Scratching noise!!!???!!!

Mannemarak

Ok, so I found a similar post on here but no other options regarding this issue other than replacing the fuse if one is found.

Anyway, I have a Laney LV200 amp and not used that much and mostly in house by myself, so recently I started experiencing scratching when turning the volume knob and it someimes seems to cut out...it also does not go very loud except if I 'wiggle' the volume knob. My cables from guitar to amp is new so it is not those, also the guitar is fine through another amp. Ok so my uncle who also plays guitar said it is dust that accumilates on the pots, he says there is a spray or something that helps in reducing the build-up...anyone else have more experience about this?

aja

Your uncle is correct.

Dust gets into the pot, causing it to have poor contact. So you will jump between no volume and whatever volume the knob is set at in a scratchy fashion.

Most techs will tell you that it is better to replace the pots than to try save them using contact cleaner spray.

Since the amp is not a vintage model, I would get the pots replaced!

FenderBender

You can try a squirt of Contact Cleaner 390 in the pot, rotate several times very quickly and see if that helps, else change the pot or take it to a tech.

You can get CC390 at Mantech.

Highway-Chile

The only thing about a straight contact cleaner is that it can also flush out any lubrication in the potentiometer, so use sparingly. Do you guys get DeoxIT over there?

The D-Series and Fader F-Series are good.

Be very careful you do not get any contact cleaner on any plastic parts unless you are 100% sure it will not harm them. DeoxIT is plastic friendly.

FenderBender

Highway Chile wrote: The only thing about a straight contact cleaner is that it can also flush out any lubrication in the potentiometer

CC 390 is safe for most plastics and carbon track pots and also leaves a thin layer of protective lube on the contact surfaces.

Highway Chile wrote: Do you guys get DeoxIT over there?

Unfortunately I haven't been able to find any here, but I get good results with CC390.
Here is a link to the product: http://constructor.bg/shop/product_info.php?currency=BGN&osCsid=4abfcceeca3b06c246f1ab600c23509c&products_id=11580&language=en

Gearhead

The wiggle and the bad contact might be caused by the pot literally falling apart. Replacement is your best bet.