WD40 has been around since the 1940’s and is used in many different ways. It is commonly known as an industrial lubricant and degreaser. It is also used as a wood preservative and to clean and protect metal surfaces.

But what about using it on scratchy guitar potentiometers?  Is WD40 safe for guitars and sensitive electronics?

Can you use WD40 on guitar pots?

No.  I would not recommend using WD40 to clean guitar pots or any other guitar electronics.  WD-40 contains a mixture of solvents and other chemicals.  Some of these ingredients will actually attract dirt and dust. This is the number one reason I would not recommend using WD-40 on guitar pots.

But how can I clean the volume and tone pots properly without leaving a nasty oily residue?

Before You Start…Are Your Pots Dirty?

This is easy to find out.  First, plug your guitar into your amp like you are going to start playing.

Start turning your volume and tone knobs up and down.  Is it quiet where you only hear your guitar or does it sound “scratchy” while you are turning the knobs.  If you hear a static-like scratchy sound, you need to clean your pots.

Related – are volume and tone potentiometers the same?

How To Clean Scratchy Guitar Pots Properly

One of the most common guitar issues is a scratchy volume pot. This is usually due to dirt and other grime that has built up inside the pot. By cleaning your volume and tone pots regularly, you will be able to avoid a lot of unnecessary guitar problems.

What You Will Need

This is a very easy job but there are a few things that you will need to do this:

• Screwdriver – for accessing the pots.
• Spray contact cleaner – there are a number of electrical contact cleaner options out there but my favorite is one that you can find on Amazon called DeoxIT 5{0794a961920d97099aea99cac5a861228867c4461e5cf936a4873e99fb4a0da6} Spray Contact Cleaner.  One can should last you a long time too and you will be able to use it on other electrical components as well – like your guitar amp which can sometimes have scratchy pots as well.  It’s an excellent pot cleaner!  Isopropyl alcohol can be considered as well but I like the control you get with a contact cleaner spray.

Step 1 – Access The Guitar’s Pots

The first thing you will need to do is find the pots on your guitar.  This will depend on the type of electric guitar you have but there are really only two ways to get to it.

If your guitar has a pickguard like a Fender Stratocaster, you can pull the pickguard off.  You will see the pots connected to the underside of the pickguard along with the pickups.

If you do not have a pickguard like a Les Paul, the pots and other electronic components can be accessed by removing the back of your guitar.  You should see a plastic panel on the back of the body right about in the same place as your guitar knobs on the front.  Just take that plastic cover off with a screwdriver.

Step 2 – Spray The Contact Cleaner Into The Pot

Spray a little bit of contact cleaner into the hole.  One or two quick sprays should be enough.  Get enough cleaner in there so that it will not evaporate instantly but not so much that it will overflow and drip out of the pot and onto your guitar and other electronics.

While you are at it, give the pickup selector switch a couple sprays as well.

Step 3 – Distribute The Contact Cleaner

Once you have sprayed the pot, you will need to give the tone and volume controls a few turns to help get the cleaner inside the entire range of the pot.  Most contact cleaners should come with the extension tube (that little straw like thing) to help you get the cleaner in the right places – I recommend using this to be more accurate with the cleaner.

You will need to repeat this in each of the pots you wish to clean.  Make sure not to get too much cleaner around the outside of your pots. If you do, wiping it off with a dry cloth is fine.

If you are nervous about getting any contact cleaner on your guitar, you can wear gloves when cleaning your pots.  It’s up to you but if anything does end up on your guitar, wipe it off thoroughly with a dry cloth.

Step 4 – Check To See If It Worked

Simply turn the pots up and down to make sure that you are no longer hearing the scratching sound.  If it is quite and all you hear is the guitar itself, your tone and volume pots are clean and you are done!

If the pots are still scratchy sounding, repeat the process.  If you tried it a few times but still have issues, read on…

Help, I Cleaned My Pots But They Still Sound Bad!

The spray contact cleaner will not fix everything.  You may need to replace your pots or have a guitar repair shop look at them if they have been completely burned out.

Can Guitar Pots Go Bad?

Yes, guitar pots can go bad and degrade over time.  Even the best guitar pots will get scratchy sounding eventually that cannot be cleaned out.  In this case, you would need to replace it with a new pot.

If you hear a loud crunching sound when you turn the volume knob, this is often indicative of a burnt out pot or even an electrical issue with your guitar.

If cleaning doesn’t solve the problem, the best thing to do is to get new pots for your guitar.

How To Tell If A Guitar Pot Has Gone Bad

Simple.  If you cleaned it using the method above a few times and it didn’t fix the scratchy noise issue, you have a bad pot.  The pot will need to be replaced.

Want To See A Demo On Cleaning Pots

This is most likely the best video showing you how to do it:

Conclusion

If you want to get the most out of your guitar, you need to make sure that all of your pots are clean. A dirty pot can restrict the signal and can also cause a lot of unwanted noise like static and scratching sounds. By cleaning the pots with a contact cleaner before problems start, you can usually avoid bigger problems down the road.

