Topic: Should I replace the Volume Pot in my Baja Telecaster?

Just got a Baja Telecaster about a month or 2 ago.  After playing with it for a while now I've decided the S-1 push button switch is a piece of junk thats waiting to break any gig now.  I can't decide if I should replace it and rewire the whole guitar or resale it and put my money into something else.  The Pot basically sounds good from 8 to 10 and turning it down any lower then that will result in it being scratchy or a major drop in volume.  I want to put a RS Guitarworks super volume pot in if I do replace it.  Does anybody have any other suggestions such as mods or replacement parts for this telecaster?  NO Joe I'm not going to sell it and buy a Gibson!

Re: Should I replace the Volume Pot in my Baja Telecaster?

I have an RS kit in one of my guitars and a repro cap from them in another. Their kits are worth it.   Really opens up your guitar.  I live 15 minutes away from them. You should see some of the guitars they've built.

Re: Should I replace the Volume Pot in my Baja Telecaster?

Well I just finished replacing the volume pot on my telecaster.  So now I got a 4 way switch and RS Guitarworks 280k super pot and a fender no load switch tone pot.  Didn't have the right resistors for a treble bleed mod but used one that came with the guitar.  I looked it up and it let out 10k 5 minutes of trying it out was all I need to know I couldn't leave that treble bleed mod in there.  Bright is a understament.  I took it out but found that it lost some sparkle that it had a second a go.  So I must put that mod back in just at a lower value.  Over all I'm very happy with what I've done so far and I think my band will notice too.

4 (edited by Wooders 2011-06-27 10:15:03)

Re: Should I replace the Volume Pot in my Baja Telecaster?

AD3THREE,

A colleague and friend has just bought a Baja Tele and would like to ask if you drilled/enlarged the guitar body and pick guard when installing the RS Guitarworks pots?

Thanks
Phil

Ars Longa, Vita Brevis

β€œThe guy who has helped the blues industry the most is Joe Bonamassa and I would say he is more rock than some rock stuff, so to me blues is whatever you want it to be!”
Simon McBride in my interview with him in Blues Matters! Issue #56

Re: Should I replace the Volume Pot in my Baja Telecaster?

No both pots are by the brand CTS which both are 3/8th.  The body cavity is routed just like a vintage body and the control plate is vintage style as well.  You should have a lot more room inside the Telecaster with the RS Guitarworks kit then with the original pot used in the Baja Tele.  It has a circuit board bolted on the back of the pot that lets it do all those switching tricks and I think was about 3 inches long.  your new pot is about an inch long.

Wooders wrote:

AD3THREE,

A colleague and friend has just bought a Baja Tele and would like to ask if you drilled/enlarged the guitar body and pick guard when installing the RS Guitarworks pots?

Thanks
Phil