Cleaning dirty knobs.

[Lucky Rathen]

Oh behave....lol

I have an old Marshall Valvestate practice amp and it's playing up. A couple of the knobs on the front crackle and cut out when I turn them. I've been told the switches are dirty and I just need to take them out and clean them, but I have absolutely no idea how to do this. Can anyone tell me what I need to do? Can I attempt this myself, am I likely to fuck up my amp if I do it wrong?

[jamesbroonbreed]

WD40

I often find it's better to spray the WD40 into your mouth and then give your knobs a lick out. That's possibly just personal preference though

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Lucky Rathen

Oh behave....lol

I have an old Marshall Valvestate practice amp and it's playing up. A couple of the knobs on the front crackle and cut out when I turn them. I've been told the switches are dirty and I just need to take them out and clean them, but I have absolutely no idea how to do this. Can anyone tell me what I need to do? Can I attempt this myself, am I likely to fuck up my amp if I do it wrong?

You should get some switch spray from R&B or somewhere like that. I bought some for the same reason and it cleaned up the noisy pots on my wee practice Valvestate and the recurring problem on my Suhr Strat 5-way switch.

Ask the guys at the counter, they'll know exactly what you're after.

[neepheid]

Servisol Super 10.

[Al Coholic]

Do NOT use WD40 or normal contact cleaner in pots. While WD40 is great for removing sticker (so i read here somewhere) it does not clean dust from pots. Normal dry contact cleaner is great for cleaning connectors but in pots it dissolves the grease causing them to freeze.
You should use lubricating contact cleaner, that leaves silicone lubricant behind ("tuner cleaner"). Unfortunately i have not yet found a place where you can get it, Maplin doesn't have it. I'll try RS some time.

[Al Coholic]

Originally Posted by neepheid

Servisol Super 10.

Hi Matt, you're right, Servisol Super 10 is indeed lubricating so that would do. As opposed to Servisol Aero Klene which is dry.

How to do it is very simple just spray a little bit right into the pot (there is usually a small gap where the contacts are, you can point the extension nozzle tube thingy of the spray can in there and give a short blast. It does mean you have to open the amp up so you have access to the rear of the control panel or the board where they are fitted.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by neepheid

Servisol Super 10.

That's the very chappie - I couldn't remember the name, but checked when I got home.

It's good stuff.