keeping Ibanez Knobs but upgrade POTS?

Re: keeping Ibanez Knobs but upgrade POTS?

I was looking for a particular model Indonesian RG from about ten years ago, looking for a deal I happened to end up with two of them.
The pots on both guitars were very stiff to turn and one pot had a physical clunk to it when turning.
The Ibanez 500k Pots appear full size but the holes in the guitar body are too small for CTS and the Ibanez knobs are too small for CTS.

I'm gonna try some Alpha pots.
I appreciate all the input guys :D
 
Re: keeping Ibanez Knobs but upgrade POTS?

Pots are highly overrated. From my experience, you don't change it unless it's broken, which I don't see how. The stiffness must be due to prolonged inactivity. Just clean it with contact cleaner and it's back in business. My Epiphone came with cheap alpha pots and it's been fine since I got it in 2005.
 
Re: keeping Ibanez Knobs but upgrade POTS?

The Ibanez pots have a 10mm shaft
CTS pots are 3/8s in diameter

A.3/8 drill bit will open it just fine

If you drill from the top get some painter's tape and put over the hole
This helps prevent chipping the finish

Also a new sharp bit will help as well

The bit will want to chip as it exits the hole
This can be minimized by drilling halfway from one side
The halfway from the other
 
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Re: keeping Ibanez Knobs but upgrade POTS?

CTS Pots are great, Alphas are great too, Emerson makes some expensive ones I haven't used -but since they think their 18 dollars caps are better than a 2 dollar orange drop I'm guessing they'll try and make luxury out of anything -I guarantee their pots are not worth it. Dimarzio used to make great ones -but I think CTS or Alpha probably made them for them Go for the CTS or Alpha IMO.

an Ibanez RG will need 500k Pots

The post on your current pots is likely 1/4" (6.35mm) -check it -that's what your nobs will want to reattached to -if not they are likely 6mm

all check the pot shaft to see if it's a solid or split shaft. you'll want the same kind in your new pots.

You can buy them from StewMac.com

The current Dimarzio pots are the vintage dishback CTS type but custom ordered with a custom vintage audio taper, and they only cost a buck or two more than the stock CTS pots that I don't like the taper of. I like them a lot. I think they also have brass bushings and shafts, which stock CTS don't have. They are made to U.S. specs, meaning 1/4" shafts and will take U.S. type knobs (fine knurling).

You can get metric CTS pots from Philadelphia Luthiers Supply, I don't know what the taper is like on those, also I have found metric Alphas on Ebay that look promising, they have the smaller metric bushing size so you don't have to ream out the holes on an Asian import guitar to install them. Both are full size pots and the shafts have 18 spline "coarse" knurling on them, I'm not sure if the Ibanez knobs will work with them or not.
Al
 
Re: keeping Ibanez Knobs but upgrade POTS?

looks like I ended up with Alpha B500k(linear) instead of A500k(audio taper) so it's back to the shop :banghead:
 
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