nrasnake

New Member
Joined
May 3, 2019
Messages
2
I have a 2019 Custom 24-08 and notice that all of the pots feel "sloppy" or loose. I've confirmed that the nuts are tight to the body and that the "slop" is between the pot shaft and the pot body. I would also say they feel a bit dry, as in the wiper and shaft is not lubricated well.

Is this normal for a brand new PRS core model (non-push/pull, lampshade knobs)?

My LP has absolutely no slop on the four pots it has (well except a very slight amount in the volume because I roll it constantly). They feel very smooth also.
 
Contact your dealer. If it’s a bad pot, which can happen, they should take care of it.
 
I have the same issue. I have a PS Hollow II 594. The two pots for tone(push/pull) are tight, but the other two pots for volume(non-push/pull) are very sloppy.
 
Interesting. It is a characteristic of the non-push/pull pots. I am going to add some DeoxIT Fader Grease and see if that helps tighten up the feel.

FROM PRS CUSTOMER SERVICE:
"Thank you for contacting PRS Guitars. This is normal. We have our pots built to Paul’s specs and that includes removing the nylon washers that are found in most pots. The washers grind inside the pot and cause resistance when turning. Paul wants the pots to turn freely and smoothly. Remove the washers does cause a small amount of side to side play on the shaft."
"It’s safe to add fader grease. You can access the inside of the pot from the bottom side (access through the electronics cavity)."
 
this question has lurked in my head too - so thanks for resolving...I personally wish the pots on my Custom 22 Piezo were more like my LP - the PRS pots flop all over the place turn so freely I find it harder to operate them smoothly.
 
“Fader” is an old-school name for potentiometer.
Actually, it’s a term for linear potentiometers that are typically used as faders in mixing applications. Those were lubed up more than usual to provide a very smooth glide.
 
Many, many years ago, I remember tv repairmen referring to variable resistors as faders. Maybe the tv guys got it from music guys?
 
Many, many years ago, I remember tv repairmen referring to variable resistors as faders. Maybe the tv guys got it from music guys?
I remember the TV repair man coming to the house. Very interesting, I thought. I just remember the blue shirt and the over abundance of butt crack. :eek:

I was a manufacturers rep for electronic components for 10 years and sold millions and millions of pots. Engineers called them everything you could think of, or not, like ‘rheostat’. I didn’t care as long as they designed my parts in and added me to their drawings! But I’ve heard them called ‘faders’, too.;)
 
Lol I have the same issue with my custom 24 se but it is the tone push pull that seems sloppy. Works just fine though.
 
I always prferred the feel of a tight pot with a bit of resistance to the turning action. Feels sturdy that way and I associated it with quality. So when I got my CU22 not long who I immediately thought the pots were the only spot that felt cheap on the guitar. Then I read that it’s normal and by design so I accepted it. And now....I’ve come to really like it actually as it makes on the fly volume and tone changes so easy and effortless. Just an easy brush of the hand to adjust....I find myself using the controls to fine tune now more than ever because of it.
 
I always prferred the feel of a tight pot with a bit of resistance to the turning action. Feels sturdy that way and I associated it with quality. So when I got my CU22 not long who I immediately thought the pots were the only spot that felt cheap on the guitar. Then I read that it’s normal and by design so I accepted it. And now....I’ve come to really like it actually as it makes on the fly volume and tone changes so easy and effortless. Just an easy brush of the hand to adjust....I find myself using the controls to fine tune now more than ever because of it.

I always associated low quality pots with more resistance BUT also not consistent enough either. By consistent, I mean pots that don't have a full working range as you turn. A Volume pot that cuts the volume before you reach zero, maybe as soon as 3 or tone pots that don't seem to make a difference after turning down below a certain point. It bugs me when reviewers don't talk about the Tone/Volume pots other than to say a guitar as them and often go from full volume to zero in between the talky bits - and they never touch the tone pot at all - other than too check its fully up to max. Its almost as if these have no relevance at all and just a 'mute' switch at best.

Its been a while since I played a 'cheap' guitar with cheap electronics so I am not sure if this has changed now. Maybe they are better than I remember but I do think the actual knobs are not aesthetically pleasing and conducive to one sweaty little finger use. It doesn't bother me so much these days as I don't play live, not running around and getting all sweaty anymore but I found those smooth lumps of plastic - the ones that are equally as round at the top as the bottom - with a more resistive pot to be a bit more of a pain. An elastic band twisted around them helps.

If I were designing a knob, I think I would make it with textured rubber around the middle with a thicker or more protruding marker or a plastic one with the grooves but one part protruding more so you can easily feel exactly where the knob is positioned - its a bit like those Chicken Head Knobs but far less obvious. The 'beak' part being a more protruding line of plastic/rubber so you can feel exactly how the knob is positioned. You will get used to rolling back the tone/volume to the same place just by feel - not that you can't do it by ear too of course.

Too me, the frictionless pots feel like quality - smooth, fast and incredibly easy to roll. Its like having a ball bearing ring instead of something that is rubbing against something, feeling like you need to lubricate to make it smoother. Maybe its because all the guitars I played had some friction and moving up to the Core PRS, a Premium guitar, was the first guitar I had that had such smooth and frictionless pots. My first PRS was the 594 and its so easy to roll both volumes up or down with just 1 motion. On my Les Paul, with a sweaty hand, it wasn't easy to roll down both with one motion.

The only thing I would prefer, is that if all the Push/pull pots were push/push pots and I think I would prefer that to the mini-toggles but the mini-toggles are better than the Push/Pull pots. Mini-toggles have their advantage over a push/push pot in that you can see which position they are in at a quick glance and thus know it the Pups are full or split but a push/push pot is quicker to switch and also looks less 'complicated'.
 
The tone pot on the Holcomb SE is also loosy goosey. Seems to work OK but it did have static after about a week. I sprayed some cleaner in it and it has been OK. Just turns very freely, more free than I'd like but hey, it's all good. Apparently it is supposed to be this way.
 
I am a wide stroke strummer because I played big band for many years, and you have to hit the strings hard to get an archtop to bark. Many guitars are a problem because I hit the volume control while playing rhythm. I wish the volume controls weren’t so free, but I changed where I pick so I wouldn’t lose volume in the middle of a tune or solo.I still instinctively up the volume knob when I play. It’s the only reason I’ll never have an SS or an F Strat. I sold a beautiful SE EG for that reason.
 
I’ve never associated a loose pot shaft with anything other than a manufacturing defect. That’s why I prefer Bourn pots, for their exceptionally smooth feel.
 
I have a 2019 Custom 24-08 and notice that all of the pots feel "sloppy" or loose. I've confirmed that the nuts are tight to the body and that the "slop" is between the pot shaft and the pot body. I would also say they feel a bit dry, as in the wiper and shaft is not lubricated well.

Is this normal for a brand new PRS core model (non-push/pull, lampshade knobs)?

My LP has absolutely no slop on the four pots it has (well except a very slight amount in the volume because I roll it constantly). They feel very smooth also.


hi nrasnake,

i am having exact same problem as you mentioned with the tone control pot on my brand new SE cu24 floyd (mine is push/pull lampshade knob)
contacted the dealer and got repaired from PRS, was OK for 3days or so, then it started to wiggle again.
really disappointed.
did you manage to sort out the issue?
 
Back
Top