Whats the name of that spray that fixes scratchy volume knobs?

S

scotter140

New member
Last year I bought an acoustic electric bass on craigslist and the guy was selling it pretty cheap because the electronics weren't working correctly. I took it to guitar center and he sprayed some stuff on it and it totally got rid of that scratchy noise you sometimes get when you adjust the volume on a guitar or other electronics. What was that stuff? I'm pretty sure it wasn't just condensed air.
 
The thing is that pots are meant to be self-cleaning. The wiper itself will usually push any little bit of dirt or dust off the track during the course of normal operation. If they don't get turned very often...

Contact cleaner is kind of harsh and should be kept away from certain plastics and especially rubber. It will also remove the light layer of lubrication that usually greases the works. Part of what that lube is supposed to do is keep the wiper from bouncing and scraping quite so much as it moves. Sometimes that bouncing and scraping can make a scratchy sound, and it definitely changes the feel. Cleaning spray might give some temporary relief, it can sometimes make things worse in the long run. Ideally you'd use a spray that includes lube, or follow the cleaning with an appropriate lubricant.

But the first best thing to try is just turning the pot all the way back and forth a bunch of times. I know it sounds half-assed, but it really is the way the things are supposed to work. With well-sealed pots it's actually all you can do without physically taking the pot itself apart.

But it might not even be dirt. One can hope, but sometimes when you actually hear the scratchiness it can indicate that there is a DC voltage across the pot which starts to look like AC as the wiper bounces and scrapes. There is almost certainly a capacitor trying to block that DC voltage on one side of the pot or other (or both), but if that cap starts to leak, it might start to get noisy even if it's not really that dirty.
 
Yeah...there are many "contact cleaner" formulations out there...and sometimes, like cleaning a plug or jack....any will do, and no harm in the long run...but like ashcat said, there are times when you need to find the right cleaner that will not be just a temporary fix, and then become a bigger problem.

I like the 100% DeOxit, as it has no solvent, and the cleaning fluid will act as a light lubricant...but if you leave too much of it to dry our, it can get gooey.
There are others that don't lube...so you might need to follow up with something else.

Most of the petroleum-based cleaners will have some lubricant qualities. The ones that are alcohol-based are good when you simply want a clean contact, and no lube.

I also agree...work the shit out of the pot before you spray anything...it might do the trick.
Also...if you can needle-drop the cleaner in through the tiny hole of the pot, it would be best instead of spraying, which ends up putting most of the cleaner all over everything else. A couple of drops is usually enough, and then again, work the shit out of it. If needed, add one more drop and repeat. The less you use, the better.

There are also some rather expensive cleaner/lubes, that allow you to spray liberally, and the solvent goes away, and you get a fine lubricant left behind...but, at about $50 per 12 oz spray can...ahhhh...save it for the critical stuff. :)
 
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