Lost Volume Control

[Phonse]

I’ve just installed a set of Slash 2.0 Duncan’s and have come across an unusual problem. I took out the older set of Gibson 60’s reissues. These pickups had a lot a unnecessary wiring for the way the were put in my Epiphone Les Paul. I did take a before picture before removing everything. The Slash install was straightforward I connected the hot wire from each pickup to the third tab on the right on the volume potentiometers. I then grounded the mesh shielding that was protecting the wires together and then grounded them to the top of each volume pot. I was left with two fairly clean tone pods each connected to a capacitor or resistor or some electronic devise. These were each connected to the third post on the right on the tone pods and grounded to the top of the pot. This is where it gets iffy. Each of these capacitors had a bare line leading from it to the volume adjacent to it. The lines were so fine and they were at the bottom of the electronic compartment that I just didn’t notice them when I took the before picture. It seems to me they each ran to the hot post on the opposing volume pot. I ran a wire from to base of the capacitor or what ever it is on the hot post of the tone pot and then ran each wire across to the nearby volume pot. The result has been a fantastic sounding guitar in which I have no control over tone or volume. They are just on. Any idea where I went south.

thanks

[ArtieToo]

It sounds like your vol and tone pots aren't grounded. But then again, you shouldn't get sound. If you have a meter, make sure the pots are shorted to the sleeve of the output jack. You really need a meter to troubleshoot a problem like this.

Short of just starting over.

[beaubrummels]

Welcome to the forum

For one, it sounds like you bypassed the tones by connecting the volume to the cap, instead of the input lug of the tone pots.
For the second, "third lug on the right" sounds like that should be the ground lug, not the input of the volumes, but I'd have to see a photo of what you are calling the "third lug on the right"

[Mincer]

If you'd like to take some clear pics, we can help you sort this out.

[Phonse]

[beaubrummels]

Can't see the lugs on the volumes, but the tones are hooked up all wrong. I think you need a really good diagram of a Les Paul Standard and need to follow it really closely.

[Phonse]

Here are some pics I just took. The two pods with the orangish resistors (?). Have one leg of the resistor grounded to the top of the pot. The other leg runs to that third hot lug I’ve been talking about. I also have a line running from that lug to the hot lug on the opposing volume pot. The mesh wrap around the pickup hot lines is wrapped together I tightened them with a clear wire and ran solder through it to lock it all together. I then ran each end of the clear wire to the top centre of the volume pots and soldered it there. The volume pots have the pickup hot lines connected to their third lug and the grounding wire from the tone pod soldered to that third lug.

[beaubrummels]

Here's another one, if this is clearer for you.

https://www.fralinpickups.com/wp-con...son-Wiring.pdf

Edit: Actually, the Fralin version has the tones similar to what you have, except you wouldn't bring the hot lead into the same lug the capacitor is on.

[Phonse]

Strange change.
I moved the wires around looking for an unintended ground or one that broke free. I found nothing. I also took the back of the pickup selector and tugged at the two thick lines that go through the routed tunnel. I went back to the pickup chamber and nothing had changed. I should add the switch wires were quite secure. When I put it back together it changed. The neck volume pot worked and the switch turned it off when I moved it to the neck pickup. That volume pot is still stuck in the always on position. I took a closer look at the before pic. What I had thought was an old pickup wire was actually one of the wires from the switch. In the picture it looks like it is connected to the hot port on the volume pot and a split lead inside the wrap is grounded to the pot. I have to melt the solder joint and pull several wires apart to do that but it’s the only thing I can find.

[Phonse]

Hey
I just noticed the pic in your icon slot. I was distracted by my wiring issue and your giant Foghorn Leghorn head. Somehow the Marshall and Les Paul
got past me. I might just be obsessed with my current need to own one but the Paul sure looks like a sixties reissue bourbon burst to me. Is it or is that just a hell of a coincidence. And since my , once acquired, sixties re-issue Will some day soon be getting acquainted with a Marshall could you tell me what you’re shaking the walls with there. I,ve got some good volume coming from a set of M-Audio studio monitors and a more complicated than I can drive Podhd500 floor based emulator it still doesn’t recreate the Marshall magic. I do get damn close when I’m in the less earth shattering practice mode wit a Positive Grid Spark 40. Man that little machine is magic. I know a lot of people are down on Positive Grid but mine arrived on time and works it’s magic every time I turn it on. This Slash 2.0’s sound amazing coming out of it. If I could just control them.

Cheers.

[beaubrummels]

Hey
I just noticed the pic in your icon slot. I was distracted by my wiring issue and your giant Foghorn Leghorn head. Somehow the Marshall and Les Paul
got past me. I might just be obsessed with my current need to own one but the Paul sure looks like a sixties reissue bourbon burst to me. Is it or is that just a hell of a coincidence. And since my , once acquired, sixties re-issue Will some day soon be getting acquainted with a Marshall could you tell me what you’re shaking the walls with there. I,ve got some good volume coming from a set of M-Audio studio monitors and a more complicated than I can drive Podhd500 floor based emulator it still doesn’t recreate the Marshall magic. I do get damn close when I’m in the less earth shattering practice mode wit a Positive Grid Spark 40. Man that little machine is magic. I know a lot of people are down on Positive Grid but mine arrived on time and works it’s magic every time I turn it on. This Slash 2.0’s sound amazing coming out of it. If I could just control them.

Cheers.

My avatar is a 1994 Gibson Les Paul Standard in dark honeyburst (bone stock, with the original 498T/490R pickups and wiring) next to a 1994 Marshall JCM900 SL-X half stack with a 1960AV slant cab with Celestion Vintage 30s in it. I'm the original owner of both. Back when I bought them, it was the only way to get 'that' sound. Now it's possible to get 'that' sound numerous ways.