Vintage Les Paul pots less resistance than historic pots. Was this always the case?

JPP-1 · Jan 20, 2019

The turn resistance of tone and volume pots on vintage Les Pauls is perfect imo. They also do a better job in maintaining volume without treble loos and tone filtering is perfect, somehow the highs or cut but the tone is never muddy or muffled. Maybe that’s the caps too.

Anyway my question is this. Were these vintage pots always so easy to turn or were they stiff when new like the ones on current historics.

Thanks in advance.

thin sissy · Jan 20, 2019

Interesting question, I hope someone can give a good answer

.

The fact that the old pots are so much better is annoying to me, it's hard to put to words exactly what it is but they just seem to sound better (more transparent maybe?). I wonder why. I bought a set of VIpots a while ago, haven't installed them in anything yet, but people on this forum seem to like them, so I have high hopes for them :salude

DANELECTRO · Jan 20, 2019

When I bought my 1955 Junior, the original pots were so tight, that I was afraid that I might strip the splines in the knob trying to turn it. I sprayed Deoxit potentiometer cleaner into terminal opening and onto the shaft and began slowly turning it the shaft, and it freed up quite quickly. I hit it with a second shot of Deoxit, turned them rapidly for about a minute, and both pots were like brand new. No static, and they turn as smooth as silk. That was about 6-7 years ago, and they still work great. I just now did a turn-test comparing them to the pots on my 2018 Historic, and I'd say that the '55 pots turn more freely. It makes me wonder how many perfectly good vintage pots have been thrown away of the years simply because they were dirty, or the grease in them had hardened.

Tom Wittrock · Jan 21, 2019

DANELECTRO said:
When I bought my 1955 Junior, the original pots were so tight, that I was afraid that I might strip the splines in the knob trying to turn it. I sprayed Deoxit potentiometer cleaner into terminal opening and onto the shaft and began slowly turning it the shaft, and it freed up quite quickly. I hit it with a second shot of Deoxit, turned them rapidly for about a minute, and both pots were like brand new. No static, and they turn as smooth as silk. That was about 6-7 years ago, and they still work great. I just now did a turn-test comparing them to the pots on my 2018 Historic, and I'd say that the '55 pots turn more freely. It makes me wonder how many perfectly good vintage pots have been thrown away of the years simply because they were dirty, or the grease in them had hardened.

That's what I used to do. Now, for stiff turning shafts I use CaiLube [from CAIG, like Deoxit].
I still use Deoxit for cleaning the contacts inside the pot housing.

latestarter · Jan 21, 2019

JPP-1 said:
The turn resistance of tone and volume pots on vintage Les Pauls is perfect imo. They also do a better job in maintaining volume without treble loos and tone filtering is perfect, somehow the highs or cut but the tone is never muddy or muffled. Maybe that’s the caps too.

Anyway my question is this. Were these vintage pots always so easy to turn or were they stiff when new like the ones on current historics.

Thanks in advance.

There's a lot on this site about the pro's of the old pots. Have a quick search. Most of my 50's, early 60's pots turn very freely...some, annoyingly so. Yes, to my ears they sound better too when in use (not related to caps...unless you are discussing tone knobs...even then....).

sws1 · Jan 21, 2019

DANELECTRO said:
When I bought my 1955 Junior, the original pots were so tight, that I was afraid that I might strip the splines in the knob trying to turn it. I sprayed Deoxit potentiometer cleaner into terminal opening and onto the shaft and began slowly turning it the shaft, and it freed up quite quickly. I hit it with a second shot of Deoxit, turned them rapidly for about a minute, and both pots were like brand new. No static, and they turn as smooth as silk. That was about 6-7 years ago, and they still work great. I just now did a turn-test comparing them to the pots on my 2018 Historic, and I'd say that the '55 pots turn more freely. It makes me wonder how many perfectly good vintage pots have been thrown away of the years simply because they were dirty, or the grease in them had hardened.

yep - Although I used Deoxit F5 - fader lube, dripped through the shaft on the top of the guitar. (Body and finish were well protected when I did that.) Amazing how well it worked

StSpider · Jan 21, 2019

I wonder how those VIPots work, because RS kits have been hit-or-miss for me.

Mars Hall · Jan 21, 2019

StSpider said:
I wonder how those VIPots work, because RS kits have been hit-or-miss for me.

I highly recommend the VIPots, made a huge difference in my 96 R7 which had Dr V pots previously. They sound better and have the 50's Centralab taper everyone covets.

deytookerjaabs · Jan 21, 2019

I doubt it's the pot and more the wear, there's plenty of new/old guitars & amps whose pots feel like they're not even there and vice versa.

VIPots are great! They represent two things...ye olde taper and value.

Vintage Les Paul pots less resistance than historic pots. Was this always the case?

JPP-1

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thin sissy

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DANELECTRO

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Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner

latestarter

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sws1

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StSpider

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Mars Hall

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deytookerjaabs

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