How do you clean a scratchy wah pot?

[Quencho092]

my wah's pot is scratchy. How do i clean it? Please feed me with alot of details, i have contact cleaner from radio shack if that helps.

[beerdrinkingtech]

Hello Q092,
It happens to every wha some shorter than others. Actually it only a 15-40
dollar investment to fix the one you have and keep that belovid tone for the
most part. all it required it to cut and solder three small wires and can be
performed by any novice. I beleive all you need is a 100k Hot Potz
Potentiometer and your back in buisiness. Here is a website that has all the
old parts however I know that your can get them cheaper elsewhere.
Otherwise Goodluck on your WHA WHA Shopping http://
www.tubesandmore.com/new/scripts/silverware.exe/catalog@d:/dfs/
elevclients/cemirror/ELEVATOR.FXP?SEARCH_KEYWORD=DUNLOP

Best Regards'
BDT

[idsnowdog]

Contact cleaner usually works unless it has a dead spot.

[mrid]

do i desolder the joints, take the pot out, pry it open, and douse it?

There should be some open notches in the casing (if it isn't sealed), so you don't have to disassemble it.

If you decide to replace, check out the Fulltone pot as well.

[Quencho092]

do i desolder the joints, take the pot out, pry it open, and douse it?

[STRATDELUXER97]

Replace it with a Fulltone pot....Just involves 4 wires at the pot and the sweep will be better..

Don't spray anything into your wah pot! Trust me on this!

[Gearjoneser]

Don't spray anything into your wah pot! Trust me on this!

I'm not disagreeing, but I'm curious as to why you wouldn't use contact cleaner to spray into a pot, then wiggle it back and forth a hundred times?

I'm assuming that it removes any oxidation that's on the inner workings.
One time, on an old amp, I didn't have any contact cleaner (which probably also has lubricants as well as alcohol) and just used regular rubbing alcohol to clean the pots. It worked, and the pots sounded fine afterward. Do you think it dries out the plastic inside? Is it only wah pots you're referring to?

[STRATDELUXER97]

I'm not disagreeing, but I'm curious as to why you wouldn't use contact cleaner to spray into a pot, then wiggle it back and forth a hundred times?

I'm assuming that it removes any oxidation that's on the inner workings.
One time, on an old amp, I didn't have any contact cleaner (which probably also has lubricants as well as alcohol) and just used regular rubbing alcohol to clean the pots. It worked, and the pots sounded fine afterward. Do you think it dries out the plastic inside? Is it only wah pots you're referring to?

Because not all wah pots use a carbon pile....Some wah pots get worse upon spraying solvent into the pot...Take it from from my own experiences... Wah pots don't have a great life expectancy and 9 times out of 10,it's a bad pot that is the problem anyway...Brow's wah had a brand new Fulltone pot that was bad and we replaced it..