Wiring question - output jack

[That90'sGuy]

Hey guys, since I got no replies to yesterday's wiring thread (probably because I said I was giving up ), I think I found why there are voices coming from my amp . I had something wired to the wrong lug on the output jack.

So, if there are any wiring afficianados out there, I have one wire that splits into two parts (from the middle lug of the volume pot), one is a grey wire and the other is a bare one. I'm not sure what wire goes to which, or how it works.

I looked at my Gibson Les Paul Standard and it had one wire that was soldered through one lug and soldered to the side of the other one.

I'm basically perplexed at what to do next. Just soldering both of the wires to the different lug than it was originally on stopped the radio frequencies, so I consider that an improvement

If anyone can help me to finally finish wiring my Dean, it would be appreciated. Thank you

[Dom L]

Re: Wiring question - output jack

The wire from the middle lug of the vol pot is your hot, it goes to the hot or tip lug of the output jack. The other wire can get soldered to the casing of the vol pot or another ground and to the ground lug of th e output connector, Any other way will cause weird things like hum, buzzing

[Robert S.]

Re: Wiring question - output jack

Yep.

Follow the jack wire to the connections on the guitar. The plain wire or braid will be connected to ground and the other is most likely connected to either the switch or a volume pot terminal. Connect the grounded conductor to the ring terminal of your jack and the other lead to the tip terminal.

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Wiring question - output jack

Thanks for the response Dom, you've been so kind and helpful to me, I appreciate it

Wow... I think my output jack is retarded. I tried it both ways. I wasn't sure which connection was the hot one, (there's one lug that has metal under it and the other doesn't). I tried soldering both of the wires interchangably to the different posts and I either got one of two things 1) a loud ground buzz 2) radio frequencies (the voices came back).

I soldered the hot wire to the center lug of my volume pot and the other is grounded to the back of the pot... it should work fine... I just don't get it.

Anyone have any ideas? I'm tempted to just get another output jack.

[Robert S.]

Re: Wiring question - output jack

Poorly sheilded cables and preamp tubes and wa wa pedals can also cause the radio to show up in an amp. Something in your rig is not grounded or sheilded properly and is acting like an antenna. My amps here at the house did this a few years back until I had the house ground cleaned up between the house and the pole.

Try some different cables and guitars or run the amp in a different location (different building) until you can isolate the problem.

[Dom L]

Re: Wiring question - output jack

The one with metal underneath is most probably the ground . Try you rig with another guitar and see if you get radio, if you do its not the guitar but something in the chain. Try your guitar( after its wired up) in another amp and see what you get. Like everything I fix ,its a process of elimination with calculated guesses and alot of leaps of faith
If you come to a dead end PM me and I'll give you my 1-800 number at work so I can walk you through it
Dom L

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Wiring question - output jack

Sounds like a good idea Robert, thanks

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Wiring question - output jack

The one with metal underneath is most probably the ground . Try you rig with another guitar and see if you get radio, if you do its not the guitar but something in the chain. Try your guitar( after its wired up) in another amp and see what you get. Like everything I fix ,its a process of elimination with calculated guesses and alot of leaps of faith
If you come to a dead end PM me and I'll give you my 1-800 number at work so I can walk you through it
Dom L

Hey Dom, I did try out my rig with my Gibson Les Paul Standard and there were no problems (hence why I believe there has to be something wrong with my Dean).

I should try it with my Fender amp and see what happens.

You need to get the "most helpful forum member" award... I still owe you from the last time

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Wiring question - output jack

Ok... so I double checked my wiring, made sure the grounds were extra good etc. plugged it in and there is buzz, but still no tone.

I hate to face this, but maybe this is something best left to the professionals.

Is it possible that from re-soldering so many times I overheated the pickups or something (from transferring the heat from the tips to the actual pickup itself)?

I remember when I was wiring the pickups to it originally, I got tone, but the middle position wouldn't work. I tried resoldering it and got no tone at all to come from it. I guess I should buy a new output jack (I tested it with three old output jacks and none worked). After that, if it still doesn't work I have no other option...

[Robert S.]

Re: Wiring question - output jack

I highly doubt that it is the output jacks. They are very simple in construction and they are really no more than two pices of metal with some insulating material to isolate the two pieces. While they can wear out and the tip connector can sometimes oxidize they rarely full out fail to work and they can usually be cleaned up and rebent to make them work.

The easiest ways to damage a pickup is to use a soldering gun, the type with a transformers in them or to take a pickup apart and disturb the coil windings and connections. The transformers in a soldering gun can degauss a magnet, and the coil windings and solder joints can be somewhat delicate.

Short of doing those two things, my guess is you have a wiring issue somewhere.

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Wiring question - output jack

Thanks for the optimism Robert. I don't know what "transformers" are on a soldering gun so I think that's a good thing .

Thank you Robert and Dom for trying to help me out. I guess there's nothing I can do short of re-looking at the schematics, tightening my work and possibly paying to have someone re-wire my guitar for me.