Howdy! This is my first post here on The Nation, and I have an amp question.
I scored a VOX VT15, 15 watt amp in partial exchange for some work I'm doing for an aquaintence, and there's a problem with the potentiometer marked MASTER on the top panel. If I adjust the knob, I get loud static out of the speaker, and sometimes the volume cuts out all together. I have to kind of play with it to keep the volume up on it to the point that you can hear anything out of it.Other than that one annoyance, it sounds great. I think a CGB will sound great through it - and you can't beat free for a price.
My question is, do you think a bit of contact cleaner sprayed down into the potentiometer will do the trick, or do I need to replace that potentiometer?
Thanks in advance for your help.
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Thanks very much for the reply. I know my limitations when it comes to anything electronic, so the replacement will be done by a tech if I need to go that route. Just wondered if anyone had had any success with the contact cleaner before I shell out the money to have it replaced.
Just to update and finish out the story here, the contact cleaner worked like a charm. I pulled the back off the amp, pulled the amp out of the cabinet, and found the board the pots were soldered to. I then removed the screws that held that board onto the main amp board. I gave all of the pots a good sluicing out with the contact cleaner while turning them back and forth to knock any gunk loose while the cleaner was being sprayed. I put it all back together, plugged it in, plugged in the guitar, and whammo - it sounds great.
I did discover that the cabinet is about shot. It's made of particle board and it's coming apart in a few areas - especially around the speaker opening and along the back where the back panel screws onto it. I think I'll be making a new cabinet for it down the road. Who knows - if I find a neat old soap box or antique radio that doesn't work, I might swap the internals out into that.
Thanks for the help!
I've often been able to extend the life of crumbling particle board by "painting" the weak crumbling areas with a good coat of carpenters glue (Titebond).
When dry it completely seals and strengthens the effected area. Paint it into worn out screw holes as well and it will give enough new surface so the screws will have something to grip.
Like your contact cleaner ... it might be worth a try.
Thanks guys.
I have a good woodworking background in cabinetry, so making a new amp cabinet isn't a problem. I can't tell you how many sheets of birch plywood I've cut into cabinet parts. It looks like the speaker itself is screwed to a piece of 1/4" luan plywood, but I'll most likely switch over to birch for that too. Still up in the air about whether to build a new cabinet or keep my eyes open for something that can be made into one.
Film at 11...
For the cabinet carcass itself I'll probably go with biscuits rather than finger joints. The current cabinet is covered in black vinyl, and I like that look. I may change the color to brown (I have some handy) but nothing is written in stone. Black vinyl is easy to find cheap. I've decided that this will be for using, not setting on a shelf and looking at, so I'm not looking for a showpiece.
I'll grab some 1/4" when I get the 3/4" cabinet material and cut a new baffle for the speaker. Then again, if they have maple at a decent price, I might go that route and skip the vinyl covering all together.
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