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Topic: Volume pedal issue |
Matt Chase
From:
Queensland, Australia
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Posted 18 Oct 2013 3:50 pm |
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I have a scratchy volume pedal issue that has me stumped. The pedal is a Boss FV500 about a month old. Until last night, it had worked perfectly. Since last night, it crackles during motion when there is a signal running. Seems like a straightforward scratchy pot, except:
> It occurs with none of my other guitars using that pedal
> It occurs through all three amps I have (i.e. Not the amp)
> It doesn't occur with the steel plugged direct into the amp, bypassing the pedal
> I've switched out all effects, leads etc.
> There is no noise from pedal motion when the guitar is unplugged (unlike all other scratchy pots I've encountered) or when there is no or low audio signal from the guitar
> It doesn't occur with my old Ernie Ball pedal plugged in
So in summary, it only occurs with this combination of guitar and pedal. Change out either and they both work fine.
One other potential clue: it rained here yesterday for the first time in 6 months.
Is it possible that this is an electrical problem coming from the guitar that for some reason only displays with this pedal?
Any help appreciated. |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 18 Oct 2013 5:24 pm
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Check connections in axe and pedal?
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Bobby D. Jones
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Posted 21 Oct 2013 6:37 pm Volume pedal issue
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| Check female connectors on the pedal and guitar. A loose jack by losing its connection can cause cracking and popping. Check the cable ends and bend the cables when guitar is plugged in with amp. may have short in cable. With a bad cable it could be shorting out inside its cover unseen. Good Luck in finding the problem and getting it repaired. |
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Posted 21 Oct 2013 11:59 pm
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As Lane and Bobby have said: check all connections and cables. That's where the cause of the crackling pot most likely is found.
More to your last potential clue: It IS technically possible for a steel PU and/or the cables following it, to charge to a small DC voltage because of the high resistance winding and high resistance load by a directly coupled VP. This is most likely to happen if there is a bad connection somewhere ("Bad connections" is in part what made old crystal radio diodes work), and such charging gets worse if there is AC coupling (a capacitor in series with the signal) at the amp-input. AC couplings that gets charged with DC is what causes most pedal-pots to go bad and start crackling in any case, turning the pot itself into a "bad connection" which only gets worse as it gets worn down by having to discharge the AC couplings next to it. |
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Richard Shaw
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 22 Oct 2013 1:27 am
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Hi Matt
I have the same VP which I bought about six month ago and I had exactly the same problem. My first thought was to return it to the supplier as a faulty item but as a last resort I removed the bottom cover and gave the pot a good spray with switch cleaner and its been perfect ever since. Worth a try. |
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Posted 22 Oct 2013 3:55 am
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| Richard Shaw wrote: |
| [...]I removed the bottom cover and gave the pot a good spray with switch cleaner and its been perfect ever since. Worth a try. |
Agree.
It is good practice to spray VP pots inside with a good contact cleaner that contains small amounts of silicone, before putting them to use. My oldest VP for guitar and steel has a pot I "oiled" when I put it in around 1974, and it still works perfect even though I have not treated it since  |
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