x-170 -- Short or Long Shaft Pots ?

[CajunBlues]

Anyone know of a 1997 X-170 would have used short or long shaft pots ? I don't feel like taking the harness out just to figure this one out ....

 

[GAD]

I can't imagine why they would be long shaft. It's only what - 1/4" of laminate on the top?

When I've redone other semi and hollow bodies, they were all short shafts. I would feel safe buying short shaft pots when I do my X170T.

Only place I've needed long shaft was on ridiculous Gibson control cavities with grounding plates and other nonsense.

 

[CajunBlues]

Thanks GAD... I actually took one out of the f-hole... it's short shaft... as expected... Now that I reflect.. .It was kind of a dumb question :wink:

 

[GAD]

Thanks GAD... I actually took one out of the f-hole... it's short shaft... as expected... Now that I reflect.. .It was kind of a dumb question :wink:

Nah.

What year is your X170? I'd love to know what value pots are in there stock. You gonna put 500 Ohm in there?

 

[CajunBlues]

It's a 97... I took all the pots out and they are all stamped on the side 77 W0500 and man are they in bad shape...

 

[GAD]

It's a 97... I took all the pots out and they are all stamped on the side 77 W0500 and man are they in bad shape...

Any chance you could ohm one of those bad boys out and let me know what it reads?

 

[CajunBlues]

I can't measure them.. I replaced all the pots/switch/jack today on the X170... Anyway, I cannot hear any significant difference in sound between before and after... I switched them out because I was getting a slight ground buzz and occasional really annoying loud pops... Well the pops went away but I still have the slight grounding buzz... Only thing I can think it might be is a shielding issue ?? Maybe all X170s have this low level buzz that goes away when you touch the strings....

 

[capnjuan]

... Well the pops went away but I still have the slight grounding buzz... Only thing I can think it might be is a shielding issue ?? Maybe all X170s have this low level buzz that goes away when you touch the strings....

Hi CB; assuming all the solder joints in the guitar are good, trying swapping out the cable. If that doesn't do it, then it could be either a dirty or defective input jack.

Get some electronic contact cleaner and spray it in the jack and then push / pull the plug end of the cable in/out several times. If that doesn't do it, you may need a new jack/s. Some input jacks have shorting arms that connect the hot post to ground. The unused jack has a little current running through it that's grounded by the arm. If the contact point between the shorting arm and the hot post gets a little corrosion on it, then you get bzzzz.

If spray cleaning doesn't do it, then you may need to pull the chassis and clean the shorting arm/hot post contact point manually or even re-tension the shorting arm. If that doesn't do it ... Which direction you go largely depends on your confidence in the work in the guitar; if you know it's good, then maybe the cable and/or amp is the problem. If your harness pulls out through the pickup holes ... maybe checking out the amp has other attractive aspects. Good luck.

 

[CajunBlues]

Juan:

I replaced the jack so that is not it.... It's not the amp/cable etc... However, the buzz is all but stopped now... Its defininitley at an acceptable level... The only change i made was lowering the bridge/action... One side of the bridge is lowered as low as possible so there is more contact... I am surprised that made a difference...

I swear I was got all my ground connections solid and double checked them... No cold joints...

who knows...

 

[capnjuan]

Okay then .... must be those darn gremlins ... :? :wink:

 

[CajunBlues]

Okay then .... must be those darn gremlins ... :? :wink:

No doubt this guitar has some gremlins... But it also has an incredible sound especially with the Thomastik Infeld flat wounds...