Puzzling issue with a original fender 72 deluxe tele

[loversmoon]

My band mate recently inherited an original 72 deluxe (1975) but it has an odd issue. When you turn the tone knob down the volume completely drops out to silence. It’s wired the exact same was as the neck pickup and tone so I don’t understand what could cause this. I thought maybe a bad tone pot so I wired in one that I had laying around that I knew was good... same issue. Could the bridge pup be going bad? I used a multi meter and could get a good reading on the neck. It was putting out just over 10k. When I tried the bridge it gave me .388. Which once again makes no sense. I did this while the pickup was still wired in. I double checked on my guitar which has a Duncan/59 combo and the readings where were they should be. I’m at a loss here as to what the issue could be outside of the bridge pup may be dying.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Puzzling issue with a original fender 72 deluxe tele

Possibly a bad cap causing the tone pot to work as a second volume pot? If the pickup works with the tone all the way up, it doesn't make any sense for the pickup to be bad when all you're changing is the tone pot setting.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Puzzling issue with a original fender 72 deluxe tele

I can't see any obvious problems. but let us know if you figure anything out. Don't be surprised if someone asks to see even closer pics of each tone pot.

 

[loversmoon]

Re: Puzzling issue with a original fender 72 deluxe tele

 

[StoRMiE]

Re: Puzzling issue with a original fender 72 deluxe tele

I had this problem a month or two back, turns out it was the cap shorting and needed to be re-soldered.

 

[loversmoon]

Re: Puzzling issue with a original fender 72 deluxe tele

I resoldered the cap. it didn’t help

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Puzzling issue with a original fender 72 deluxe tele

What's grounding the tone pots? I don't see any ground connection. Is it depending on the shielding for ground? If so, might look into whether and when you are getting continuity to ground from that.

 

[allbutromeo]

Re: Puzzling issue with a original fender 72 deluxe tele

Try wiring the pickup directly to the output jack, that should ell you if it's the pickup or if the issue is in the Vol/Tone circuit.

 

[VinceT]

Re: Puzzling issue with a original fender 72 deluxe tele

As far as I understand it, the output of the pickup is the output of the pickup, so turning down the tone wouldn’t change that, right?

One thing I did notice is that the wire from volume to tone jumps through to the third lug - I’ve never seen that before, so I went and checked the Fender schematics, and it looks like it shouldn’t do that.

Here’s the link to the spec sheet from Fender:

https://p4.zdassets.com/hc/theme_assets/549136/200076499/013-7702A_SISD.pdf

As noted earlier, the stock wiring includes a ground wire to the pots rather than just relying on the shielding.

Best of luck, and let us know how it goes.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[VinceT]

Re: Puzzling issue with a original fender 72 deluxe tele

One other thing from the schematic - it specs all pots at 250K - from the pics, it looks like those are 1Meg? If it were me, I’d take the whole harness back to stock spec and start afresh.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Puzzling issue with a original fender 72 deluxe tele

Left leg of the cap is shorted to the pot
Put some tape under the cap and on Top of the pot

If that doesn't work then probably a bad cap

 

[Zombiwoof]

Re: Puzzling issue with a original fender 72 deluxe tele

I believe the original guitars with WRHB's used 1M pots, the newer RI WRHB's use 250K.
Al

One other thing from the schematic - it specs all pots at 250K - from the pics, it looks like those are 1Meg? If it were me, I’d take the whole harness back to stock spec and start afresh.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[loversmoon]

Re: Puzzling issue with a original fender 72 deluxe tele

Yeah this is all original. Came from one owner. I’d never seen one jumped from lug to lug like that either so I snipped it to see if it made a difference. Nope. Also the leg of the cap that’s going to the lug has plastic on it so I know it can’t be touching the back of the pot. I’m thinking maybe a bad cap as well do next time he changes the strings I’m gonna try a good cap.

 

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: Puzzling issue with a original fender 72 deluxe tele

I can't believe you haven't shared a pic of the guitar for all the gear hoes like me!?!?!

 

[loversmoon]

Re: Puzzling issue with a original fender 72 deluxe tele

 

[loversmoon]

Re: Puzzling issue with a original fender 72 deluxe tele

Turned out to be the bridge pickup. One of the coils wasn’t working at all.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Puzzling issue with a original fender 72 deluxe tele

Well that is surprising
From the description I would not have suspected the pickup at all

It seemed like the tone pot was shorted to ground

Maybe it was wired as a spin a split
And just spun over to the dead coil?

I don't know

Glad you finally got it working

 

[loversmoon]

Re: Puzzling issue with a original fender 72 deluxe tele

ME too. His dad figured it out when they took the pickup cover off. Shocked me too