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Author Topic:  Life of a volume pot ?
Kevin Maki

 

From:
Trimountain,MI. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 29 Sep 2014 8:34 am    
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Wondering what the typical life span of a volume pot shoud be ? Bought a new Goodrich 120 pedal and the pot lasted 2 years.I replaced it with the same type 5 months ago and it's getting noisy already.I play out about 4 or 5 nights a month,with a couple hours or so of practice time during the week. It's a 500K PEC made in Canada.I'm sure this topic has come up before,but I'm new to the Forum. Any thoughts ?
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Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 29 Sep 2014 8:41 am    
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Some of the PECs have had issues. I like the Dunlops like Tom Bradshaw and Jerry Roller sell.
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Earnest Bovine


From:
Los Angeles CA USA
Post  Posted 29 Sep 2014 8:45 am    
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Five months is a good long life for a PEC pot. In my experience, many of them don't last 5 minutes.
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Kevin Maki

 

From:
Trimountain,MI. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 29 Sep 2014 8:48 am     pot
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Thanks Lane ! Maybe I'll try one of the Dunlops.
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Kevin Maki

 

From:
Trimountain,MI. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 29 Sep 2014 8:51 am     pot
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Okay,Thanks Earnest !
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Jack Stoner


From:
Kansas City, MO
Post  Posted 29 Sep 2014 10:35 am    
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I have an old original Allen Bradley in a Goodrich 120 volume pedal. I used it for years before getting a Hilton. My wife has been learning steel and using it for two years with her GFI. Still going.

I wouldn't mess with a pot. Even though the initial price is a little high, a Hilton is a good investment as there is no pot to wear out and change or any string, etc.
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Daniel J. Cormier

 

From:
Lake Charles, LA, USA
Post  Posted 29 Sep 2014 11:01 am     Pot
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They are selling some good pot in California , Colorado and Washington state, Maybe even Washington DC LOL . I'm with Jack Buy a new Hilton or watch the forum and buy a good used one. If your rich and don't care how much it cost buy a Telonics VP.
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Daniel J. Cormier
Rittenberry with Tone to the bone,profex or tubefex and what ever amp, hilton pedal, BJS bars. Email at kajunsteelman@yahoo.com.
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Kevin Maki

 

From:
Trimountain,MI. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 29 Sep 2014 11:41 am     pot
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Okay guys,thanks for commenting. Going to go with a Dunlop pot from Tom Bradshaw for now. I ordered a Steel from Doug Earnest recently and my music funds are getting a little thin at the moment. Hopefully look into a Hilton next spring. Daniel,my neighbor has himself a little growing operation in his basement,but I don't need that type of pot ! Lol!!!
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Drew Pierce

 

From:
Arkansas, USA
Post  Posted 29 Sep 2014 2:04 pm    
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Pots, being mechanical things, begin wearing out on day 1 of regular use. And they also go bad without regular use if stored in anything other than ideal, i.e., low humidity, environments. This gradual deterioration in sound quality isn't dramatic enough to make most people notice until they replace it. I used them for years and every time I replaced a bad one, I realized how much better the new one sounded -- even before the old one started making bad noises.

But wait, there's more! Potentiometers also tend to affect tone as volume is increased. Don't ask me why. Smarter people than me in electronics can answer that question.

Two words: Hilton pedal.
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Drew Pierce
Emmons D10 Fatback, S10 bolt-on, Zum D10, Evans RE500, Hilton volume and delay pedals.
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Kevin Maki

 

From:
Trimountain,MI. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 29 Sep 2014 2:41 pm    
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Hey Drew,that makes sense to me. I'll eventually go towards a Hilton. Thanks for the input !
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Jerry Roller


From:
Van Buren, Arkansas USA
Post  Posted 29 Sep 2014 3:56 pm    
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I also sell Hilton pedals and believe I am possibly the first to become a Hilton dealer among those who are active Hilton dealers today. (Oldest dealer).
I am certainly among the longest in duration. I use and represent Hilton. If you can swing it a Hilton is a great trouble free way to go with unsurpassed tone integrity. The fact that a pot has not been used much is actually a prime reason for the pot going bad. Frequent use of a pot pedal will do more to keep a pot clean than limited use. I carry a pot pedal in my seat and sometimes use it but my primarly gig has a guitar set-up on stage with a Hilton connected to it. It stays there 24-7.
Jerry
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chris ivey


From:
california (deceased)
Post  Posted 29 Sep 2014 4:37 pm     some people
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some people hate having to plug in an electronic pedal. some people love pot pedals. some people don't have problems with pots for many years. some people have grower friends who keep them supplied with excess pot.
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Kevin Maki

 

From:
Trimountain,MI. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 29 Sep 2014 5:05 pm    
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Ha Ha ! Sounds like this topic has gone to pot ! Thanks for the comment Chris. Jerry I sent you an email.
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Jerry Roller


From:
Van Buren, Arkansas USA
Post  Posted 29 Sep 2014 6:04 pm    
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I have had excellent success with the High Life pots from Goodrich. Problem is I have just run out of them and I tried to call Goodrich today and the number was not working. I am not sure if they have opened back up or not. If anyone knows I would like to hear from you.
Thanks,
Jerry
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Joseph Napolitano

 

From:
New Jersey, USA
Post  Posted 29 Sep 2014 6:16 pm    
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I have a Hilton and a Goodrich. I like having both. To me they have two totally different sounds...the Hilton is brighter, the Goodrich is darker. I have a lot of amps and some of them sound equally good with either pedal, but some amps sound noticeably better with one versus the other.
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Kevin Maki

 

From:
Trimountain,MI. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 29 Sep 2014 6:33 pm    
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That's some interesting info Joseph. Thanks.
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Donny Hinson

 

From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 30 Sep 2014 2:35 am     Re: Life of a volume pot ?
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Kevin Maki wrote:
Wondering what the typical life span of a volume pot shoud be ? Bought a new Goodrich 120 pedal and the pot lasted 2 years...Any thoughts ?


