Scratchy Pots on My S2 594 McCarty

MarcWink

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Greetings gang,

Recently my beloved S2 594 Singlecut has been quite scratchy when using the volume and tone controls. I've tried contact cleaner to no avail, and when I look at the connections in the control cavity, all looks well. Any thoughts on what the cause could be? Should I just spring for new Core volume pots, push/pull tone pots and a Core toggle switch and have them installed when I send the guitar to my tech to have a Core 594 bone nut installed along with its bi-annual setup? Any suggestions are appreciated.
 
I would do it myself, but I have never done anything with guitar electronics...heck, I'd do the nut myself too, but I don't trust myself with an Xacto knife to get the current nut off of the guitar.
 
Greetings gang,

Recently my beloved S2 594 Singlecut has been quite scratchy when using the volume and tone controls. I've tried contact cleaner to no avail, and when I look at the connections in the control cavity, all looks well. Any thoughts on what the cause could be? Should I just spring for new Core volume pots, push/pull tone pots and a Core toggle switch and have them installed when I send the guitar to my tech to have a Core 594 bone nut installed along with its bi-annual setup? Any suggestions are appreciated.
Have you tried Deoxit? It is a bit stronger than normal contact cleaner.

Would PRS help as well?
 
I would get the core internals if cleaning didn't help. I only have one S2 and the electronics are my only complaint. One day I'll get around to swapping them. It's cheap and easy enough to do.

Have you tried Deoxit? It is a bit stronger than normal contact cleaner.

Would PRS help as well?

My guess is that I'm out of luck insofar as PRS is concerned since I made modifications to the guitar as compared to its factory state (Phase III locking vintage tuners, non-standard issue pickups installed by someone other than PRS though they are still PRS pickups).
 
My guess is that I'm out of luck insofar as PRS is concerned since I made modifications to the guitar as compared to its factory state (Phase III locking vintage tuners, non-standard issue pickups installed by someone other than PRS though they are still PRS pickups).

It's such a minor job I personally wouldn't send it to PRS. I understand if you don't want to do it yourself. If you change your mind it's a pretty straight forward swap assuming everything is working as it should and there's plenty of us on here willing to help.

Either way easy enough to order the parts and have your tech do it.

Nice swap on the tuners! What pickups did you put in?
 
Scratchy pots are usually connected to a dirty pot, poor solder joint or poor ground. Spray DeOxit into the pot body as well and turn the shaft several times to distribute. Also run a bead of solder on all connections. Double check your grounding to make sure it’s intact, isolated and linear (no ground loops).
 
So, were they scratchy to begin with, or did the issue develop over time...?
My next question, which some don't like to hear, is do you put them away after playing, or leave them out??
Either way is totally cool...but some have their preferences.
 
So, were they scratchy to begin with, or did the issue develop over time...?
My next question, which some don't like to hear, is do you put them away after playing, or leave them out??
Either way is totally cool...but some have their preferences.

The toggle switch was problematic from the factory and one of the tone pots was a little scratchy but not like it is now. They have all gotten worse over time. I typically leave my guitars out in a rack for ease of access. I will note that I have several guitars in the rack and the S2 594 is the only one that's problematic. Other guitars in the same rack are a Core 35th Anniversary Custom 24, an S2 Custom 22 semi-hollow, a Core Custom 22, a Core CE 22 Maple Top from 1997, a Prestige Ibanez RG and a Gibson Explorer. None of them have developed scratchy pots. Of all of those guitars, the only other one with non-factory pickups is the S2 Custom 22 Semi Hollow. Pickups in both S2 guitars were swapped by the same tech with the Custom 22 Semi Hollow having been swapped out earlier than the S2 594. The S2 594 has been in the house the shortest amount of time. Unfortunately, I can't go back to the same tech that did the work as I just found out the other day that he has retired after having had a back in November.
 
It was indeed, though it was the DeOxit in the little squeeze bottle with the little needle syringe like applicator.
Oh that is interesting I didn't know it came in a squeeze tube. I use the aerosal one with the straw.
 
Well, my beloved S2 594 will be going in to my tech for repair, but before it does, I want to have all my ducks in a row. Will the existing lampshade knobs that are on the guitar fit the Core pots? I know that some of the foreign made components will have different dimensions...typically smaller.
 
Well, my beloved S2 594 will be going in to my tech for repair, but before it does, I want to have all my ducks in a row. Will the existing lampshade knobs that are on the guitar fit the Core pots? I know that some of the foreign made components will have different dimensions...typically smaller.
Do the pots in your S2 have a name on the back? Alpha, CTS ect?
 
I have also experienced the scratchy pots on my S2 594 and have had a tech look at it a couple of times to no avail.
 
I don't recall what the branding was when I opened up the control cavity. In any event, it looks like the knobs should swap based on other posts.
 
Core lampshades fit imperial and metric pots with no issue. Sounds like a swap of pots are in order. Simple enough for any tech to handle but annoying that it’s needed on such a new guitar
 
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