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  • #1

    strat output problem

    could really use a clue here, got me a 1989 mia standard strat, bought it used, was'nt really loud but sorta ok, then the volume started to drop, my uncle had sent me some pups to try out , fairly high output,
    i put those in and the volume definatly went up, for awhile anyway, then it started to go dim again, have to turn up to 7 to get some decent levels, anything lower and it just drops right off, doesn't shut off compleatly , but barely audible.so i put in a new volume pot,no difference at all.
    however, crank up the gain, or switch on a overdrive pedal, and it will come out just fine . this happens on my 2 amps (Marshall valve state 65 watt./traynor ycs50) and my les paul plays fine thru them.
    anybody got any ideas? not really a strat guy, just barely a les paul guy, really just a smuck with some fancy stuff.
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  • #2
    Re: strat output problem

    You've changed the pickups and the pots, so how about the switch? I had a switch crap out on me, and it did make a difference when I changed it.
    sigpic
    "Add about a half-a-teacup o' bass...."
    --'King' Curtis Ousley

    Visit me on Facebook
    Originally posted by Lewguitar
    In our heart of hearts we're love. That's who we really are.

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    • #3
      Re: strat output problem

      would a bad switch cause this problem? i get sound in all 5 positions, it's just below 7 that's an issue
      this is some kind of conundrum

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: strat output problem

        OK, wild guess time -- "below 7 dropoff" sounds like a resistance issue. Either your pots are mismatched to the output of your pickups (500k is usually for humbuckers; 250k and below usually works for single coils), or you've got some resistance taper stuff going on.

        Just about every other electronic device in creation uses a linear taper pot, except for audio devices. What's often used here is called either a "log (logarithmic) taper" or an "audio taper" pot. Based on the characteristics of human hearing, it translates to a smoother fade to zero. Ask your local "I know WTF I'm doing" repair guy.
        sigpic
        "Add about a half-a-teacup o' bass...."
        --'King' Curtis Ousley

        Visit me on Facebook
        Originally posted by Lewguitar
        In our heart of hearts we're love. That's who we really are.

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        • #5
          Re: strat output problem

          People religiously use the standard 250K A ('audio' or 'logarithmic' pot) for the volume control, but my experience with Strats has always been that this makes most of the volume action happen between 7 and 10 on the dial. Below 7, the volume drops away sharply. The way i have found to deal with this is to use 250K LINEAR pots for volume. That is backwards to the accepted thinking, but it works. I have been doing this for 35 years, and i still fail to grasp why Fender and other manufacturers persist on using pots that create this 'lump' in the way the volume control works. Having all the volume control action happen between 7 and 10 makes it very difficult to make fine adjustments in the heat of live gigging. Maybe people just get used to it, or think it's part of the Fender magic or something. To me, it's a shortcoming.

          Basically, if i find a volume control that isn't smooth betweeen 'Off' and 'Full', i simply change the pot to another taper, i.e. if it's linear, i try log, or if it's log (audio) i try linear.
          Lumbering dinosaur (what's a master volume control?)

          STALKER NO STALKING !

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          • #6
            Re: strat output problem

            Originally posted by crusty philtrum View Post
            People religiously use the standard 250K A ('audio' or 'logarithmic' pot) for the volume control, but my experience with Strats has always been that this makes most of the volume action happen between 7 and 10 on the dial. Below 7, the volume drops away sharply. The way i have found to deal with this is to use 250K LINEAR pots for volume. That is backwards to the accepted thinking, but it works. I have been doing this for 35 years, and i still fail to grasp why Fender and other manufacturers persist on using pots that create this 'lump' in the way the volume control works. Having all the volume control action happen between 7 and 10 makes it very difficult to make fine adjustments in the heat of live gigging. Maybe people just get used to it, or think it's part of the Fender magic or something. To me, it's a shortcoming.

            Basically, if i find a volume control that isn't smooth betweeen 'Off' and 'Full', i simply change the pot to another taper, i.e. if it's linear, i try log, or if it's log (audio) i try linear.
            I have done the same thing on my Strat and it made a wonderful difference in usability for me, but as for the OP, it sounds like an issue with resistance or maybe even a bad connection somewhere?...

            I am not an electronics expert, but you may be able to find more help from some of the others on here who are... They might be able to give some advice on how to test to find where the problem is in your signal path... Give the post a day or 2 to get some of the sharper electronics guys on here to get your next troubleshooting step...
            "This is my hat now, this is totally my hat..."

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            • #7
              Re: strat output problem

              Originally posted by crusty philtrum View Post
              People religiously use the standard 250K A ('audio' or 'logarithmic' pot) for the volume control, but my experience with Strats has always been that this makes most of the volume action happen between 7 and 10 on the dial. Below 7, the volume drops away sharply. The way i have found to deal with this is to use 250K LINEAR pots for volume. That is backwards to the accepted thinking, but it works. I have been doing this for 35 years, and i still fail to grasp why Fender and other manufacturers persist on using pots that create this 'lump' in the way the volume control works. Having all the volume control action happen between 7 and 10 makes it very difficult to make fine adjustments in the heat of live gigging. Maybe people just get used to it, or think it's part of the Fender magic or something. To me, it's a shortcoming.

              Basically, if i find a volume control that isn't smooth betweeen 'Off' and 'Full', i simply change the pot to another taper, i.e. if it's linear, i try log, or if it's log (audio) i try linear.

              oneday i should experiment with this...

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: strat output problem

                I'm not sure that I understand the problem. Is it that when you turn your volume down under 7, that the sound drops off too much, or is it that your pickups do not produce much sound even when the tone and volume are maxed?

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                • #9
                  Re: strat output problem

                  Originally posted by firebirdV View Post
                  I'm not sure that I understand the problem. Is it that when you turn your volume down under 7, that the sound drops off too much, or is it that your pickups do not produce much sound even when the tone and volume are maxed?
                  it's when turned under seven, (brand new volume pot), at seven and above it plays like it's at 7, both tone pots work , they are original parts, maybe i should just replace everything(maybe try linear pots first)orange drop capacitor maybe? not a big expense , just a pain . but really hoping someones got a better idea then that

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: strat output problem

                    Caps are used for treble roll-off (tone control), and might not pertain to the issue at hand.

                    Try a 250k linear volume control, and see what happens.
                    sigpic
                    "Add about a half-a-teacup o' bass...."
                    --'King' Curtis Ousley

                    Visit me on Facebook
                    Originally posted by Lewguitar
                    In our heart of hearts we're love. That's who we really are.

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