I´m restoring a Rogue and the modulation wheel makes a slight bump sending too much modulation at the beginning (after which it increases normally). This prevents from playing with smooth vibrato.
Rotating the wheel and off-setting the pot with a screw driver has no effect as the bump happens immediately when the pot starts modulating. I guess the potentiometer is faulty and needs to be replaced.
The question is: how do you dettach it from the wheel? Looks like an ordinary 10k pot but I tried several times and just can´t figure.
HEH Thanks! It took me two days to find out. It´s really simple afterall.
Guess my vision isn´t as sharp as before. It was unusual to find what looked like a tiny torx screw inside the wheel but I used a torx driver and it worked. Thanks for clearing that.
Now, to attach the fragile wheel to the pot will be a tricky task. I practised a little and it looks like too much torque will break the wheel in no time. Too less and the pot won´t rotate, unless I´ll find an easy going one tomorrow when the stores are open.
I´m also thinking of using WD-40 as lubricant but as it is also a dielectric I´d fear for more tracking errors in the future.
It’s hard to provide advice here without seeing the unit firsthand.
If the wheel is cracking, you’re very right about torque.
Too much, it may split. Some superglue here may help, but don’t get any in the threads for the set screw.
Otherwise, you can usually tighten them pretty well with no worries.
I don’t recommend WD-40 as it may accelerate plastic degradation of the wheel.
It may also attract dust.
Certainly a judgement call on your part though.
If it will help, it may be better to use it than not.
I sometimes use a drop of a teflon based lube, but not very much.
Thank you for your recommendations, Mr. Kevin.
I´d gladly ship these wheels from Lisbon. From what I saw in your fantastic website I´m sure they would return in great shape! But at the moment I don´t think it´s worth the hassle. As English is not my native language, if it sounds too complicated it´s just me trying to make myself as clear as possible.
Nevertheless it is great to hear from the Master, and an honour.
OK, back on topic:
I disassembled the pot and cleaned the contacts with isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs. After reassembling the glitch was still there, so the wafer must have weared out.
Instead of replacing the entire pot I´ll try to replace just the wafer as the metal shaft was shaped in a way as to keep the hex screw in place, preventing the wheel from falling off. This seems like a bit of overengineering, though.
About the wheel, there´s a small crack around the opening, but it´s nothing serious and it´s barely noticeable.
I´m more concerned about a yellowish colouration of the wheels and how to remove it. Is this common? Is there any automotive spray paint everybody uses or something?
You mean white like the white keys? My wheels look more ivory in the half under the bonnet. I think it´s the original colour, which I´ll try to preserve. If noone comes up with a better idea I´ll look for some aerosol paint. If it turns into a mess, who cares anyway; I´ll ditch´em and have new ones made by a local artisan. Clear glass or acrylic will look neat, I think.
The wheels are styrene plastic and can melt with many paints and solvents.
There are some paints available for plastics, but I don’t know how well they’d work here. The wheel is made to handle and paint might wear off or scrape on the sides.
Maybe find someone into metal casting?
Metal original style wheels might be nice.
Bleach water didn´t help here either. Nor plastic polish. From what´s around the net, styrene reacts heavily with UV light thus the yellow colour isn´t just superficial, that´s why…
I do not know anyone into metal casting nor any metal foundry. I do know a company that makes anything for you out of copper or aluminium using CNC and laser cutting, but they require a CAD file.
Old style metal wheels might be nice but I´ll try acrylic first (after the new year party rush) as this is more what I have in mind
