area.

Sometimes after crackling its much quieter than before (It looses much of power). Than I can turn it again for some up.

Any ideas or experiences what I could check?

 

[Cryin_Caleb_Aaron]

Your volume pot is probably dirty.
It can be cleaned with contact cleaner.

 

[Hammerhands]

I've seen the guy known as Dave, who I'm sure must have been known as Dave from Bermidji at one tiime, go to town on a noisy pot taking the side of his hand and turning it up and down a dozen times per second for about ten seconds.

I'm not sure if that's such a great idea.

He does it here for a second at around 11:48.

 

[G5422T]

This works well.

 

[mrfixitmi]

If you have extra money for cleaner, Hosa DeoxIT D5 works well.

 

[BrianW]

If you have extra money for cleaner, Hosa DeoxIT D5 works well.

I will second the vote for DeoxIT. Worked to clean up the crackles in a volume pot on my 1960 Gent without having to remove the pot. Careful application to the shaft, work the pot for a bit and fixed. Been good for a number of years now.

cheers

 

[cielski]

I will second the vote for DeoxIT. Worked to clean up the crackles in a volume pot on my 1960 Gent without having to remove the pot. Careful application to the shaft, work the pot for a bit and fixed. Been good for a number of years now.

cheers

It's even better if you can get to the backside of the pot and blast it into the openings by the solder terminals. DeOxIt is The Stuff!

 

[tartanphantom]

This works well.

View attachment 204131

Please don't use CRC QD on pots! It will literally eat up the carbon path inside. It's great for metal-contact switches and relays and terminal connections, but is a bad idea for pots. You may not have experienced this yet, but it does literally lift the carbon from the resin board inside the pot. Billy Zoom used to rail about this all the time when having to work on other people's amps who had shot the pots full of QD cleaner.
In fact, if you look at the CRC website, potentiometers are specifically NOT on the list of recommended applications.

Instead, CRC also makes formula 2-26, which is an electrical lubricant. Much better suited for pots and carbon-contact switches.

And yes, Deox-it also works well without destroying the carbon path.

 

[G5422T]

Please don't use CRC QD on pots! It will literally eat up the carbon path inside. It's great for metal-contact switches and relays and terminal connections, but is a bad idea for pots. You may not have experienced this yet, but it does literally lift the carbon from the resin board inside the pot. Billy Zoom used to rail about this all the time when having to work on other people's amps who had shot the pots full of QD cleaner.
In fact, if you look at the CRC website, potentiometers are specifically NOT on the list of recommended applications.

Instead, CRC also makes formula 2-26, which is an electrical lubricant. Much better suited for pots and carbon-contact switches.

And yes, Deox-it also works well without destroying the carbon path.

Thanks for the heads up. Guess I've been lucky using it sparingly when needed.

 

[tartanphantom]

Thanks for the heads up. Guess I've been lucky using it sparingly when needed.

I'm guilty as well... I used it occasionally until about 5-6 years ago. Now I keep both QD and 2-26 on hand, for different applications obviously. I still use QD for non-carbon switches (pickup switches, etc) jacks, and metal connectors. They're both available at Home Depot.

When I refer to non-carbon switches, I'm talking about switches with bare metal contacts. QD is absolutely designed for this type of application. If the switch is carbon-pad based, like an automobile remote key fob or a touch-pad microswitch for example, you definitely don't want to use QD.

 

[G5422T]

I started using this to clean my model rr engine chassis and trucks years back.

Combination of tiny metal and plastic gearing that gets "gunky" from use.

Works extremely well cleaning the crud, but is safe for the plastics used in the assemblies.

 

[BrianW]

It's even better if you can get to the backside of the pot and blast it into the openings by the solder terminals. DeOxIt is The Stuff!

I would agree, the caveat being ".. get to the backside of the pot" Not quite as easy with that Gent I mentioned... fake F-holes, no pads on the back. Have to pull the whole harness out a pickup hole. Would have done it if necessary of course, but fortunately it wasn't. Just played that guitar thru the playboy as well. Needs new strings but the pot is still fine

cheers

 

[Falconetti]

If you have extra money for cleaner, Hosa DeoxIT D5 works well.

What this sage said…..do that.

 

[6187LX]

Thanks to all for the heads up; I wasn't even aware of this.

 

[audept]

Welcome to the forum, @nashvillebones !