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Guitar Pots Replacement

patrick76

Senior Member
I have a Paul Reed Smith guitar (old, from the 90's) and it looks like I will be replacing the tone pot and possibly the volume pot. I'm going to have this done locally. My question is should I get PRS pots or are any high quality pots acceptable? I would have to order the PRS pots, which is not a big deal, but I just wonder how much effect it has on the sound. Thanks for any info
 
I have a Paul Reed Smith guitar (old, from the 90's) and it looks like I will be replacing the tone pot and possibly the volume pot. I'm going to have this done locally. My question is should I get PRS pots or are any high quality pots acceptable? I would have to order the PRS pots, which is not a big deal, but I just wonder how much effect it has on the sound. Thanks for any info

You should listen to Paul talking about the pots. To him, just like the whole guitar it’s all important and he is always trying to perfect them. I have such respect for him and I trust his opinion, so I always get authentic PRS parts. I think the volume pot was £50, which may seem silly, but compared to the value of the guitar I’m not going to risk compromising the instrument.
 
Guitar sounds different, if wired straight to the jack. I think it's because of the resistance. But what quality pot affects most is they work smoother and last longer.
What is wrong with current pots? Maybe little contact cleaner would make them work. Guitar from 90's is not so old that pots would dy by age.
 
You should listen to Paul talking about the pots. To him, just like the whole guitar it’s all important and he is always trying to perfect them. I have such respect for him and I trust his opinion, so I always get authentic PRS parts. I think the volume pot was £50, which may seem silly, but compared to the value of the guitar I’m not going to risk compromising the instrument.
Is there a video or a podcast of this? I did a quick search on youtube, but didn't find anything. Thanks
 
Guitar sounds different, if wired straight to the jack. I think it's because of the resistance. But what quality pot affects most is they work smoother and last longer.
What is wrong with current pots? Maybe little contact cleaner would make them work. Guitar from 90's is not so old that pots would dy by age.
The tone pot isn't working at all. The volume pot seems to not really engage until the knob is almost fully rotated. I thought about fixing it myself, but I would rather have someone do it who has done it millions of times and will do it quickly and correctly.
 
When you sniff a tone pot, does it smell like a good vintage?
Oh, it's an excellent vintage. First, before the smell of vintage capacitance, one is treated to the aroma of a fine bygone era upon the opening of the slightly worn, hard shell case. Then the eyes are graced by the beautiful emerald maple flames of the sensuous body, covered in flammable protective material. It is at this point that the case is normally closed, allowing the guitar to go back into pleasant hibernation, as I am not a guitarist anymore. The truth is the guitar mocks me, disgusted by my pitiful abilities and disgraceful touch. So I let it rest peacefully and ask VIC'ers about tone pots.
 
Is there a video or a podcast of this? I did a quick search on youtube, but didn't find anything. Thanks
I'll see if I can find anything in the morning, but I've seen him talk a coulpe of times in-person - it might have been there (you can find many of these online too). I remember him talking about how they would examine all of the vintage gibsons and fenders in his collection. He realised how different the vintage pots were to modern designs, and he wasn't happy with any of the options so he designed his own to be more inline with them. At least at the time I saw him, he said no matter how much money you spent, Gibson would put in the same off the shelf generic pots and he could understand why it was so overlooked.

In terms of sound, he said the reason he was obsessing over it was the way which the amp would react when rolling the volume back (the taper, the way the 'eq' changes at different positions etc...)

p.s. just had a look, the pots aren't £50. That must have been the pickup selector I was thinking of, and the pots seem to have gotten cheaper over time too.
 
Personally I’d be thinking twice with replacing them with PRS if those are the ones that are failing.Unless abused good pots should last for a long time.Dust is their biggest enemy Then twiddling abuse.There are different types( linear,logrythmic) for different functions .Potentiometers are 2nd to the PU In determining the timbre of an electric guitar.
 
Thanks everyone. I think I will order the PRS stuff and have a skilled tech check it out and if they need to be replaced he can do it then. If I had more time I would consider messing around with it myself, but I have been very busy lately unfortunately.
 
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