Schematic emergency

[Col. Funk]

Hey,

I'm in the middle of re-wiring my les paul and i'm hoping someone can help me out. Here's the deal: I've got a 59 in the neck and a Custom in the bridge, a volume pot for the neck only, and a master volume pot (both DPDT)

The 'neck volume' pot taps the bridge and I want the master volume pot to be a series/parallel switch. Only I can't quite get it to work. I have the series/parallel wired up like here http://www.seymourduncan.com/website/support/schematics/series_split_parallel.html (with the colours switched for one of the pick-ups to compensate for the reverse-wound thing)
but the guitar is silent when the switch is in one position, and everything's on when it's in the other and the switch doesn't seem to do anything.

Any ideas as to what i'm doing wrong? Is what I want actually possible?

Any help would be appreciated.

thanks

Adam

 

[rinse_master]

Re: Schematic emergency

with the colours switched for one of the pick-ups to compensate for the reverse-wound thing

This bit confuses me, these are 'buckers right?, if they are I don't think you should have to swap any wires...

 

[Col. Funk]

Re: Schematic emergency

Yeah, two humbuckers. I swapped the black and white for one of the pick-ups as the humbucker wouldn't be reversed polarity.

 

[rspst14]

Re: Schematic emergency

You don't need reversed polarity in a humbucker. Since humbuckers use a second coil to cancel the hum, there is no such thing as a RW/RP humbucker.

Ryan

 

[Col. Funk]

Re: Schematic emergency

I think I see what you mean, your point is it wouldn't make a difference, right? Anyway, it looks like the schematic my local tech gave me if you switch the two wires so i did it. My problem is this however: when the push/pull is down (i.e. how it'd be normally), both pick-ups seem to be on all the time and the switch doesn't seem to do anything. When the pot is UP, i don't seem to be getting any signal out of either pick-up (or possibly, i'm getting a signal with the switch in the bridge or neck position, but not in the middle)

Has anyone any clue as to what i'm doing wrong? Is it possible that i've wired the switch 'up-side down'?

 

[rspst14]

Re: Schematic emergency

If you haven't already, rewire it properly so that on both pickups, black = hot, green and bare = ground, and red and white are soldered together and insulated with electrical tape. When you say you want a series/parallel switch, are you referring to a switch that puts the pickup coils in parallel when pulled up, or are you referring to a switch that puts both pickups in series when pulled up?

You may have some issues with your volume pot wiring. I believe your master volume will override your neck volume, which makes it pointless to have a separate neck volume. I would suggest wiring it with the typical neck volume and tone/bridge volume and tone.

I do have a schematic from Guitar Electronics for a Les Paul with a coil split switch and a switch to put both pickups in series. I haven't tried it yet, so I can't verify that it's correct. But the head tech drew it up for me, as he said he wires his LP's the same way. So I imagine it's correct. Let me look around and see if I can find it.

Ryan

 

[Col. Funk]

Re: Schematic emergency

A schematic would be great. As for the switch, I was hoping to have everything as normal when the switch is in the 'down' position (i.e. the two humbuckers in parallel) and to have them in series when the switch is pulled up.

With regards to the volume pot configuration, the master volume should over-ride the neck volume. I can't wire it the way a les paul comes stock as i've installed a vari-tone which takes up two 'pot holes' (like BB King's Lucille). I was thinking of having a volume pot for each pick-up, but I always find it handy to have a master volume on a guitar so I decided to do that instead of the bridge volume.

Any help would be much appreciated (every hour my guitar is in pieces is another hour I can't play it!)

Adam

 

[rspst14]

Re: Schematic emergency

Here ya go: http://home.comcast.net/~rspst14/lp.jpg

As I said, I've never tried that wiring scheme, but the techs at Guitar Electronics are really good, so I'm sure it works just fine. I'm not familiar with the tone control setup you're using, so you're on your own trying to figure out that part, but this should help you out.

Ryan