50s Wiring Help

[mikeowen17]

I just rewired my 59 LP replica with 50s wiring using short shaft 500k audio CTS pots. I have 2 issues:

1/ The tone pot for the neck pickup does not work at all - no change in tone when I move it - is it just a bad pot, or is there something else I should check?

2/ The volume drops very quickly when I move either volume pot - is this my bad workmanship, or is it an intrinsic quirk of the new wiring?

Any guidance appreciated!

Mike

 

[Indyclone]

pictures would help a lot

 

[MrRhoads]

1. Check the solder joints. Did you ground the tone pot acording to diagram?
2. Well for me aduio taper pots has much volume between 8-10 and then drops off.

Pictures might help determing your problem

 

[blamo]

1. check your grounds. make sure the lugs on the pot are not touching any bare wires OR the control cavity wall - the paint is conductive.

2. my audio pots have a large drop from 10-7 then even out. the louder the amp is the more even it seems for me.

 

[mikeowen17]

Here we go - go easy on me, I'm not the worlds vest electrician!

 

[blamo]

I'd recommend you clean up those grounds. you might have a cold solder joint in there.

find some sleeves for those caps. they might be shorting out on something.

 

[MrRhoads]

Here we go - go easy on me, I'm not the worlds vest electrician!

The cap for the neck is touching the ground lugg on the neck volume pot

 

[GreenTea]

I'd recommend you clean up those grounds. you might have a cold solder joint in there.

find some sleeves for those caps. they might be shorting out on something.

Looks like blamo is right. If you don't have sleeves, just use a piece of orange or blue electrician's tape in the interim to isolate the cap wire from the lug. (orange and blue btw sound better than black or yellow, ymmv )

 

[Phildog]

I'd recommend you clean up those grounds. you might have a cold solder joint in there.

find some sleeves for those caps. they might be shorting out on something.

+1

Also, check those grounds again. Some of them look like they could be cold. Specifically, the volume pot in the to left.

 

[skynyrd67]

Shorten up the pick up leads some also,,will make your control cavity much cleaner and neater to work in, isolate that cap lead off the ground lug,, wrap electrical tape around the cap leads to help shield them,,like they said rehit the solder joints and you should be good to go.

 

[chriseskew24]

I hate the guy asking questions.

 

[illiniknick]

The cap for the neck is touching the ground lugg on the neck volume pot

Yes definitely fix this. I had this happen to me, my tone control wasn't working. My cap was touching something else. I moved it and everything worked fine.

 

[Phildog]

The cap for the neck is touching the ground lugg on the neck volume pot

Bingo! Good eye mate. I'd also check my grounds. Looks like some could be cold.

 

[korus]

I just rewired my 59 LP replica with 50s wiring using short shaft 500k audio CTS pots. I have 2 issues:

1/ The tone pot for the neck pickup does not work at all - no change in tone when I move it - is it just a bad pot, or is there something else I should check?

2/ The volume drops very quickly when I move either volume pot - is this my bad workmanship, or is it an intrinsic quirk of the new wiring?

Any guidance appreciated!

Mike

1. is ~ solved
2. 50s wiring makes the taper steeper. Regular 10/90 audio pots are already too steep for guitar volume and with 50s wiring - well it's really bad. Custom taper pot for volume like RS Superpot or Dimarzio pot is much better volume in 50s wiring. Even a linear taper is not so linear in 50s wiring - I would not have linear taper pot in modern wiring no matter what, BUT I have it in my Jr wired 50s. Or place a resistor of 150-220k across the 2 non grounded lugs on volume pot. That will 'customize' - make taper less steep and by doing that - make it more usable for the application..

HTH