DeArmond Pot Really that Rare and Valuable?

[lawson-stone]

Working on my DeArmond Guitar Mike FH-C pickup, which has frayed and broken wiring, I pulled the volume pot to see about getting a replacement. To my shock, when I googled "Centralab Pot" I couldn't believe the prices I saw for vintage pots-mine is 1957.

Is this REAL? Also, curiously, this pot is a 1 Meg pot, when most electrics have a 500k pot. Is that unusual or distinctive to this pickup?

[Greentone]

Lawson,

The Centralab potentiometers were some of the very best. CTS and Stackpole made some great components, too. It all comes down to supply and demand. If you look online you will find that a 1-meg Centralab pot is going to set you back between $40-$80, IIRC. It's all driven by folks wanting to keep their equipment in original shape.

As you know, the DeArmond floating pickups are top value in the second-hand market. (They sound wonderful, which explains this. A good DeArmond is only topped, IMO, by an original "CC" cobalt-magnet Gibson pickup--but I'm not willing to chop into the top of most of my guitars to mount a "CC.")

[neatomic]

1 meg pots were fairly common in guitar use...used by fender, for certain era tele's and jazzmasters..dan armstrong also used them on his plexi guitars

idea was they allow more high frequencies from the pickup to pass thru to the amp...

new 1 meg pots are available for under 5$...but the old ones are big $$$ for restoration reasons...

cheers

[icr]

Try some DeOxit first. Otherwise, I'd replace it and sometimes save the original pot. Some guitars need the original pots for proper vintage identification. For example, early 1970s Les Pauls, where the headstock serial numbers are ambiguous.
In other cases, the pot is best served in the trash, along with, for example, the last set of strings you wore-out. If the pot is no good, then the situation usually does not improve. Although, I once replace the wafer in a vintage pot just to see if it could be done.

[lawson-stone]

Wow. I went online simply to interpret the numbers on the pot, and found examples for sale at prices like $100-$200! So... I think I will definitely re-hab this pot to use with my DeArmond instead of replacing it with something else!

[Boston Joe]

I will never cease to be amazed at the amounts of money people will spend on stuff. I'm neither cheap nor poor, but sometimes I feel that way reading this forum.

[LtKojak]

I'm neither cheap nor poor, but sometimes I feel that way reading this forum.

Why? You should be feeling glad and optimistic for being a sane, reasonable human being, not prone to fall into those traps. Never forget what usually happens to "fools and their money".

Open the window, face the sun, take a deep breath of fresh air and say outloud "life is great!!!"

[Greentone]

Lawson,

That potentiometer doesn't look obviously bad. It's probably oxidized from years of disuse. Some deoxit accompanied by several sweeps back and forth over the range of the swing of the knob should do the trick. The solder looks original--and in good shape.

My bet is that things will end up back in good shape without replacement.

[lawson-stone]

Lawson,

That potentiometer doesn't look obviously bad. It's probably oxidized from years of disuse. Some deoxit accompanied by several sweeps back and forth over the range of the swing of the knob should do the trick. The solder looks original--and in good shape.

My bet is that things will end up back in good shape without replacement.

That's what I'm thinking too. I need to re-wire it. The insulation on the cable literally crumbles if you bend the wire much at all, so I'm going to find an equivalent wire and put it all back together. One thing I'm puzzling over is the way the pot just sits in the metal housing. Wouldn't that risk shorting everything out?

this will be a slow project, but I know the pickup works great, the pot seems okay too, and all the mechanical stuff-mounting brackets and such--work well. Plus it looks good, no problems with the finish. And it fits reasonably well on my L50, so I have a plan!

[Greentone]

Ha. That's where I used my DeArmond...on a L50. It sounds great there.

[lawson-stone]

Ha. That's where I used my DeArmond...on a L50. It sounds great there.

I just wish I could get the thing closer to the fingerboard. But where it is sounds pretty good, just gets in the way of picking a little.

[rob taft]

What is preventing the pickup getting closer to the FB? It looks like you have plenty of stick to slide it upwards.

[neatomic]

is it the depth of the pickup or the shortness of the lead wire that prevents getting it closer to the sweetspot (24th fret harmonic) i.e. neck??


cheers

[Greentone]

Flush fingerboard on top of L50 leaves no space near neck for a pickup.

[rob taft]

[QUOTE=Greentone;828682]Flush fingerboard on top of L50 leaves no space near neck for a pickup.[/QUOTE

Thanks, I didn't focus on the depth/height of the fingerboard relative to the body.

[john_a]

For the "pot cleaner" don't use the normal Deoxit D5, it may revive the worn pot but it removes the lube and hastens the final death from a lifetime of scrubbing. Pots have a lube in them, D5 type cleaners have solvents like naptha as a carrier that flushes out the original lube.

Deoxit F5 spray or any of the "Faderlube" series of products is what you use on pots.

Those Centralab potentiometers may have been the hot ticket in their day, but no way are they actually worth $100 or more now to me, even if that was for minty NOS.

