OffsetGuitars.com

In short -

My rhythm volume, lead volume, and lead tone pots on my '97 CIJ Jazzmaster have pretty much died.  The rhythm died a few months ago (it pretty much acts as a tone pot now), the lead volume doesn't work all the way down (at 0 I can still hear the pu's), and I just realised that the lead tone pot doesn't do anything until it's rolled off to 3 or so - My question -

Am I better off replacing all of the pots with the Japanese versions (ie - those that will fit the pickguard) or should I just overhaul all of the wiring with the American versions?- That's something I don't really want to do (I like my pickguard and don't want to have to enlarge the holes) - Is there really that much of a difference between the Japanese sized parts and the American versions tonally?

It may be a dumb question, but I really don't want to mess with the pickguard if I don't have to. 

The guitar has served me really well over the years (it's my main guit along with a AmStandard Tele) and the only thing that I've changed is the pickguard (after a nasty accident - ).  I ended up with a tort that's really nice -

I'm really agonising over this...

Hi, I was in the same "boat" as you a couple of years back. Dying pots, etc.
Cleaned them, resoldered,the whole shabang, still no avail. These are tiny pots and they wear out after a few years.
There won't be a huge differenace with CTS pots, but they'll last you a lifetime...Heck even most pots on old Fender guitars still work fine after + 40 years. I never encountered a 60 MIJ guitar with nice working pots, so I guess there is the differance.

But, CTS Pots are just better constructed, larger, better material then the Japanese ones.

I also had issues with enlarging the pick guard holes, but after a frien of mine brought some CTS pots along to put in his guitar, I went that route as well.
I enlarged the holes in the pick guard, (not that much work with a round small file) and installed the CTS pots. It's been 3 or 4 years ago and everything still works fine, no crackling noises, no cutting tone or volume. Unfortunately the CTS pots do not match the MIJ/CIJ rythem bracket, so I left the orignals in there. THey don't work that well...

I also replaced the jack for a nice sturdy US one, which is alo an improvement.

Although I have to add that the older 80ties, early 90ties MIJ pots are of better quality then the tiny midget pots they use in the current CIJ production.

Just my two cents.

I'm prob going to go Japanese if I can find them.  I want to keep the thing as stock as possible.

Thanks for the reply.