Is your Fulltone Wah Pot reliable?

alderbody · November 07, 2007, 09:43:28 AM

They are supposed to last for a lifetime...

This means that i must have died at least three times...

As soon as they "require" cleaning, it's the end.
That's the third that dies in my Wah.
Do i use it so much? yes, but... I don't think i use it THAT much...

What's the best alternative IYO? (mostly tonewise)

How about Area 51?

jonathan perez · November 07, 2007, 10:17:34 AM

ive used those, and theyre ok...my hot potz 2 has yet to die, and ive used for, at the very minimum, 300 hours.

Paul Marossy · November 07, 2007, 10:30:28 AM

The one Fulltone "wah pot" that I have seen looked just like a cheap Alpha pot.

alderbody · November 08, 2007, 03:00:13 AM

Quote from: Paul Marossy on November 07, 2007, 10:30:28 AM
The one Fulltone "wah pot" that I have seen looked just like a cheap Alpha pot.

yes, they don't look like they quite deserve the $$ you pay...

The problem is that i never used another brand and i'm not sure what to substitute it for.

TBOM, have you tried Area 51? Are their pots as good as their inductors are famed to be?

Paul Marossy · November 08, 2007, 07:35:35 AM

Quoteyes, they don't look like they quite deserve the $$ you pay...

Definitely not.

Gus · November 08, 2007, 09:57:28 AM

Two things to check

Leakage of the caps that connect to the pot.

mechanical stress is the shaft 90 degrees to the rack?

Paul Marossy · November 08, 2007, 02:35:58 PM

I don't go with anything else other than the Dunlop Hot Potz II. It sounds good to my ears, and they last a very, very long time.

Shepherd · November 08, 2007, 02:51:29 PM

Quote from: Gus on November 08, 2007, 09:57:28 AM
mechanical stress is the shaft 90 degrees to the rack?

+1

Paul Marossy · November 08, 2007, 04:31:28 PM

With the Fulltone pots that I have seen, the issue is not mechanical stress. It's the very thin layer on the wafer - it doesn't take long to wear it through. Then you get the scratchy noises and it's time replace it.

alderbody · November 09, 2007, 07:13:20 AM

Quote from: Paul Marossy on November 08, 2007, 04:31:28 PM
With the Fulltone pots that I have seen, the issue is not mechanical stress. It's the very thin layer on the wafer - it doesn't take long to wear it through. Then you get the scratchy noises and it's time replace it.

Exactly!!!

The avoidance of the mechanical stress is something i have put a lot of care when i installed the pot(s).

It's the very thin wafer. It can't be anything else.

That's the last Fulltone pot in my wah.
I wonder if Mr. F puts these exact pots in his Clydes or the ones sold as parts are the rejects...

Paul Marossy · November 09, 2007, 10:23:29 AM

I dunno. Whatever the case, I would never buy a Fulltone wah pot after having stumbled across one without having to buy it. It's just not built to last like the Dunlop Hot Potz IIs are.

solarplexus · November 10, 2007, 10:59:46 AM

Don't want to hijack the thread here... but what about the Smallbear pot? I bought one to put in my wah and I wonder if they last long too? By the way Paul, I built the Colorsound Inductorless Wah from your layout.... just awesome stuff!

jonathan perez · November 10, 2007, 11:35:03 AM

ive dealt with area51 lots in the past.i love the guy, i think hes a golden one. the pots he sells are no different to my ears than the small bear pots. everyone seems to be buying from the same source, it seems...aside from that, save your money and time and go with a hot potzII. they last forever, as far as i can tell

go about changing the .22 cap to the wiper to .33 or even .44 and itll help the pot get that icar taper...while not the real deal, pretty darn good at it.

fulltone pots are good, but they get scratchy, faster than the dunlop potz...which blows when you play often...

mistercoffee1 · November 11, 2007, 02:38:21 AM

Quote from: thebattleofmidway on November 10, 2007, 11:35:03 AM
go with a hot potzII. they last forever, as far as i can tell go about changing the .22 cap to the wiper to .33 or even .44 and itll help the pot get that icar taper...while not the real deal, pretty darn good at it.

TBOM - Why am I not really hearing a difference when I run a 0.1 uf cap parallel (on the underside) of the 0.22 uf cap that goes to the middle wiper of the pot?

jonathan perez · November 11, 2007, 11:26:13 AM

try .22, or even .33 in parallel with the .22 cap in place, into the extremes, but it may present a difference to you.

Paul Marossy · November 11, 2007, 11:30:19 AM

Anyone ever tried a 1uF in place of those 0.22uF caps? That's what the Maestro Boomerang does. I love my original '73 Boomerang and my Boomerang clone much better than the old V846/V847 circuit - it just sounds fatter to me. I wonder if that's part of the reason why?

jonathan perez · November 11, 2007, 11:52:15 AM

i noticed that, will try it today.

Johan · November 11, 2007, 12:28:10 PM

I replaced the pot in my crybaby with a 100k (linear) Bourns pot back in -92...still no problems
just put the gear on the shaft an go..
...it's one of these..

j

Paul Marossy · November 11, 2007, 12:29:29 PM

Quotei noticed that, will try it today

Cool. This should be interesting!

jonathan perez · November 11, 2007, 02:05:55 PM

well, i did it...

but i dont have a working guitar here HAHAHA

ill update later tonight, hopefully.

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Is your Fulltone Wah Pot reliable?