WD40 now do a proper 'fast drying contact cleaner' that works well (not the basic WD40), but it's not lubricated, so more like the straight Caig's DeoxIT. Though Caig also do a separate lube-only spray, CAIG DeoxIT Faderlube F5. It probably makes more sense to first clean out and then lube, rather than do both at the same time (although it is more convenient).
It's relatively easy to find the non-lubed contact cleaner, interesting that the WD-40 folks now have one. I didn't know you could get the lube-only. Looks like I can get it here, though it's pricy. But I see that the brand I usually use, CRC, has a silicone lube for electrical parts. Here you can get both for less than half the price of the Deoxit clearner+lube...for what it's worth.
In the photo of my can of Electrical Clean & Lube, that I posted, you'll notice that the end of the thin plastic pipe has a bend in it, I did that to make it easier to spray inside the metal pot-cover of the pots I was cleaning.
I do mine like doc...but the device I was thinking of is something like this:
...I am, of course, too cheap to own one.
Originally Posted by fender3x
I do mine like doc...but the device I was thinking of is something like this:
...I am, of course, too cheap to own one.
I think Stewmac stock something like that.
However that method may not get the cleaner/lubricant on the track, or be patchy at best. Better than nothing if you don't want to take pots out of a semi-acoustic to spray them, but not as good as being able to spray inside the slot.
Yeah, I suspect that's right. I have been tempted for the semi accoustics where I don't have easy access. Then I see the price and begin wondering if it's even effective. a curved tube like Doc posted is probably better if you can get at the back easily.
Loosening the pot nuts slightly so you can rotate them if necessary, a flexible nozzle for the spray and a mirror should do it. Only if the wiring harness is very tight and doesn't allow the pots to turn enough to get the nozzle in might you need to think about dropping the whole harness down so you can pull it back nearer the F-holes.
Of course some of those Gretsch styles with knobs in the top and front horn could prove very difficult without removing pickups and almost fully removing and re-installing the harness again.
I found that simply putting a bend at the end of the thin plastic tubing you get with the cans of electrical cleaning sprays, worked well enough for me....hint, that idea is not patented, so free use of it is not only perfectly okay, I'm also encouraging it.
Where I think the bend-in-the-tubing idea really works and saves a lot of frustration, and, or, some unmentionable "colourful" words (I'm assuming you know very well what I mean by that), is in the situation where you have pots soldered to a circuit-board as found in the majority of most guitar amps that use printed circuit boards, I know only too well just how much of a pain it is to work on them, you usually end up taking the circuit board out of the amp at least half a dozen times in the process of servicing the amp, this is where old-style eyelet boards, such as those in Fender amps, have a big advantage, to replace a resistor, cap, etc, you simply desolder the faulty part and solder a new one in it's place.
Last edited by DrNomis_44; 14-04-2021 at 12:25 AM.
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