No volume, can anyone help!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Trev]

hI, i have fitted a custom and a 59 to my 7 string washburn, what a lovely
rock sound!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also i have fitted a Fender TBX tone control ,
Fender 5 way switch and a new 500k volume control.
Although the guitar rocks i have one problem i am hoping someone may
be able to help me with!!
The volume control i bought was described as a 500k Volume or Tone
control, i wired it up in the volume position but it is acting as a tone control!!
I now have a guitar with a TBX tone control and another tone control but no volume. How can i wire the 500k pot up as a Volume control????
I followed the diagram on the Seymour Duncan site for a 2 humbucker,
5 way switch with split. Everything else works fine on the guitar, it just has
no volume control.
looking forward for anyones help

[korinastratkyle]

Re: No volume, can anyone help!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you could post a pic of your circuitry I can definetely help you. All I can think is that maybe you put a capacitor either going into the lug farthest on the left (looking at the back) or between the the lug on the right and ground (probably the back of the pot). If it's acting backwards of a normal tone, look at what I said backwards.

[Robert S.]

Re: No volume, can anyone help!!!!!!!!!!!!

A pic would really help. What I might suggest is to disconnect the tone portion of the circuit from the guitar and wire it up straight volume. If the volume pot works fine alone in the circuit then you know your problem is in how you have the tone circuit connected.

[Trev]

Re: No volume, can anyone help!!!!!!!!!!!!

The circuit is the same for that on the Seymour schematics page for a 2 humbucker guitar with 1 volume and 1 tone control, a five way switch with coil taps. ie Position 1, Bridge humbucker 2, both pups 3, neck humbucker 4, bridge with neck split and 5, bridge pup split. Where the tone control is i have replaced with a tbx wired as normal. The only differeance i can see is that the volume and tone control are joined with a wire not a .047 cap as on the schematic. To be honest the sound is amazing, even at a low volume
and i never use the volume anyway, but i would like it to operate normally
ie 1 volume and 1 tone control!
If i knew how to post a pic i would! Any help on that aswell!!!
Cheers
Trev

[Kent S.]

Re: No volume, can anyone help!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trev, are you sure you wired it like this ... (the brown and orange denote two options, use either/or, but not both) ...Also the value of the TBX resistor really needs to be changed to accomandate both different impedance pups, and the 500k volume control ... But if you like it keep it, if you get curious then try upping the value of it.
Upping the value will decrease the load on the pups. Right now (82k stock resistor value) it adjusts your load from about 70k ~ 342k. The trade off is, you'll have a better top end, but the difference between 5 and 10 will be minimized.
The better way to go about it though is to up the value of the volume pot.
Installing a 1Meg volume pot will allow your load to go from about 78k ~ 520k ... Food for thought. A 2Meg, from about 79k ~ 702k. Food for thought.
Anyway double check your layout, with this ...

[Trev]

Re: No volume, can anyone help!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi
Yes, thats how it is wired, but i have used the standard wiring, will the mod
make the volume control work as a volume control???
The sound, balance and tonal variation of the pick-ups i am more than
happy with, all the sounds are very usable. Just need a volume now!!!
Thanks in advance for any help and help given already

Trev

[Kent S.]

Re: No volume, can anyone help!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi
Yes, thats how it is wired, but i have used the standard wiring, will the mod
make the volume control work as a volume control???


Trev

No, It should work as a volume either way. Let me ask something, you are saying that the volume control doesn't work at all? Or that it works, but it loses highs as it is turned down, in addition to turning down the volume?
If it doesn't work as a normal volume control either the pot is defective/toasted, or your ground connection is faulty. Gives us and update.

[Trev]

Re: No volume, can anyone help!!!!!!!!!!!!

It works ok, but as a tone control!!! Do i need to reverse any wires
in order for it to work as a volume control?? I don't fully understand
how pots work ie how a tone pot can be used as volume control and vice versa!
Like i have said, the guitar sounds brilliant, more than happy with the sound
everything else works fine. Should i replace this pot with something that
is just described as a volume control and not a Volume/tone control?

[Kent S.]

Re: No volume, can anyone help!!!!!!!!!!!!

It works ok, but as a tone control!!! Do i need to reverse any wires
in order for it to work as a volume control?? I don't fully understand
how pots work ie how a tone pot can be used as volume control and vice versa!
Like i have said, the guitar sounds brilliant, more than happy with the sound
everything else works fine. Should i replace this pot with something that
is just described as a volume control and not a Volume/tone control?

There really isn't such an animal as a volume control, or tone control, or volume/tone control ... a pot is a pot, the only differences are the value and taper (if it's a no-load, centre detent, tapped, dual-ganged,etc. ... but those are specialities and don't apply here), in short the same actual pot is used for either job, it just depends how it's wired.
Reversing wires won't do anything to correct the problem, if it is wired according to that pictorial the I put up, the pot labelled volume should work as a volume ... if not check comment again concerning ground connections, and make sure that it IS wired according to the diagram (I know it sounds dumb, but the simple things can trip you up) ... If all that checks out then the pot is damaged or defective and needs to be replaced ... personally I'd try to send it back where you got it, and get an exchange or refund for it.
I also make the assumption that the TBX works fine, since I don't recall you mentioning that it didn't. I'd say the pot is crap, triple check the wiring for correctness and cold solder joints.

[Trev]

Re: No volume, can anyone help!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers for that, will double check the ground connections tonight when i get home. Will keep you posted
Trev

[Trev]

Re: No volume, can anyone help!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers Kent S
I checked the wires and connections, there was a bad soldered connection between the ground and the lug for the ground connection on the volume pot!! My fault completely, i'm rubbish at soldering!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It works fine now
In future i'll double check all connections.
Thanks for your help, time and patience.
Trev

[Kent S.]

Re: No volume, can anyone help!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers Kent S
I checked the wires and connections, there was a bad soldered connection between the ground and the lug for the ground connection on the volume pot!! My fault completely, i'm rubbish at soldering!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It works fine now
In future i'll double check all connections.
Thanks for your help, time and patience.
Trev

Cool, triple checking your work is always a good idea and using a meter to test all solder points will show bad joints reall quick. For future consideration though, think about changing out that volume control for a 1 Meg (see comments in previous post) or even 2 Meg. glad you got it straight.