Volume pot issue (Cap output neck PU)

[dudiluty]

Hi there.

I've recently installed a 0.47 orange drop cap(Seymour Duncan mod) on the hot output wire of my neck pickup (stratocaster) but I have one problem. When I roll back the volume it's not really smooth anymore.. It's more like a drop in volume at point 8/9 and then goes on fine....

The cap sits between the pickup and the switch.

Can anyone help me?

[dudiluty]

Re: Volume pot issue (Cap output neck PU)

Here is picture of the wiring with the cap. (Strat has 50's wiring)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/iyfzgm6f7x57p6j/Foto%2007-06-2020%2008%2033%2015.jpg?dl=0

[GuitarStv]

Re: Volume pot issue (Cap output neck PU)

It sounds like you have a linear tone pot. A .047 cap will cut not just highs, but a lot of the mid range as well. The guitar lives in the mid range . . . so rolling back tone with a .047 cap will drop volume - that's expected. If you use a linear taper pot, this roll off tends to happen most dramatically in the first couple notches of the volume knob. I find that audio taper pots are more gradual in the roll off.

Edit - nope, looks like you've got an audio pot installed. Might be related to the '50s wiring then. This type of wiring links your volume and tone pots so that they both kinda act as one another depending on that values you've turned things too.

[ArtieToo]

Re: Volume pot issue (Cap output neck PU)

I suspect that you have your 5-way wired backwards. (Easy and common mistake.) You definitely have the cap wired to the "bridge" position contact. (Handle all the way back.) Also, did you intend to tie the bridge & middle together to one tone control? That's ok, but typically, people would tie the neck & middle together and then use the rear tone for the bridge.

[dudiluty]

Re: Volume pot issue (Cap output neck PU)

Uhm I think the neck middle and bridge is wired correctly? See the pic..

[dudiluty]

Re: Volume pot issue (Cap output neck PU)

https://www.premierguitar.com/Stream/StreamImage.aspx?Image_ID=EC33CD20-32E4-4103-9543-A8A7A8FF9C26&Image_Type=image

Like this? And then use jumper?

[ArtieToo]

Re: Volume pot issue (Cap output neck PU)

Right. Notice that the bridge hot wire goes to the top-most left terminal. That's where your cap is. But in your text, you say have the cap connected to the neck pup. That's what's confusing me.

[dudiluty]

Re: Volume pot issue (Cap output neck PU)

I wired it incorrectly I can see. Tnx.

But I did wired the cap to the neck hot output.

[dudiluty]

Re: Volume pot issue (Cap output neck PU)

https://www.strat-talk.com/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.premierguitar.com%2FStream%2FStreamImage.aspx%3FImage_ID%3D17B0A9EE-6AF3-4C39-AC35-48BF361CB3A1%26Image_Type%3Dimage&hash=15dcc3eb7a1c36b661341af44fe52b7b

So a jumper wire on 3 and 2. And leave 1 only for the bridge?

[dudiluty]

Re: Volume pot issue (Cap output neck PU)

Well I got it fixed! I Was the volume pot it self.

I have opened the pot, cleaned it and gave it some contact spray and it worked perfectly again!

I also rewired the whole guitar with clothe wire.

So now I have 50's wiring, with tone control and split and a cap for the neck pickup to reduce the lows against muddy sound.


Thanks for all your help guys!

[ArtieToo]

Re: Volume pot issue (Cap output neck PU)

Sweet! Glad you got it working. Jam on.

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Volume pot issue (Cap output neck PU)

Uhm I think the neck middle and bridge is wired correctly? See the pic..

I wired it incorrectly I can see. Tnx.

But I did wired the cap to the neck hot output.

Right. Notice that the bridge hot wire goes to the top-most left terminal. That's where your cap is.

I love this.