The post EXPLAINED: Can You Use WD40 On Guitar Pots? (And Should You?) appeared first on Happy New Guitar Day.

This isn’t something embarrassing because a majority of electric guitar players do not know how they’re supposed to properly make use of the guitar knobs – otherwise known as guitar volume and tone pots. Even though it’s not uncommon, it is a rather huge loss for your process of playing the guitar well. Apart from affecting the sound of your electric guitar, it will also hamper the sound that comes out of your guitar’s amp. This is especially the case if you set up the toggle switch and tone your knobs in the wrong manner.

Not being aware of how to use the toggle switch and the knobs in the right manner will produce a rather obnoxious sound even if you’re playing your guitar in the right manner. So read on to know more about the secrets of unlocking the best sound your electric guitar can actually produce.

More related reading – Can You Use WD40 On Guitar Pots?

Manipulating your guitar to sound better by using knobs

There are multiple guitars available with different kinds of toggle switches. The Fender Stratocaster guitar has a five-way switch, while other guitars, like a Gibson Les Paul, have a three-way switch. The toggle switch is also known as the pickup selector as it chooses the pickups that would be transforming the vibrations of the guitar string into electrical signals.

All the different pickups emit a very different sound compared to the rest, hence it is important for you to choose the right pickup. That can only be done when you’re completely familiar with which position of the toggle switch selects which kind of pickup.

Using the different kinds of pickups

Choosing the right pickup for the precise type of sound you’re aiming for isn’t a piece of a cake. There’s a special kind of strategy that makes it easier.

If you’re trying to create a sound that moves towards the rhythms of rock music, then you would want a more sharply defined sound. When you’re playing power chords, you need a sharp edge that will, in turn, give way to an edge for powerful riffs.

If you’re trying to create a sound that moves towards the rhythms of blues music, then you would want a more warm and wobbly sound instead of a sharp sound.

Switching positions with the pickup selector

It’s important for guitarists to understand that sticking to one position of the guitar’s scale can turn out to be rather limiting. Instead, if you prefer to switch between the high and low ranges of the scale, the results would turn out to be pretty impressive. You can accomplish switching over the high and low ranges through the neck of the guitar.

If you observe the best guitarists on the planet playing their guitars, you’d see how they’re moving around their guitar’s fretboard as they switch pickups with the pickup selector switch. It’s vital to understand that switching pickups can help you create the best sounds possible, but at the same time, create obnoxious sounds if not properly used.

As you play guitar solos on the higher end of the guitar’s neck, make sure you don’t use the bridge pickup almost all the time since it would end up creating a very sharp sound. Instead, try using the neck pickup when you are soloing on the higher end of the guitar’s neck.

As you reach the lower range of the fret board, make sure you use the bridge pickup as it creates just the right sound for it.

How to fine-tune your guitar with the knobs

The purpose of the knobs is to help you fine-tune your guitar to create an absolutely heavenly sound. If you drive your tone knob all the way to the lowest level, it will create a rather unpleasant sound, or a sound you’re not aiming for. It will result in all the high frequencies being cancelled. And in the end, only low frequencies would stay. This may be great for you if you’re trying to aim for a jazzy tone. Combine it with some great distortion and you will have some really impressive tones.

The appropriate way to use tone controls or pots is to turn it just a slight bit down. This is especially advantageous for people who’re not fans of the razor-blade sharp sound.

To finesse your guitar skills, it would be advisable to experiment as much as you can with these tone knobs.

Volume and tone-knob hacks

Most guitarists use the volume pedal to regulate the volume of the guitar. Instead, try using the volume knob for the same effect.

Start at the end and slowly turn your guitar’s volume to the range of 10. Start amping up simultaneously to the point that it starts to overdrive your guitar’s tone.

Now you must start dialling back the guitar’s volume which would help in cleaning up your guitar’s tone till the point it turns quieter. Turn it back up to boost your guitar’s sound as and when you require it.

It’s important to note that the volume knob acts the same way volume pedal does. Hence for switching up the gain over fuzz and overdrive. Dial it back so you can change the tonality of the guitar as and when you require.

If you use your pedals, you may get more of versatility than what you need. Hence using the volume knob seems optimum. Do not forget that most guitars have to go through a drop in their treble as they roll off the volume.

Instead of letting your guitar’s tone controls being set on a 10, reduce it to a 6. This will help in adding more treble than usual. This is, once again, a better option compared to your volume pedal.

Turn your tone up so that you can get more of a cutting sound. Roll your volume back and see what you can achieve.

