Static noise when rolling any pot

[SunIsLoco]

I'm getting a staticky crackle when rolling the pots on my Les Paul. It happens when rolling either the volume or the tone pot, bridge or neck (I can only hear the bridge pots when toggle is down, neck pots when up, both in middle).

I've tried exercising them all but it doesnt seem to be getting any better. Theyre all brand new, and while bad solder joints and/or bad pots are possible, I doubt I messed up all 4. They're Bourns 500k push pulls, good quality.

Do I just need to keep exercising them, or could there be another issue?

 

[SunIsLoco]

Re: Static noise when rolling any pot

One other piece of data: the crackle seems to be the same volume no matter where the volume pot is rolled to, but if the volume pot is all the way down, I can't hear crackle from the tone pot.

 

[Artie]

Re: Static noise when rolling any pot

This is a long shot, but crackling on a pot can be caused by a DC voltage across the pot, which shouldn't exist in a Les Paul. It could be caused by a bad input cap on your amp. If you have a meter, place it on DC Volts and measure across your volume pots to see if any voltage is present. (Of course, do this while it's plugged into the amp, with the amp turned on, just as you'd use it.)

P.S. Do you, by chance, have active pups in your LP?

 

[SunIsLoco]

Re: Static noise when rolling any pot

Nope, passive.

 

[SunIsLoco]

Re: Static noise when rolling any pot

Also, Its happening with any amp I try, so I don't think its an amp issue.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Static noise when rolling any pot

Is this the sound of a dirty pot, or like electrical noise?

 

[SunIsLoco]

Re: Static noise when rolling any pot

It sounds like a dirty pot, but exercising isn't helping. It definitely doesn't sound electrical, it almost sounds like bad power tubes (but again, this is happening with several different amps, one of which is SS)

 

[SunIsLoco]

Re: Static noise when rolling any pot

I dunno, maybe I just need to keep exercising them, they are all brand new, so who knows how long they sat for.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Static noise when rolling any pot

I think you have a bad connection somewhere else in the guitar wiring and touching anything on the wiring harness is making it crackle. I don't believe it's any of the pots, based on the description of the problem. I would open up the wiring cavity and start touching each wire while it's plugged in to try and find the source.

 

[SunIsLoco]

Re: Static noise when rolling any pot

That's possible, but everything sounds good on the guitar, and just touching the pots doesn't cause it, I have to specifically be rolling it. Once its set, no crackle regardless of whether or not I'm touching something

 

[Artie]

Re: Static noise when rolling any pot

You could always try a shot of Deoxit into the controls. I swear by that stuff.

 

[Jacew]

Re: Static noise when rolling any pot

I'm getting a staticky crackle when rolling the pots on my Les Paul. It happens when rolling either the volume or the tone pot, bridge or neck (I can only hear the bridge pots when toggle is down, neck pots when up, both in middle).

I've tried exercising them all but it doesnt seem to be getting any better. Theyre all brand new, and while bad solder joints and/or bad pots are possible, I doubt I messed up all 4. They're Bourns 500k push pulls, good quality.

Do I just need to keep exercising them, or could there be another issue?

That sounds like the pots are screwed. Because it's only happening when they're rolled. Is it possible you could have overheated them?

IMO Bourns pots are the worst. Cheapest no name ones have felt better and more solid than two of them I've had.

EDIT: Cold can cause pots to rattle easily. I had to open and clean pots of my two Boss FV pedals three times last year, because I had to keep them in a car and poorly heated room in winter.

 

[SunIsLoco]

Re: Static noise when rolling any pot

Yeah it's definitely possible, but I was very careful and used a heat sink when soldering the lugs, AND grounded to the tabs on top of the DPDT instead of the pot itself, so I dpubt I could have screwed all 4 up equally - I've burnt pots before and its usually a volume issue, not crackle.

They were shipped to me last week so they certainly were exposed to prolonged cold temperatures, its been single digits on the east coast for the past week. Maybe ill try cleaning them

I thought Bourns were supposed to be good?

 

[SunIsLoco]

Re: Static noise when rolling any pot

Update: after exercising the pots off and on all day, the crackle is improving. It's pretty much gone from both tone pots, barely audible on the neck vol, and much improved on the bridge vol. This seems to be the fix, at this rate it'll be gone by Monday.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Static noise when rolling any pot

This sort of sounds like they were dirty. Spray with some De-oxit, and it will get rid of the remaining noise.

 

[SunIsLoco]

Re: Static noise when rolling any pot

That's the plan, ordered on Amazon this morning. Interestingly, the crackle happens when switching the push pulls too, and is also getting better on them too

 

[Jacew]

Re: Static noise when rolling any pot

Yeah it's definitely possible, but I was very careful and used a heat sink when soldering the lugs, AND grounded to the tabs on top of the DPDT instead of the pot itself, so I dpubt I could have screwed all 4 up equally - I've burnt pots before and its usually a volume issue, not crackle.

They were shipped to me last week so they certainly were exposed to prolonged cold temperatures, its been single digits on the east coast for the past week. Maybe ill try cleaning them

This sounds very likely the culprit. When they are in cold, and you bring them in, you get moisture on them from temperature change causing the crackle. Hopefully cleaning helps.

I thought Bourns were supposed to be good?

So did I. Of course it's only just my experience with them.

I use Alphas these days, they're just as consistent as any other I've tried, but cheap and really durable. They feel actually better than CTS, as they aren't as "light".

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Static noise when rolling any pot

Does it happen mostly when you’re playing at home, shuffling around on a carpet in your stocking feet?

 

[Hank-]

Re: Static noise when rolling any pot

Bourns has a number of different series of pots, dont remember exactly but example PDB241, PDB185, PDB183,etc. The ones that are cheap aren't that great, some are rated for 15000 turns & others 200000 turns lifecycle, don't remember the exact specs either since its been awhile since got new pots. The expensive ones(not black or blue colour plastic body ones) have performed good for me.


But!

The no name ones I got from amazon have performed fine too except the click sound of the PushPull has been a bit noisy. The last alpha ones I got from amazon had the internals similar to PDB241 series of Bourns. Haven't had issues with CTS pots yet either.

 

[Jacew]

Re: Static noise when rolling any pot

Ones I had problems with were the metal cased push pull pots with gold-color threading.