H-575 volume noise question

[ronalr]

On my 575...all of a sudden I get a crackling sound when I adjust the volume...almost no volume till it gets to about 6 or 7... then this distorted crackling sound...after I play for a while it goes away but still not much control with the volume...is this an easy fix or do I need a visit to a luthier?...this is happening on both treble and bass volume knobs...loose wire? or maybe squirt something on it?

I have never done much work on any of my guitars other than clean and change strings.......any advice much appreciated

Thanks

[stevejmack]

On my 575...all of a sudden I get a crackling sound when I adjust the volume...almost no volume till it gets to about 6 or 7... then this distorted crackling sound...after I play for a while it goes away but still not much control with the volume...is this an easy fix or do I need a visit to a luthier?...this is happening on both treble and bass volume knobs...loose wire? or maybe squirt something on it?

I have never done much work on any of my guitars other than clean and change strings.......any advice much appreciated

Thanks

ronair

 

You might think about replacing the Volume and tone Pots. I replaced my pots on my H-150 with a vintage set from RS Guitarworks. I had my 250 ohm pots replaced with 500 ohm pots and Jensen .015 and .022 capacitors. These come in a Vintage upgrade kit from RS Guitarworks. Go to www.RSGuitarworks.com for info.

[Steiner]

I'd shake the guitar up and down while in playing orientation. If you hear the crackle, it's something loose. If not, either the pot has gone bad (extremely rare for me) or you need to clean the pot. I'd say something is loose because it (sounds like it) showed up without warning and affects two pots.

 

Talk to our resident Mad Scientist to see if it is a difficult fix.

[FredZepp]

After doing the shake test.....

I'd typically say why not try the pot cleaner, I have had some successes with it.

Just be careful with that stuff around that nice 575.....

[BrianToth]

Changing pots will surely work but it's the same a killing an ant with a 10lb sledgehammer. I'd go with the cleaner first. But if you're at all unsure of how to do it, let a tech do it for a couple of bucks. Tuner/pot cleaner WILL do nasty things to your finish.

[ronalr]

Thanks for the replies...going to plug in now and shake it....not stir ....where do you get pot cleaner and how hard is it to use ....don't want to mess anything up!!

[ronalr]

OK...I have been playing for about 40 minutes....when I first plugged in I had no volume at all...then I pushed and wiggled the guitar cord at the input (the input is at the tail piece on this one) and then some distortion and cracking for a moment and then has been playing fine...the volume knobs seem to be working ok also.....Could the problem be wiring at the input end? ...I shook the guitar up and down in playing position and nothing rattles...only once did it seem to crackle and that was when I played a little harder ..but just for a moment......it is not the cord....tried it with other guitars....and am playing through a Carvin SX-200 solid state combo amp.

[smurph1]

I am definitely not an expert. but I would try tightening the nut on your input jack first..that might be the problem..Good Luck..

[ronalr]

I am definitely not an expert. but I would try tightening the nut on your input jack first..that might be the problem..Good Luck..

I am looking at the end and do not see a nut...does not seem to be anything to tighten...it is part of the tailpiece..but does not seem loose in any way....it is not like a regular bottom input jack with a nut to tighten...not to familiar with this type of tailpiece jack......only have one other tailpiece jack and it is on an acoustic.

[cod65]

Cracking when you rotate the knobs is a dirty, pitted pot, or the wiring is coming loose nearby. So

etimes when a pot gets loose a person might unwittingly tighten the nut beneath the knob and rotate the whole pot, stressing the wires to point of breaking, or causing the terminals to touch each other.

The best thing to do with noisy pots on a hollow body is take out the entire wirng harness. It's not difficult, but it is a PITA for a newbie. I just went through putting a harness and push-pulls with a pair of p- rails pickups and I can say it was not fun. But I would do it over , now that I know how. I dunno about your area, but I dnt think most shops arond here will do it for less than 50$ guestimate.

 

Regardless of the problem you wll probably have to take the harness pRtially out thru a pickup hole. You will not be able to lube the pots otherwise.