I used to get the CTS guitar specific pots, now I prefer Bourns, or if I need something "special" I get the Canadian PEC brand.
PEC will be pricier than CTS/Bourns, but not by a huge factor. I used some recently in a higher watt rating when I was making a fixed bias tube amp have an adjustable circuit, so I could optimize the 6L6GC power tube's performance. Because I wanted the pot accessible, but not subject to inadvertent adjustments, I was after the locking type (has a slot for turning with a screwdriver, but also a nut that locks it afterwards, see the pic below) Got lucky and found the exact part number I needed at a surplus supply house.

That original Centralab pot you have looks like it has to be small to fit ? Figure out all the specs you need and see what Digikey or Mouser have, or if you find a source for PEC products. The overall diameter, the shaft type/dia/length, bushing length need to be determined, then it looks like a 1 meg ohm audio taper.. There's got to be a good alternative to paying crazy vintage prices for a freakin' pot. That reminds me of the ebay listings for rusty screws -- one man's junk is another's treasure, if common sense does not enter into the equation. For me, vintage dirty broken stuff that I wore out myself is one thing, but to seek out the same and pay extra for it? I'm not going there, but obviously there's a market for it, even where it is synthetic like the "RELIC" stuff.

[WillMbCdn5]

John_A which of the PEC pots would you recommend as a replacement for the FHC Centralab ?-

Precision Electronics Corporation: Potentiometers

Will

[john_a]

I can't say for sure which PEC model would work, because I don't know the physical dimensions on that original FHC Centralab, just that its 1 Meg and probably audio taper. The dimensions of the original part will lead you to the correct replacement. The power rating won't be a problem -- even a 1/4 watt is more than enough, and higher wattage rating won't hurt.
You'd be looking at non-inductive carbon element types, single turn.

Get the dimensions clarified, go to Digikey or Mouser to see part numbers that match your specs, maybe you can find a high quality brand. If the prices are too high, check for the same part from some of the online electronic surplus sellers.

John

[lawson-stone]

What is preventing the pickup getting closer to the FB? It looks like you have plenty of stick to slide it upwards.

Not enough room between the top of the guitar and the strings.

[lawson-stone]

For the "pot cleaner" don't use the normal Deoxit D5, it may revive the worn pot but it removes the lube and hastens the final death from a lifetime of scrubbing. Pots have a lube in them, D5 type cleaners have solvents like naptha as a carrier that flushes out the original lube.

Deoxit F5 spray or any of the "Faderlube" series of products is what you use on pots.

Those Centralab potentiometers may have been the hot ticket in their day, but no way are they actually worth $100 or more now to me, even if that was for minty NOS.

I used to get the CTS guitar specific pots, now I prefer Bourns, or if I need something "special" I get the Canadian PEC brand.
PEC will be pricier than CTS/Bourns, but not by a huge factor. I used some recently in a higher watt rating when I was making a fixed bias tube amp have an adjustable circuit, so I could optimize the 6L6GC power tube's performance. Because I wanted the pot accessible, but not subject to inadvertent adjustments, I was after the locking type (has a slot for turning with a screwdriver, but also a nut that locks it afterwards, see the pic below) Got lucky and found the exact part number I needed at a surplus supply house.

That original Centralab pot you have looks like it has to be small to fit ? Figure out all the specs you need and see what Digikey or Mouser have, or if you find a source for PEC products. The overall diameter, the shaft type/dia/length, bushing length need to be determined, then it looks like a 1 meg ohm audio taper.. There's got to be a good alternative to paying crazy vintage prices for a freakin' pot. That reminds me of the ebay listings for rusty screws -- one man's junk is another's treasure, if common sense does not enter into the equation. For me, vintage dirty broken stuff that I wore out myself is one thing, but to seek out the same and pay extra for it? I'm not going there, but obviously there's a market for it, even where it is synthetic like the "RELIC" stuff.

Ac tally I think I'll be able to use this pot. It's a tight fit in the housing but it fit once, so it must fit somehow. Thanks for the advice on what cleaner to use.

[lawson-stone]

The code "C7" appears after "1 MEG" and I've read this is the taper, but cannot find any reference that explains what the C7 taper is. Anyone know?

[Boston Joe]

Why? You should be feeling glad and optimistic for being a sane, reasonable human being, not prone to fall into those traps. Never forget what usually happens to "fools and their money".

Open the window, face the sun, take a deep breath of fresh air and say outloud "life is great!!!"

The... "sun?" I think I've heard of this. Big yellow thing? Hasn't been seen in these parts for a few days.

"Sane and reasonable?" Moi? Maybe when it comes to blowing huge wads of cash on vintage instruments, but my money and I never seem to stay together that long, so I must be foolish in other areas.

[Pjm]

Restoring a DeArmond 1000 Rhythm Chief. Missing the nut for the tone pot. Thin shaft. Not sure of the specs for the nut. I suspect it is M6.5 -1 pitch. Does anyone have know a source for them?
Thanks
Pete