Help with Capacitors please!!!

[FiendN]

OK i have just recieved my 2 new duncans for my tele (Custom 5 for bridge, alnico pro II for neck) and am taking this as an oppurtunity to completely replace all of my wiring.
I drew up a scheme for the options I wanted-> Humbucker split (N.Coil, Both, S.Coil) and phase switch for single in the neck (way cool combo sounds with bridge). Also i fixed up a "treble bleed" mod to retain highs while rolling off volume.
OK so I get it all done and it all works correctly BUT...

I am having a problem with my capacitors. The volume pots taper is AWFUL, going from full volume lets say on "10", when I turn it down to "8" 75% of the volume is reduced! By "5" there is no volume left at all!!! I used a .001uf capacitor for the treble bleed as recommended by every person/ website I have ever found.
And another thing...
My tone control barely works. I have tried both a .20uf and a .47uf capacitor and same results. The tone control BARELY rolls any highs off at all!

So heres my question...

Is it possible that the "treble bleed" capacitor is adversely affecting my tone pot??? Is there something that I am overlooking? Of course everything is grounded etc. and everything else works just fine, just like its 'sposta. But why the tone control problem??? It is a dimarzio 500k push-pull pot, which should be just fine according to both my experience and what everyone tells me. Should I be using a different value cap for either the tone pot or the "treble bleed"???
Please help, I want so badly to retain high end when using the volume control, but even more than that I NEED MY TONE CONTROL to work because I play jazz 75% of the time.

I have tinkered with the wiring to no end (checking the connections etc etc) and changed out caps several times (in case I had a bad one etc) but still no luck.

WHAT TO DO???

[ArtieToo]

Re: Help with Capacitors please!!!

I think what you need are .02 and .047 caps.
Yours are 100 times too high, thus, you're sending an awful lot of signal to ground.

Which would also explain why your tone controls don't work properly.

Edit: And one more thing. You'ld also get this symptom if you accidently wired audio-taper controls backwards. With the guitar leaning against something, neck pointing up, make sure that the volume control works like it would on a radio. That is, clockwise, is all the way up. Strum the strings while in this position to make sure.

Its also possible to buy a reverse-taper control, but I doubt seriously that DiMarzio would sell one.

[FiendN]

Re: Help with Capacitors please!!!

Thanks for the response!!!

I looked at my caps and I DID make a mistake as I incorrectly reported them as ".20" and ".47" caps when in fact they are ".002" and ".047" caps! (.002 for the treble bleed and .047/ .020 for the tone potentiometer)!!! But unfortunately that means that they ARE the right kind and that isn't my problem. Also I checked it out again and the wiring is indeed not "backwards"; my volume and tone work in the correct directions. So once again this is not the problem.

HOWEVER I love the reply lets see a few more like it. C'mon and help me brainstorm. If you can think of ANYTHING at all no matter how stupid or out in left field you may think it is, POST IT. I need help!!!

[HolyDirt]

Re: Help with Capacitors please!!!

Thanks for the response!!!

I looked at my caps and I DID make a mistake as I incorrectly reported them as ".20" and ".47" caps when in fact they are ".002" and ".047" caps! (.002 for the treble bleed and .047/ .020 for the tone potentiometer)!!! But unfortunately that means that they ARE the right kind and that isn't my problem. Also I checked it out again and the wiring is indeed not "backwards"; my volume and tone work in the correct directions. So once again this is not the problem.

HOWEVER I love the reply lets see a few more like it. C'mon and help me brainstorm. If you can think of ANYTHING at all no matter how stupid or out in left field you may think it is, POST IT. I need help!!!

how exactly did you wire the the treble bleed?

[ArtieToo]

Re: Help with Capacitors please!!!

I realize that you've probably double-checked your wiring already, but is there any chance that you accidently ran the switching output wire to the center, (wiper), of the pot, and run the end of the pot to the output jack?

That might also cause this problem.

Is it possible to snap a photo of your wiring and post it? If not able to post it, at least email it to me?

We'll get this.

[Kent S.]

Re: Help with Capacitors please!!!

Its also possible to buy a reverse-taper control, but I doubt seriously that DiMarzio would sell one.

Art, they don't sell reverse tapers, they sell custom tapers (their own thing, I love'em, their stand alone pots), and the push/pulls ...they are not reverse taper either, i've got them in a couple of mine, and they work just fine.