Here's how:

 

take off the knobs

tie a piece of thread around each knobless pot, around 3 ft of thread for each pot

loosen the nuts on the pots until they slide off onto the thread. Keep them on the thread by gathering theloose thread ends with a piece of tape.

 

Loosen strings until you are able to remove the bridge pickup mounting ring screws, and lift the bridge pickup out of the body

 

Push all 4 of the control pots into the body , being careful that the strings are still connected to allow you to feed them back thru the holes later.

 

Gently pull the pots thru the bridge pickup hole.

 

If the guitar is wired factory you should be able to feed all 4 pots thru the hole. You might need to disconnect the 1/4" jack. Mine had an RCA plug inside, but I don't know if this was stock. Hopefully you can get the entire wiring harness out.

 

Plug the harness into your amp and fiddle with the pots and listen for noise/ look for frayed or touching wires.

 

Ideally you want to keep original pots and wiring, so

first thing to do is spray contact cleaner into the openings of the pots (radio shack contact cleaner/lubricant is fine)

 

cover your guitar to avoid ruining the finish, then spray liberally. Rotate the knobs fully several times.

Wait a few minutes to dry, then plug on harness and turn pots again. Repeat untill crackle free.

 

Feed the harness and controls back int place withe threads.

 

Not impossible if you know a few tricks

[Kuz]

Sounds like the endput jack isn't making contact all the time. I had that happen on a 150, just screwed the end jack and squeezed the contact clips so it would make a tighter contact. Unfortunately, on your 575 with the combo tailpiece/end jack it won't be that easy to get to.....

[ronalr]

Thanks cod65 and Kuz....I think I will take it to the shop....more repair then I think I can handle......I'll be 60 next month...hard enough to play a song all the way through with out forgetting it...let alone trying to learn guitar wiring 101 :lol: thanks ...will let you know what happens....here is a picture of her just for porn sake!!!!

[Kuz]

Thanks cod65 and Kuz....I think I will take it to the shop....more repair then I think I can handle......I'll be 60 next month...hard enough to play a song all the way through with out forgetting it...let alone trying to learn guitar wiring 101 :lol: thanks ...will let you know what happens....here is a picture of her just for porn sake!!!!

 

 

Beautiful guitar, get her healed up quick!!!!

[yoslate]

I am looking at the end and do not see a nut...

 

 

No doubt! You're in Baltimore. Bird lives in Alabama!

[ronalr]

No doubt! You're in Baltimore. Bird lives in Alabama!

[Thundersteel]

On one of the H575s I used to own, a wire wasn't soldered to the pot. It was placed on the lug, but it wasn't soldered. It was an easy fix, though

[ronalr]

Thanks for all the suggestions and replies everyone...I am making an appointment with Phil Jacoby, Luthier here in Baltimore....because of the snow he is a little backed up...but I am going to see him 1st week in March...neat thing is...I make an appointment and he said I can wait for it while he works on it....having a full set up done with flat wound 11's and a strap pin installed too!!.......will let you know how it goes ...this is my first time taking it to the Philtone Guitar Co. ...but he comes highly recomended...

http://www.philtone.com/index.html

[FredZepp]

Thanks for all the suggestions and replies everyone...I am making an appointment with Phil Jacoby, Luthier here in Baltimore....because of the snow he is a little backed up...but I am going to see him 1st week in March...neat thing is...I make an appointment and he said I can wait for it while he works on it....having a full set up done with flat wound 11's and a strap pin installed too!!.......will let you know how it goes ...this is my first time taking it to the Philtone Guitar Co. ...but he comes highly recomended...

http://www.philtone.com/index.html

That sounds like that will get that beauty back to 100%.... Too bad that you have to wait, but it will be worth it.

[ronalr]

That sounds like that will get that beauty back to 100%.... Too bad that you have to wait, but it will be worth it.

I hope so Fred...I will just be forced to play the 335 or the 157 while I wait .....what a shame