Petty but frustrating...

kirk · #1 05-07-2007, 09:41 PM

My 2006 RGA121's volume pot just siezed up today as I was adjusting the volume.

I was looking for warranty info. Kind of sucks that there are no local repair facilities. A repair that should only take a couple of minutes (ok, a couple of days) will probably take a couple of weeks to complete.

It is almost ridiculous to even bother going to the guitar shop, having them box it up and ship it for a $12 part. I guess that is what Ibanez is counting on. If I don't go through the trouble of returning it for warranty repair, it costs me $50 (to have the repair done) and saves Ibanez probably $100+ (shipping two ways, an hour of tech time and the part!?)

Sorry, but I can't count the number of pots that I've fried trying to install them myself.

I guess I can look at it as an opportunity to upgrade, but it is frustrating nonetheless.

chone · #2 05-07-2007, 10:26 PM

wow, this really is happening frequently. hope ibanez knows.

RAI6 · #3 05-07-2007, 11:31 PM

Is the pot covered under warranty?
Most of the time, wear-and-tear parts, are usually excluded...
I tried to get a switch replaced on a custom shop Hamer replaced once.
No go.....
The guitar was only 6 weeks old, but that didn't matter.

buddroyce · #4 05-08-2007, 12:32 AM

Switches and pots are not covered under any warranty. Usage is considered wear and tear. If it's within 7-10 days most stores will fix it. But if it's been a month or more you're on your own.

But honestly.. the pots used in most Ibanez's suck anyways. Just get 'em replaced with something better quality. I believe CTS does make some smaller diameter shaft pots.

**elcid** · #5 05-08-2007, 12:34 AM

$50?
It's a 10 minute job if you do it blindfolded.
Fck a bag of that, just do it yourself

**Ayrton** · #6 05-08-2007, 12:39 AM

I have no idea how good or bad stock pots are, but I always replace the pots and switch when I install new pups for the first time.

Dee · #7 05-08-2007, 01:20 AM

Wow. Welcome to the broken pot club!

http://www.ibanez.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7457

http://www.jemsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62193

Eco · #8 05-08-2007, 05:35 AM

Wow, until recently i'd hardly even heard of pots seizing up, seems to be a pretty common problem now.

kirk · #9 05-08-2007, 07:22 AM

Huh, I didn't know that this wasn't covered under the warranty. Oh well. I'm surprised because this is the first time this has ever happened to me on any guitar.

Don't know if it matters or not, but the pots are labled with the Ibanez name.

S-man · #10 05-08-2007, 09:32 AM

Not again! They should have a recall.

Johnny Two Tone · #11 05-08-2007, 01:18 PM

Forget getting an Ibanez replacement pot, they aren't good anyway. Get an RS Guitarworks 500k Super Audio pot. I have one in my RGA and it's the best volume pot out there. You can actually turn the volume way down and the guitar sounds the same as full volume.

You have to make sure you transfer over the treble bleed cap to the super pot, but getting that pot will be cheaper than doing the alternative.

Dee · #12 05-08-2007, 05:18 PM

How do you mean, it sounds the same? What I like about the Dimarzio pot is the fact that it cleans up so nicely when the volume is rolled back. The Ibanez pots are terrible in comparison.

timi_h · #13 05-08-2007, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elcid

$50?
It's a 10 minute job if you do it blindfolded.
Fck a bag of that, just do it yourself

im with ya there!
ive done it once and it took 10 mins and im as novice as they come when i have a soldering iron in my hand!
i bought a better pot for a cheap POS guitar i was noodling with once and it was absolutely fine, cost me £2.50 and was a piece of cake to install!

and i think most dealers would just hand it to their tech guy and tell him to do it free of charge (provided it was them you bought it from). i know my local sure would

Johnny Two Tone · #14 05-08-2007, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dee

How do you mean, it sounds the same? What I like about the Dimarzio pot is the fact that it cleans up so nicely when the volume is rolled back. The Ibanez pots are terrible in comparison.

What I mean is the tone and clarity aren't changed throughout the roll. With my Les Paul for instance, which has just some generic volume pot, the pot hardly does anything for the first half or so, then it starts to kill the punch and clarity as it gets to the end. I hardly turns the volume down.

With the Super pot the volume go down gradually as it should and the guitar keeps it's tone all the way down (well, for the most part).