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Push-pull pot cutting out when pulled. Suggestions?

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  • Push-pull pot cutting out when pulled. Suggestions?

    Long time lurker, first post.

    I need some wiring advice.

    My problem is that I have an HSS strat and I use a push pull tone pot as a series-parallel switch for the humbucker. This has always worked well for me. I recently switched the humbucker out and ended up with an out of phase sound in position 2. The way I have always dealt with this in the past in other guitars (using regular wiring with no push pull pots) has been to swap the positions of hot and the ground wires from the pickup. However, when I tried to do that with the push pull pot, I ended up with a functional humbucker with the pot pushed in and ZERO sound with the pot pulled out.

    I have to admit that I don't really understand the ins and outs of how these pots function, but I am guessing that there is probably a simple explanation/solution to my problem.

    I can't figure out how to post a picture here, unfortunately, to show you my guitar, but essentially, the wiring was originally done as suggested in this link (see the series-parallel diagram):



    However, one difference is that the "bare" wire was wired to the push pull pot terminal along with the ground wire from the pickup and not to the pot. It came installed this way from a tech, so I didn't change it.

    When I tried to fix my out of phase problem, I swapped the equivalent of the green and the black wires in the diagram.

    Can anyone help me out?

  • #2
    Re: Push-pull pot cutting out when pulled. Suggestions?

    Well, step one would be to put the bare wire to ground, where it's supposed to be. The pickup plate might be grounded in another place, which would kill the sound if that bare wire is going to hot in one position. Try that first, then let us know what happens.

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    • #3
      Re: Push-pull pot cutting out when pulled. Suggestions?

      You can't just swap the green and black wires in this diagram or you will short out both coils and get zero sound with the p/p up (black + white, & red + green).

      So, don't swap black and green wires in the diagram, swap where the lead and ground wires are soldered to the switch (leaving the pick up wires attached where they are). This will not only switch series/parallel, but it will put the bridge pup out of phase. This is what you want if the previous set up had the middle pup RWRP (which is normally the case). Now your bridge and middle pups will be in phase and you'll be able to switch the bridge from series to parallel.
      Originally Posted by IanBallard
      Rule of thumb... the more pot you have, the better your tone.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Push-pull pot cutting out when pulled. Suggestions?

        My dad warned me that this is what happens when you pull on it too much. Well, that and blindness

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        • #5
          Re: Push-pull pot cutting out when pulled. Suggestions?

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Push-pull pot cutting out when pulled. Suggestions?

            Originally posted by Masta' C View Post
            My dad warned me that this is what happens when you pull on it too much. Well, that and blindness
            Wow. I should have listened because now I'm half blind...had to have lens transplants in both eyes.
            Originally Posted by IanBallard
            Rule of thumb... the more pot you have, the better your tone.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Push-pull pot cutting out when pulled. Suggestions?

              Originally posted by Masta' C View Post
              My dad warned me that this is what happens when you pull on it too much. Well, that and blindness
              Night Rider returns???

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              • #8
                Re: Push-pull pot cutting out when pulled. Suggestions?

                If all else fails, replace it.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Push-pull pot cutting out when pulled. Suggestions?

                  Originally posted by Dimension View Post
                  If all else fails, replace it.
                  And wire it the same as it is without correcting the problem?!! Not very helpful. The OP needs suggestions (which I gave in post #3) to correct his problem...clearly a wiring issue, not a switch/pot issue.
                  Originally Posted by IanBallard
                  Rule of thumb... the more pot you have, the better your tone.

                  Comment

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