Hi, I am afraid I have killed my pots. I had a good result with the bridge pickup but the neck pickup wouldn't turn down. It just stayed loud and got a little quieter about 5 on the vol control. So I played with the wires and retaped the red and white conductors and the bridge wires came off the pot so I resoldered and now both of them have similar issues and won't turn down. I think I overheated the pots. I don't understand. Is it necessary to have all the wires on top of the pots to be connected? It looks like there is supposed to be one single solder point for the switch grounds and pickup grounds on top of the volume pots. It is difficult to get all four wires together to stick to the pot without overheating it. I would appreciate any suggestions.
switching pickups on a LP EPiphone
- Thread starter jwt55
- Start date
Artie
Peaveyologist
Re: switching pickups on a LP EPiphone
If the pots are actually damaged internally by overheating, the only "fix" is to replace them.
Soldering to the back of a pot is a bit of a quandary. Its been done that way for ages, but its not really recommended. (Confirmed by an email to CTS.) The cover of a pot was never designed to be soldered to. However, if you must do it, you need to have a proper wattage soldering iron and good soldering skills.
I'm not trying to bust your chops here, but if your bridge wires "came off the pot", I'm suspecting that your solder skills aren't honed completely. :1:
When I have to do it, I use a separate RS 45-watter. Make sure its good and hot and clean the tip regularly. Use a damp sponge and soldering paste. Its difficult, I know, but it just takes practice. The alternative is to use those ground lugs that slide over the shaft of the pot. But those are hard to find.
Good luck.
Artie
If the pots are actually damaged internally by overheating, the only "fix" is to replace them.
Soldering to the back of a pot is a bit of a quandary. Its been done that way for ages, but its not really recommended. (Confirmed by an email to CTS.) The cover of a pot was never designed to be soldered to. However, if you must do it, you need to have a proper wattage soldering iron and good soldering skills.
I'm not trying to bust your chops here, but if your bridge wires "came off the pot", I'm suspecting that your solder skills aren't honed completely. :1:
When I have to do it, I use a separate RS 45-watter. Make sure its good and hot and clean the tip regularly. Use a damp sponge and soldering paste. Its difficult, I know, but it just takes practice. The alternative is to use those ground lugs that slide over the shaft of the pot. But those are hard to find.
Good luck.
Artie
Re: switching pickups on a LP EPiphone
It's very common with this kind of problem for the ground wires not to have good connections/poor solder joints.
Like Artie said, at least a 40 watt iron, let it get fully heated before starting, use thin rosin core solder, heat it till the solder flows and is shiny, don't move the wires til the solder is set. It also helps to lightly sand the back of the pot to get it clean and slightly rough.
It's very common with this kind of problem for the ground wires not to have good connections/poor solder joints.
Like Artie said, at least a 40 watt iron, let it get fully heated before starting, use thin rosin core solder, heat it till the solder flows and is shiny, don't move the wires til the solder is set. It also helps to lightly sand the back of the pot to get it clean and slightly rough.
Silver777Guitarist
New member
Re: switching pickups on a LP EPiphone
a suggestion i would make to save pain in the future when your switching pups would be to get the liberator system seymour duncan recently released its supposed to be really good for guitarists who change their pickups so idk maybe try it im considering it myself
a suggestion i would make to save pain in the future when your switching pups would be to get the liberator system seymour duncan recently released its supposed to be really good for guitarists who change their pickups so idk maybe try it im considering it myself
Re: switching pickups on a LP EPiphone
Thanks for the helpful comments. I would buy the liberator but it doesn't have a push/pull yet and it costs $25 each. I paid $2.50 or so for the alpha pots.
IT turned out to be a bad ground connection after all. I would like to use the liberator if they can get the cost down.
Thanks for the helpful comments. I would buy the liberator but it doesn't have a push/pull yet and it costs $25 each. I paid $2.50 or so for the alpha pots.
IT turned out to be a bad ground connection after all. I would like to use the liberator if they can get the cost down.
skynyrd
New member
Re: switching pickups on a LP EPiphone
A little tip on soldering to the back of pots, if the idea of overheating 1 is a concern ( which you would have to be useing a majorly HOT soldering iron and hold it there for a while ) then an easy way around that issue is to do all your solder points on the outer edge of the pot. Right where it rolls over to side, that is a strong point in the casing and you can solder there all you want with no worries. A 40 watt soldering iron will keep you from having to hold the iron there forever waiting for it to heat up enough to melt the solder also. Radio Shack has the 40 watters for $8,, cheap investment.
A little tip on soldering to the back of pots, if the idea of overheating 1 is a concern ( which you would have to be useing a majorly HOT soldering iron and hold it there for a while ) then an easy way around that issue is to do all your solder points on the outer edge of the pot. Right where it rolls over to side, that is a strong point in the casing and you can solder there all you want with no worries. A 40 watt soldering iron will keep you from having to hold the iron there forever waiting for it to heat up enough to melt the solder also. Radio Shack has the 40 watters for $8,, cheap investment.