If you buy a pot (or pedal that that has a pot) with the removable metal cover, take the cover off and spray it with cleaner/lube. Doing that will make the pot last many years.

If you don't do that, it probably won't. Winking
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Willie Sims

 

From:
PADUCAH, KY, USA
Post  Posted 30 Sep 2014 2:37 pm    
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I POSTED 0N FORUM A WHILE BACK HOW TOO REPAIR THE ALLEN BRADLEY /OMITE/CLAROSTAT POTS.SEE IF YOU CAN FIND IT.

WILLIE SIMS
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Lee Dassow


From:
Jefferson, Georgia USA
Post  Posted 30 Sep 2014 7:36 pm    
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My Goodrich 120 volume pedal pot was shot in about nine months. Couldn't even get in touch with them. The Goodrich no. is no longer in service. Not a great company. Never bothered replacing it. I would never buy another one. Bought another Dunlop the best volume pedal for the money IMO. Tenn. Lee
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2015 Mullen D-10 Royal Precision 9x8,-1990 BMI S-10 5x5-1972 Silver face Fender pro Reverb amp,-1965 Fender Super Reverb Amp,- 1966 Fender Showman Amp Two 15" JBL speakers,- 2006 65 Fender Twin Reverb reissue Amp,- 1982 Peavey Session 500 amp,-1978 Peavey Session 400,Goodrich Volume Pedals,John Pearse Steel Bars,
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Kevin Maki

 

From:
Trimountain,MI. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 2 Oct 2014 1:35 pm    
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Okay...decide to go for it and get a new Hilton low-profile pedal.Should have it next week ! Thanks everyone for all the comments and suggestions !
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Kevin Barber

 

From:
Marianna, Florida, USA
Post  Posted 3 Nov 2014 11:10 am     pec pot
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When I ordered a new pot from a steel guitar store nearest to me, I specifically stated I wanted the Dunlop 500k one million cycle replacement pot. That's not what I received. What I received was a PEC pot made in Canada. From what I read, there have been some issues with the PEC pots.

Yeah I have to agree about the PEC pots. I went ahead and put the new PEC in my Goodrich L10K pedal today, hoping for the best. Now just past the halfway point, I have a small "pop" going open and a small "pop" at that same spot backing the volume down.

I've moved the pedal up and down for a few minutes trying to clear that spot, seeing if that was just the spot maybe where the pot had been sitting for so long.

Funny thing, the old pot that I took out of the pedal that was scratchy was a PEC pot also.

Just another reason to save my money for either a used or new Hilton or a used Telonics volume pedal.
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Jerry Roller


From:
Van Buren, Arkansas USA
Post  Posted 3 Nov 2014 12:36 pm    
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Lee, I wish I had given more information on my post. Ollie Goodrich who owns the Goodrich Company has been gravely ill for several months which forced a closure of the company. I heard recently that they had diagnosed his problem and he was starting to improve. It was thought that Goodrich would never open again but I had hopes that maybe that had changed. I don't know for sure if they are still closed but the phone number I have for them is not a working number still. It is a good company, just not large enough to continue operation with the owner ill. Buy a Hilton from me and problem solved.
Jerry
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Ned McIntosh


From:
New South Wales, Australia
Post  Posted 3 Nov 2014 2:27 pm    
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The Dunlop "Hot Potz" Tom Bradshaw sells are excellent and outlast any pot I've seen. I had a PEC pot go west on me in just a few months. They can be opened up for a quick lube-job, but if the track is really worn they're history.

I highly recommend Tom Bradshaw's pots. Buy a few and you're set for life!
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The steel guitar is a hard mistress. She will obsess you, bemuse and bewitch you. She will dash your hopes on what seems to be whim, only to tease you into renewing the relationship once more so she can do it to you all over again...and yet, if you somehow manage to touch her in that certain magic way, she will yield up a sound which has so much soul, raw emotion and heartfelt depth to it that she will pierce you to the very core of your being.
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Kevin Maki

 

From:
Trimountain,MI. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 3 Nov 2014 2:47 pm    
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What Jerry said...buy a Hilton from him and you'll be set. He gave me a fair trade in price for my Goodrich with a bad pot. I'm lovin' the new Hilton that I bought from Jerry recently.
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Charles Kurck


From:
Living in Arkansas but Heaven is home
Post  Posted 4 Nov 2014 4:41 am    
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Back when TV’s had a channel changing knob, they called this stuff TV tuner spray. I buy it at Radio Shack.

http://www.mobysuperstore.com/Four-Star-Chemical-4025-10-Tronic-Kleen-Electronic-Components-Cleaner-10-Ou.aspx

I’ve been using the same Allen Bradley pot since 1978. It gets scratchy after about a year or so.
I just flip the volume pedal over, spray the pot, let it dry a few minutes and I’m good to go.
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