tone and volume pot problems

[AussiePete]

just got everything in my les paul and wired it all up, works fine, sounds GREAT!

the only problem i have is with the pots
theyre dimarzio 500k pots

problem 1
tone pots will only have an effect on the sound once the knob is turned almost all the way down, then its a very sudden cut off, not gradual

problem 2
the volume knob, aside from not gradually turning the guitar down, still lets though sound when turned all the way down?!?!?!

im by no means a technical wizard with this sort of stuff, so anyone who is! please help me (gigs coming up, need a working guitar urgently!)

cheers in advance

[John Wymore]

Re: Having a bit of a problem with my new seymour pickups

It sounds like on the tones you may have them wired backwards so the taper is the wrong way .... or you have LH taper pots.

Could be the same problem on the volumes or something is allowing signal to bleed around the pot. Possibly an improper ground.

I have a special LP schematic on my website that shows how the wiring should be as you look down into the cavity from the back. This might be helpful to see if anything is backwards.

http://www.blackrosecustom.emerchantpro.com/index.html?token=1857640604-1786227076-251360759&A=46&B=Wiring%20Diagrams

It's a little small so you may want to save it to disk and then blow it up with your photo editor.

[AussiePete]

Re: tone and volume pot problems

sorry forgot to mention its wired up exactly like this

http://www.seymourduncan.com/website/support/schematics/2hb_1vol_2tones_3way.html

and i already had the backwards wiring issue, fixed that one easy

like i said though, the pots cut off suddenly and the volume wont go to 0

[AussiePete]

Re: tone and volume pot problems

bumpity bump

[ArtieToo]

Re: tone and volume pot problems

Talk about bad luck. You picked the one SD schematic that has an error in it. The ground is missing from the volume control - thats why it won't go to zero. Add a ground wire from the unused terminal to ground.

[AussiePete]

Re: tone and volume pot problems

aaah thankyou my friend!


hopefully this fixes it

also is that only for the volume control?
what about the drop off problems with the tones

[ArtieToo]

Re: tone and volume pot problems

You're welcome . . . it will.

Not having the ground on the volume control, throws off the whole balance of the circuit. More than likely, that will fix everything.

Post back if it doesn't, and we'll go from there.

[AussiePete]

Re: tone and volume pot problems

alright cheers man

[Kent S.]

Re: tone and volume pot problems

You're welcome . . . it will.

Not having the ground on the volume control, throws off the whole balance of the circuit. More than likely, that will fix everything.

Post back if it doesn't, and we'll go from there.

FWIW, I use Dimarzio pots and I don't experience what you describe here ...
::::shoulder shrug::::

[ArtieToo]

Re: tone and volume pot problems

FWIW, I use Dimarzio pots and I don't experience what you describe here ...
::::shoulder shrug::::

Kent, did you look at that link that he posted in the third post? He said he followed it "exactly". Its got a mis-print in it. The "ground" is missing from the volume pot.

Check it out.

(I should probably email SD about this.)

[Kent S.]

Re: tone and volume pot problems

Kent, did you look at that link that he posted in the third post? He said he followed it "exactly". Its got a mis-print in it. The "ground" is missing from the volume pot.

Check it out.

(I should probably email SD about this.)

I was referring to the taper issues that he referred too.

[ArtieToo]

Re: tone and volume pot problems

I was referring to the taper issues that he referred too.

Doh . . .

[Kent S.]

Re: tone and volume pot problems

Doh . . .

I just want to know how and the hell you post so fast ... Dragon Speak?

[ArtieToo]

Re: tone and volume pot problems

Heh . . . I just happened to be in here, checking something else, and saw your post.

[AussiePete]

Re: tone and volume pot problems

alright the grouding issue was resolved and the volume now works fine,

the taper problem with the one pots remains, they seem to just cut off like a switch rather than slowly cut the highs
it goes from 10 to 0 at one point in the circuit