Conference napalm::guitar

    Is the scraping sound transmitted electronically, or do you hear it
    externally?  
    
    If it's electronic, it's probably the pot.  You may be able to fix it
    by cleaning it using tuner cleaner or WD40.  I remember an old issue of
    Guitar Player that had a circuit in it that was designed to help
    prevent this type problem.
    
    Greg

    
    It is transmitted electronically to the amp.  Not exactly condusive to
    nice clean volume swell type stuff.  I thought of WD40, but will that
    impair the contacts inside the pot?  (Yeah, that's the real question!)
    
    
    Guy
    

	Hi Guy,

	Just buy my volume pedal, it's a De Armond and in excellant condition!
I'm asking $20 for it and it has a sealed, top quality AB potentiometer. Send
mail to me at ELESYS:: if you're interested.

	Joe Jas

WD 40 will not harm pots. I use it on all my guitar pots and anything else that
gets noisy.

dbii

    
    
    re:.3 (Joe Jas)
    
    Thanks Joe, but I just bought this pedal about a year ago (its a
    Morley) and the WD-40 is cheaper. :-)  I have a De Armond wah-wah,
    but my inquiring fingers fixed (extreme sarcasm here) that some time
    ago.  I wired it up so its pot would control the delay time on my
    digital delay and I can't remember how to change it back!  Oh well...
    
    re:.4 (dbii)
    
    Thanks _dbii_. I hope you don't consider me noisy! :-)
    
    
    Guy

    Guy,
    
    	IF the WD - 40 does not work, it is likely that the carbon track
    is scratched ( cleaners are only good at removing grease/dust on the
    track).
    
    Provided that the construction of the pot allows it, carefully take
    the metal cover ( often you will only need to use a small screwdriver
    to lift off 3 or 4 folded "fingers".
    
    Then, using a SOFT lead pencil, rub lead in the direction of the
    track. What you need to do is to apply enough pressure to work and
    compress the carbon into the scratches, so spend a minute or two
    on continued rubbing.  This has the effect of "work hardening" the
    soft lead so that it stays on the track scratches.
    
    OK, there is one thing you should check before carrying this out,
    and that is to ensure the "wiper" has just enough pressure to make
    a good electrical contact. Often, with well-used pots, the arm pressure
    gradually reduces, and the noise you hear is the result of the arm
    lifting off of the track.
    
    Finally, if all this does not work ( and you don't want to/can't 
    replace the pot), then CAREFULLY bend the wiper so as to shorten
    it's radius. this can solve the noise due to the fact that the wiper
    arm has worn a groove in the track, and shortening it will place
    its path on a clean and unused part of the track.
    
    Good luck, all this is "unofficial" and the "book" says it can't
    be done, but I have given many on old pot an extra year or so of
    usefull life.
    
    Regards.....Dave
    
      

    
    Well,  I already used the WD-40 and it worked like a charm.  I was
    "volume swelling" all weekend.
    
    Many thanks to all for the tips.....
    
    
    Guy

Why not replace it ? just put the new one in the same way....and try
    to get the same value i.e- 100k, 500k or what ever it says on the
    pot itself.......just draw a diagram of which wires are connected
    to which legs and solder dat bad boy in there.....to prevent this
    from happening again give the pot a glob of silicone sealant
    (like g.e. gasket stuff-the latex one!)it will keep the dust out
    of it and live happily ever after!
    -bill
    

    
    Unfortunately, the silicone sealant wouldn't work on this particular pot.
    It is not the circular kind with the wiper that goes around, but a long
    rectangular box with a slider in it.  Due to this slider there is a
    rather large, "moving" hole in the top of the pot to allow dust, dirt,
    moisture, and similar nasties in so as to reduce the life of the
    equipment.  If I filled in the holes I wouldn't be able to use the
    pedal - and besides - what would become of good ol' American business
    values?
    
    ;-)
    
    Guy