Questions Regarding Upgrades

[Mattrox217]

Hey all, first time posting to the form, but I've gleaned a ton of knowledge from you all as I have lurked over the past couple of months.

I've been running my Crack (my first ever DIY audio kit) for about a week now with zero issues, so I'm planning on throwing the Speedball in this weekend. I'm looking forward to getting back under the hood and to pushing even more quality out of this great little amp. Speaking of which, I have seen a few upgrades around here that I would like to try, and I wanted to check with the form on a couple of things.

Alps Blue Velvet Pot
I'd like to upgrade the pot because I find the stock pot to be a little scratchy, and I have heard that this Alps pot is very nice. Question: I see that this pot comes in multiple K values. I believe I need the 50K version, is that correct? Second, is this just a drop in upgrade, or do I need to do anything else to the path?

I'm also interested in these film capacitor upgrades I have seen around. Is there a source indicating which caps are preferred and instillation instructions? I'm an accountant, not an Electrical Engineer

Thanks in advance! 

[Doc B.]

A scratchy pot is often cured by exercising it, that is, rapidly turning it back and forth several times. That will often burnish off any stuff that is creating the scratch.

[Mattrox217]

Thanks for the advice, Doc! Maybe I'll hit it with a touch of Deoxit and work that in a bit.

[RW]

If you're going to upgrade, and not familiar with electronics, it's best to stick to the specs of the parts that were originally installed. The pot should be 100k, the caps 100uf.
In my crack, I have 100uf 250v caps, and a 100K stepped attenuator. The stepped attenuator took some rewiring. The caps are easy, take out the 100uf caps that are installed between the two tube sockets, and drop the new ones in

[Mattrox217]

Thanks so much for the advice, RW. I will look into those parts. I appreciate the help!

[RW]

You're welcome