More related articles:

• 10 Best Electric Guitar Under 300 – Top Picks For 2022
• 10 Best Electric Guitar Under 500 – Top Options For 2022
• 10 Best Super Strat Guitars – Top Picks For 2022
• 8 Best Jazz Guitars 2022 – Our Top Picks For Jazz Lovers!
• 9 Best Electric Guitar for Small Hands – Top 2022 Choices

The post EXPLAINED: How To Use Electric Guitar Knobs appeared first on Happy New Guitar Day.

Are guitar tone and volume pots the same?

Yes, guitar volume and tone pots are basically the same linear pot with a capacitor attached but there are some differences in how they function that can create some major differences in what they can do for the sound of the electric guitar.

By understanding those differences you cannot only play a little better but also deal with issues as they come up on the road, or at least more accurately describe the problem to someone who can fix it. Either way, a little more knowledge about your guitar can only help your playing.

How Do Volume and Tone Pots Work?

As noted, the volume pot and tone pots work by restricting the amount of electricity hitting their respective systems. With a volume pot, the more electricity you allow into the system the louder your electric guitar will be. With tone, the low or high frequencies your guitar will play. It should be noted that you can modify the tone control by changing almost any other factor of the guitar, from its make to how you strum the strings; there is a lot to play with when it comes to how your guitar sounds with volume settings. In both cases, you will need to experiment until you find the setting you like the most or works best for your current project. This is just something that you will need to experiment with until you find what you like.

Also check out – How to clean guitar pots

What are Volume Pots on a Guitar?

The guitar volume potentiometer on the guitar is near the volume knobs or audio taper pot – basically a variable resistor. When the dial is set all the way counter-clockwise the entire signal is sent to your ground, and so your guitar is silent; all the other way and your guitar screams. This, by the way, is why volume is on a 0-10 scale; the number times ten is how much signal is being used. It is possible to deal with multiple guitar pickups (both humbucker or single-coil pickups) ; you just need to set your lugs as appropriate to the pickups, with the first lug set as close to the last lug. Keep in mind that if you set that last lug in any other position you lose the ability to control volume; while this is great if you want the highest possible volume, you do lose some subtlety if you decide to play a softer song.

What are Guitar Tone Pots on a Guitar?

Tone is a lot more complicated, but it is modified by the tone pot for linear taper. The issue is that while the volume control knob only controls one factor, the tone knob monitors so much else; as anything can affect the tone, from how you play to the electronics. You can also use pickups to modify the tone as well. You can also place a tone cap on the tone pot, which also helps modify the tone as well. By turning the tone pot all the way counter-clockwise you generally obtain higher frequencies; by going the other way you can forego the tone cap. Either way, the tone knob gives you a number of options you can play with when it comes to tone.

What Is The Difference Between the Two Potentiometers?

Most guitars have two pots, one for volume and one for tone. The volume pot is pretty simple: It affects how loud or quiet the guitar sounds. The tone pots affect pretty much the rest of the sound. The basic difference between the two is how they are wired: Tone pots are logarithmic while volume pots are linear. That is, if you were to look at how they affect electricity, the volume pots would increase in a straight line while the tone pots would increase in a curve. The volume pot effectively lets in a certain amount of electricity while a tone pot, which is wired more like a rheostat, essentially shunts the electricity to a ground. That difference in wiring is what determines the effect the specific pot has on the sound of the guitar.

Do Guitar Pots Make A Difference in Guitar Sound?

Look at your guitar….see those knobs?

It is important to remember that an electric guitar’s sound is created by manipulating how the electricity flows through the guitar, and it is that manipulation that creates the sound. The easiest parts of the guitar to manipulate are the pots. “Pot” is short for “potentiometer”, which affects the flow of electricity through the guitar; inside each pot is a “sweeper” that wipes an “element”, or a circular resistor strip of metal. That sweeper determines how far the electricity has to travel to hits its output.

A pot is an L-Pad, or an electrical device that does two things at once. In this case, it is introducing a short and series resistance across the signal. The short dampens the signal; the number on the pot determines the range of the short. For example, if you have a 250K pot you can set that between 0 and 250K, although you may be limited by the actual value of the pot based on its tolerances. Generally, pots come in 250K and 500K sizes; however, the size does not matter for purposes of this article. Just realize that the pot determines how much electricity flows through it and that manipulating that electricity you can modify the sound of the guitar.

Tone And Volume Pot Wiring & How To Wire A Potentiometer

As a quick guide to how these are wired in your guitar, I would recommend watching this video that explains it all:

Enjoy Your Playing

So, are volume and tone pots?  As you can see, it is not a simple question. Nonetheless, this should make playing the electric guitar a lot more interesting to play, or at least give you something more to play with when you are trying to figure out how things work. By putting the guitar more through its paces and playing with the controls you can find new ways to play. It is just a matter of playing with the pots and deciding which sound you like, but at least now you understand how they work and how they can affect your playing.

The post Are Guitar Volume And Tone Pots The Same? appeared first on Happy New Guitar Day.