Middle position volume problem

Hydra19 · Mar 18, 2023

I've wired up my LP Custom with a gibson set of 500t and 496r and they sound great on their own but there is some issue when both are selected. If I lower the volume on one of the pickups I get a volume loss when switch is set on both (as if I were lowering both volumes), and once I switch back to the pickup that has the volume louder it is much louder.
Isn't there a way so that when both pickups are selected, when you turn down the volume of 1 pickup, the volume stays the same but the reduced pickup has less of an effect? I'm not sure if I'm explaining right
I tried getting a good clean sound and selected both pickups, and then lowered the volume of the bridge down to 3, but the overall volume changed too, and when I switched back to the neck which was on 8 it got much louder. Anything I can do the keep the volume louder when both pickups are on?
wdit: I just checked the wiring and could not see anything loose, although it's probably not the cleanest wiring

, anyway, I noticed another anomaly - when both pickups are on, if I lower the bridge volume I loose overall volume and when bridge volume is on 0 there is no sound (as it should be) but when I have both pickups selected, if I lower the neck pickup volume I loose warmness but not volume and when neck pickup volume is on 0 there is plenty of volume from the bridge pickup, and when i switch over to the bridge pickup there is no volume difference or tone difference. Shouldn't there be no sound when both pickups are selected if either volume is on 0? That's probably my problem

BadPenguin · Mar 18, 2023

The nicest way of putting this.... you done screwed up.
There are 2 variations on Gibson wiring: Modern and Vintage. Here are 2 diagrams showing each.
Modern: https://guitarelectronics.com/2-humbuckers-3-way-toggle-switch-2-volumes-2-tones/
Vintage: https://guitarelectronics.com/humbuckers-3-way-lever-switch-2-volumes-2-tones-vintage/

It sounds as if you did some "hybrid" of the two diagrams. Which "CAN" work together. It's called "decoupling". What that does is allow you to lower the volume to zero on one pickup, while in the middle position, the other pickup doesn't go to zero. To do that, it's simply wire one pickup modern, the other vintage.

sonofa.fitch · Mar 18, 2023

I respectfully disagree with BadPenguin. Wiring guitars is my day job. If you're lowering volume on the neck position and it isn't affecting the volume of the bridge, it has nothing to do with modern/vintage wiring. That refers to capacitor placement.

However; if your neck pickup lead is wired into the middle lug of the volume pot and the lead from your switch is wired onto lug 1 (the lug on the left, when upside down in the guitar and all lugs are facing you), then your volume will act independently. Kind of like the 3 pickup Frampton mod where all the pickups are independent.

I can't be certain that's the issue without physically fiddling with it, but I would say with fair certainty that's it. At least where I would start. Pictures?

dro · Mar 24, 2023

Peter Frampton once said his Black Custom was wired with front and rear pickups to the normal volume knobs, into a master tone. The third pickup wired into the remaining tone knob as a volume.
I always thought this would be a nice way add in the center pickup.

CB91710 · Mar 24, 2023

Hydra19 said:
I've wired up my LP Custom with a gibson set of 500t and 496r and they sound great on their own but there is some issue when both are selected. If I lower the volume on one of the pickups I get a volume loss when switch is set on both (as if I were lowering both volumes), and once I switch back to the pickup that has the volume louder it is much louder.
Isn't there a way so that when both pickups are selected, when you turn down the volume of 1 pickup, the volume stays the same but the reduced pickup has less of an effect? I'm not sure if I'm explaining right

This is completely normal.
The standard wiring for a Les Paul has interactive volume control, where when both pickups are selected, both volume (and tone on 50s wiring) controls are active.
The output comes from the center lug of the volume pot, then runs to the switch.
When the switch is in the middle position, it ties both together.

The pots are wired this way for several reasons, one of which is the interactive volume control is something that can be desirable: Bridge volume on "10" for leads, Neck volume on "5", so when either the neck or both positions are selected, you get a less driven tone for rhythm, then kick it over to the bridge for the volume boost for leads.
Another reason is when the volume pot is on "0", the output is shorted to ground. This quiets any hum/hiss from the amp.

You *can* reverse the leads on the volume pots, running the pickups to the center lug and the output to the switch to the outer lug.
This will give you completely independent volume control, but the amp will not be totally silent when you roll the pots down, this will be more apparent when running higher gain.

50's wiring