Help with Wiring Issue Please

[onlypadog]

Hi all

So I went ahead and did my planned mods - put in SD Humbuckers with 2 push/pull coil splits. I went basically for this diagram:

Wiring Diagram

But I wired 0.022 Bumblebees from the middle lugs of the volume pots to the end lugs of the tone pots, and grounded the middle lug on the tone pot instead of having them as the diagram. Was going for a combination of 50s wiring and push/pull...

So now, I have no sound at all from either pickup (only tested using screwdriver on the top trick and could do with some advice as to where I might have gone wrong..

Here's some photos...

First the finished article:

Then, as I was making up the basics:

Switch:

Anyone see anything glaringly obvious? this is my first attempt at modding a Les Paul....go easy on me

Thanks in advance

 

[Lizzy4Life]

Which pots are your volume pots? The push-pulls or the regular pots? Cause the push-pulls need to be the volume pots. You say you wired the caps from the middle lug of the v pot to the outer lug of the t pot, so looking at your picture I believe you've reversed v and t pot.
BTW great choice doing the 50's wiring! You won't regret it!

 

[captcoolaid]

+1

 

[WildeStarr]

Cause the push-pulls need to be the volume pots.

Wrong!
They can go in either position, volume or tone.

 

[SJM]

+1.^^ I know because I have it both ways and it works fine.

 

[Phildog]

Dumb question, but where do you have the leads from the switch going. It's a little difficult to see in the photo.

 

[SJM]

Dumb question, but where do you have the leads from the switch going. It's a little difficult to see in the photo.

I just noticed the same thing. I'm sure they're in there but I can't see them. Also the middle terminal on the push/pulls where you have the coil cut wires attached looks OK but the terminal directly beneath that has to be grounded to the pot. I don't see that in the pic either.

 

[onlypadog]

Thanks for replies - I was under the impression I could put the push pulls anywhere too... Used tone as I tend to use them less.

The switch wires run from the switch to the middle lug of the volume pots, with the caps. They're the two metal braided wires in the second picture. The third cable from the switch is the third metal braided wire which run through to the jack. Maybe I'll start at the start and check out the jack.

Only other thing I can think of is I've fried pots, but I always thought if that happened you would still get sound but no control of it...?

As for the grounding of the push pulls, they're there I did it with little bits of black wire running to the back of the pot with the main ground wires, so it's hard to see

 

[SJM]

Do you know that the ground lug on a Switchcraft Toggle and an import toggle are opposite of each other? This could be a problem too. What brand of switch did you get?

 

[onlypadog]

Ah! I have a switchcraft. I grounded it to t4 and 5 which I see is wrong? Is t1 'thick ground lug' the middle one in the side of 3? Would this cause no sound?

How should I have wired it?

 

[SJM]

Ah! I have a switchcraft. I grounded it to t4 and 5 which I see is wrong? Is t1 'thick ground lug' the middle one in the side of 3? Would this cause no sound?

How should I have wired it?

The pups connections should be OK but T4 and T5 should be your hot lead going to the input jack, and then of course T1 the thick lug is your ground. I learned this lesson the same way, LOL. You should be working after this change. It's possible I guess that your pup wires could be crossed but it would not prevent it from working, but the top position would be your bridge pup and bottom your neck pup. Easy enough to change if that's the case.

 

[onlypadog]

Excellent, thanks! I'll make these changes after dinner today and update everyone later

 

[onlypadog]

Right, I've made that change now, and everything looks like its working on the multimeter...but still no sound from anything! I've checked the jack socket connections too, in case they had come loose but they're solid...I'm officially stumped

 

[SJM]

Take a look at this and see if anything looks out of sorts.

STEWMAC.COM : Seymour Duncan Humbucking Pickups Free information

How about the hot lead going from toggle to input jack. The ground should go on the inner terminal and hot lead on the outer one.

 

[SJM]

I don't supposed there is any chance this is something exterior of the guitar such as a bad cord or amp problem? This is odd. I think even if you fried the pots you would here something.

 

[onlypadog]

Yeah that all looks to check out, red & white to the middle lug of the push/pulls, green & bare grounded to the back of the volume pots, black to the first lug of the volume pots.

The jack - I just pulled that again and taped back the braided outer wire - it may have been touching the hot inner ring along with the hot lead to the switch. After i did that the bridge pup works - with volume and tone control and the push/pull (as much as you can ascertain without stringing up the git that is) - but only works with the switch selecting the bridge only - nothing works in the middle position, and nothing works selecting neck position only...

The plot thickens...

 

[onlypadog]

I don't supposed there is any chance this is something exterior of the guitar such as a bad cord or amp problem? This is odd. I think even if you fried the pots you would here something.

No can't be that..using the same amp & cord I was using before I stripped it down and all was working fine

 

[SJM]

That doesn't leave much else except cold solder joints or damaged pots. I damaged the bridge pot on my first mod and had to replace it. They can't take much more than about 5-6 seconds with a hot iron. Funny thing was, I could put pressure from side to side on the shaft and get it to go on and off but the replacement made all the difference. I hope ya get it figured out.

 

[Phildog]

I agree with SJM. I, too, have found out the hard way, that pots can only tolerate but so much heat before the contact material breaks down. A 25 watt iron with some 60/40 should only take a second or two to puddle a nice flow of solder to the back of your pup. And longer, or any hotter of an iron and you run the risk of ruining a pot. I hope this is all that it is for you.

 

[onlypadog]

Thanks guys my logic is telling me I still a switch problem - otherwise why would the bridge pup only work in Bridge position only and not in middle position?

So I'm going back to the start and putting (another) new switch in and a new jack socket with new wire - insulated on the outside as well as having a braided metal sleeve to minimise the chance of shorting anything out to ground.

Hope this works! I've ordered some spare pots at the same time, so will change those out if needs be too. I'll post more updates when I can - will take a few days for the bits to be delivered.