5G9 Tremolux - low end of the speed pot

[gtomax]

I have a nice 5G9 from early 1960. Sounds great with leaky astrons replaced, resistor values checked, all original pots and otherwise.

The tremolo speed pot sounds the same from 1-4 on the dial (recall these go to 12 so up until around 10 o'clock). From there it'll speed up and changes are apparent.

For those with 5G9's is this normal given the original pot taper or is this dependent on the 100k wiper to ground? Since the caps are new replacements in the trem circuit anyway I don't mind changing one of the 0.01uf's for a 0.022uf to slow the slowest speed but it doesn't change the fact that settings from 1-4 make no difference on the speed pot to the actual trem speed.

[pdf64]

I have a nice 5G9 from early 1960. Sounds great with leaky astrons replaced, resistor values checked, all original pots and otherwise.
…

How about the ecaps?

[gtomax]

Yep! Power and cathodes. Basically just the pots, domino cap, resistors (all checked in spec, replaced with carbon comp NOS AB's where not), jacks, transformers and wiring are all original. Caps all redone. All but two board caps were leaky so I just saved them and redid them all with nice CDE WMF's (my favorite film caps for Fenders)

[Stevem]

Have you unsoldered that end leg of the speed pot to check if the resistance is in fact changing?

[gtomax]

Ha great point. The original pot is marked 2M LIN.

Desoldered the 100k from wiper and wire from the right terminal. At full CCW (lowest speed) I'm at 1.595M and at 3 on the speed dial I'm at 1.525M. That'd do it. Taper kicks in at around 4 with a drop to 1.1M.

I've replaced it with a 3MRA pot and 150k tapering resistor wiper to ground. More activity now between 1 and 3. Also changed out the 0.03/0.01/0.01 cap array to 0.03/0.022/0.022 for a slower low end.

[Reeltarded]

Dood. Get hip.

Slowend

You're welcome.

[gtomax]

full on trem houndin'

[Stevem]

Yup, I have seen pots that are stated to have a 10% tolerance check out at much closer to 20%.