Replace Pots?

[Natman]

Hey all,

I have a Blue Angel and a (modified) Heartbreaker. On each of them, I sometimes get unexpected volume spikes. I have noticed that the volume/gain pots are very scratchy and the volume jumps when I turn them.

Can pots just die like that? Granted the amps could be nearly 20 years old and pots are mechanical parts, so it could just be time to replace them.

Next question is: is there anything special about these pots? I know they are all made by Alpha/CTS or whoever but sometimes manufacturers order custom tapers or specs. Personally I'd rather not get them from Mesa and pay the upcharge if possible. Mouser is fine by me...

Thanks for your input guys & gals!

 

[elvis]

Yes, it is absolutely normal for pots to get like that, as they are mechanical. If they have not been used much for a while, it could just be oxide build-up on the contacts. I recommend trying to clean them with tuner cleaner and some twisting before going through the trouble of changing them.

If they won't clean up, any quality pot with a reasonable taper should do the job. In many cases, people disagree with Mesa's choice of taper (like linear master volume pots), so feel free to experiment.