Volume Pot went bad in Vintage Kramer

S

Shinobi

New member
I was installing a JB.....I just wanted to try one. It worked for a minute but something kept shorting out on the volume pot...I could touch the pot where the solder was at and it kept shorting out. Then I took all the wires off, cleaned all the old solder off and re-soldered fresh...now it just buzzes. I suspect the volume pot is toast...it's only original one from 1984. What is the best volume pot to replace it with?
Thanks
 
Re: Volume Pot went bad in Vintage Kramer

Somewhere on your faulty volume pot, there should be some letters and numbers. e.g. A250, B500, D300 or similar. These indicate the resistance taper and value of the OEM volume pot. Whatever value your faulty pot is, buy the same again.
 
Re: Volume Pot went bad in Vintage Kramer

Funkfingers said:
Somewhere on your faulty volume pot, there should be some letters and numbers. e.g. A250, B500, D300 or similar. These indicate the resistance taper and value of the OEM volume pot. Whatever value your faulty pot is, buy the same again.
Click to expand...

It is German Pot...and I don't see anything anywhere on it. Now I am going to be worried that they didn't put 500's in there.
 
Re: Volume Pot went bad in Vintage Kramer

Shinobi said:
It is German Pot...and I don't see anything anywhere on it. Now I am going to be worried that they didn't put 500's in there.
Click to expand...

Is the pot still fastened in the guitar? If so, there is part of the casing that you cannot see clearly. Chances are that this is EXACTLY where the writing will be. :banghead:
 
Re: Volume Pot went bad in Vintage Kramer

Funkfingers said:
Is the pot still fastened in the guitar? If so, there is part of the casing that you cannot see clearly. Chances are that this is EXACTLY where the writing will be. :banghead:
Click to expand...
No I took it out to check it. Thanks

SFW said:
Slap a 500k CTS in there and rock on.
Click to expand...

Shall I just do a search on google or are these something most Guitar shops will have? You are the second person to recommend CTS...thanks
 
Re: Volume Pot went bad in Vintage Kramer

Funkfingers said:
Is the pot still fastened in the guitar? If so, there is part of the casing that you cannot see clearly. Chances are that this is EXACTLY where the writing will be. :banghead:
Click to expand...

I want to stand corrected and thank you for getting me to recheck..just had time to do it. I have a 1984 Kramer Baretta original owner. There was no writing on the top or bottom of the pot...but imprinted on the side is the make and ohms.

The original pot is a DiMarzio 500K pot..it is imprinted and hard to read it almost looks like the 5 is a 3...but I didn't find a DiMarzio 300K pot...so I will be ordering the DiMarzio 500K pot as the replacement...thanks everybody for the help.

Update just did a search and found that DiMarzio does make a 300k pot...I will have to inspect more closely now.
 
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Re: Volume Pot went bad in Vintage Kramer

Di Marzios pots are just branded CTS pots. And never ever hold the specs.

I've been given a box with 50 of them, not a single one of'em went over 460K, most between 430K-450K.

Get a REAL 550K CTS and be done with it. It'll cost you exactly the same.

HTH,
 
Re: Volume Pot went bad in Vintage Kramer

LtKojak said:
Di Marzios pots are just branded CTS pots. And never ever hold the specs.

I've been given a box with 50 of them, not a single one of'em went over 460K, most between 430K-450K.

Get a REAL 550K CTS and be done with it. It'll cost you exactly the same.

HTH,
Click to expand...

Cool thanks for the break down on that...not sure if why DiMarzios are branded CTS pots, but not hold the value why there would be a difference. But I will take your word for it.

You do mean 500K CTS pots though not 550 right?
 
Re: Volume Pot went bad in Vintage Kramer

Shinobi said:
Cool thanks for the break down on that...not sure if why DiMarzios are branded CTS pots, but not hold the value why there would be a difference. But I will take your word for it.

You do mean 500K CTS pots though not 550 right?
Click to expand...

Di Marzio buy those in bulk, getting the ones with 20% tolerance (the cheapest they make), so it's a crap shoot to get the right values.

When you buy a REAL CTS, their tolerance are less than 10%, so you're a lot closer. BUT if you get the 550K series, you'll get AT LEAST 500K, so you're safe. The price should be the same.

The good ones are marked EP086 500K 0946 CTS. I have one in my hands right now measuring 522K. You just can't ask for better! :cool2:
 
Re: Volume Pot went bad in Vintage Kramer

LtKojak said:
Di Marzio buy those in bulk, getting the ones with 20% tolerance (the cheapest they make), so it's a crap shoot to get the right values.

When you buy a REAL CTS, their tolerance are less than 10%, so you're a lot closer. BUT if you get the 550K series, you'll get AT LEAST 500K, so you're safe. The price should be the same.

The good ones are marked EP086 500K 0946 CTS. I have one in my hands right now measuring 522K. You just can't ask for better! :cool2:
Click to expand...

Thanks I just ordered a long shaft and a short shaft. The original one on my guitar looks like a short shaft and it is very difficult to get the nut started. But it works...I ordered one of each just in case.
 
Re: Volume Pot went bad in Vintage Kramer

Shinobi said:
Cool thanks for the break down on that...not sure if why DiMarzios are branded CTS pots, but not hold the value why there would be a difference. But I will take your word for it.

You do mean 500K CTS pots though not 550 right?
Click to expand...

That's misinformation. They don't "repack" the standard CTS pot.

They are custom made for them by CTS.

From the plastic, to the lugs, to the taper.

Look for "Dimarzio" etched on the pot for the real deal.

There is no way to confuse them with a stock CTS when you have the two side by side.

But where did you find 300K Dimarzios?
 
Re: Volume Pot went bad in Vintage Kramer

gOgIver said:
That's misinformation. They don't "repack" the standard CTS pot.

They are custom made for them by CTS.

From the plastic, to the lugs, to the taper.

Look for "Dimarzio" etched on the pot for the real deal.

There is no way to confuse them with a stock CTS when you have the two side by side.
Click to expand...

Well, going back to my previous posts, I just have to say "you're right".

The Di Marzio pots are branded Di Marzio. My apologies for NOT being clear enough about it.

But the fact of not being up to specs remains. I have exactly fifty-three of them not being even close to 500K... plus, the audio taper is not the greatest either! Alpha pots are better costing less than half!
 
Re: Volume Pot went bad in Vintage Kramer

Depends on what you have.

Pre-1988 Dimarzios were CentraLab before they stopped doing pots.

Then they went to CTS till sometime in the early 90s.

Then they went to CGE till they stopped making pots in 08.

The old Centralab were great pots.

The CGE weren't very good IMO.

They are once again made by CTS. They added a clip ring to the shaft and it is stamped with the letters 'CTS' on the metal plate that secures the threaded cylinder that surrounds the brass shaft.

The audio taper is based on an audio curve with 10% of the signal at 60% of the rotation.
 
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