Troubleshooting my new SD neck humbucker ES335 install??

[djmaher]

I need a bit of help/advice after installing new electrics in a ES335 (new SD humbuckers, CTS pots, Switchcraft switch/jack.)

Admin: Please move this post as necessary, as I'm a new poster, and am not sure if this is the appropriate spot to post this question....

Got everything soldered up, as best as my abilities allow. I did a tap test and volume pot test to verify my work, and everything seemed to check out prior to install. As I had my guitar strung still, was able to get sound that way as well.

Always a pain to install pots in a 335, but I carefully got them into the cavity, and installed.

After installation, I discovered that my bridge bucker works fine, but my neck bucker does not work at all. Up switch position has zero sound. Middle and down position allow sound from the bridge. Volume/tone pots for the bridge works fine.


I'm looking for good troubleshooting techniques, if any, short of pulling everything out again. I'm kind of suspecting a broken wire or a connection that has come undone. As I was able to verify my connections prior to installation, I suspect something I did during install that I cant readily see now, through the f-hole.

I didn't over-tighten that volume pot, or, at least I dont think I did. Not sure if that could damage a pot.

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated. And yes, I'm being a bit lazy about pulling everything!!

Any other wires that could be suspect? Ground wire? Switch wire? Bent/damaged switch connections? I really did take my time and was careful as I could be

Any help would be gratefully accepted.

All components are brand new throughout.

Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer. I'm still a bit new to guitar components upgrades. I have a Tele thats next on the list. LOL

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Troubleshooting my new SD neck humbucker ES335 install??

If it were a ground wire, I’d expect more stuff to go wrong.

I’d bet the positive connection from the pickup to the neck volume pot, or from the neck volume pot to the switch or the neck side of the switch itself weren’t totally connected; possibly hanging on by the solder, and worked loose during install.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Troubleshooting my new SD neck humbucker ES335 install??

Do these pickups have four conductor wiring, or do they have the vintage braided shield? If the latter i would suspect that the braid for your neck pickup is touching the volume pot lug or possibly the switch contact which would ground that pickup resulting in no sound output.

 

[djmaher]

Re: Troubleshooting my new SD neck humbucker ES335 install??

Do these pickups have four conductor wiring, or do they have the vintage braided shield? If the latter i would suspect that the braid for your neck pickup is touching the volume pot lug or possibly the switch contact which would ground that pickup resulting in no sound output.

Yes, they are 4-conductor. As per SD, white and red paired and taped off. Black to Neck pot. Green and bare to ground. There is a foil shield under the outer black plastic jacket, which I carefully removed to expose the 4 leads so I could work on them. It is not exposed. Also, I did a tap test and a string test before installation, which were both positive as to sound. Also checked switch for proper orientation/position and function.

So, I tested the pot before soldering.

I checked the harness prior to install. I used cloth pusback for everything. NOT the metal braid pushback, as my all runs were all very short (6 inches or less). verified, as much as possible, integrity of all solder joints by giving them a good tug. Some not pretty, but functional. Nothing exposed or touching, with a bit of shrink covering potential problem spots.

And, tested as above to working order.


All fingers seem to be pointing to a broken connection? Dang it. LOL..... I hate/love 335 electronics work.

Can you damage a pot by over-tightening? Pretty sure I didnt. I was cautious and worked slowly, so I know I may be grasping here....

Any other ideas?

I have photos of all the install, but, nothing looks amiss, except crappy soldering, and only a bit. Everything appears where it is supposed to be.

And, of course, I dont have a mirror. I know...rookie mistake....

 

[dystrust]

Re: Troubleshooting my new SD neck humbucker ES335 install??

Can you damage a pot by over-tightening? Pretty sure I didnt. I was cautious and worked slowly, so I know I may be grasping here....

Any other ideas?

It's possible, but pretty hard to do so not very likely.

All fingers seem to be pointing to a broken connection? Dang it. LOL..... I hate/love 335 electronics work.

I also hate working on 335s; most of the ones I've done didn't work on the first try either. If you're not grounded out somewhere, then the most likely culprit is a broken connection.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Troubleshooting my new SD neck humbucker ES335 install??

The red and white were soldered? Or just ‘combined’?

 

[Larioso]

Re: Troubleshooting my new SD neck humbucker ES335 install??

I would fix up so I could use ohm-meter on a cord to jack - and swap to bridge and neck position and compare.
They should not be worlds apart, close to pickup resistance.

Then I would turn volume down on each completely and then just half and do the same thing on bridge and neck.
It would narrow down if all disconnected in neck or just weird.

What easily happends is if having too weak soldering iron that you have to warm so long to solder to ground on pot chassis, that you also have solder sucked up into cables and make them easiliy break. Worst case you destroy pots, but since you checked before install that is probably not it.

Overtighten pots - I don't think so. It's just a nut and thread - not to the internals of pots.

When I did on a hollow body once - it's easy that shield of one cable is crossing/touching where it should not - shortcircuiting that part.
So just fiddling with fingers down there in F-holes could make a difference.

 

[djmaher]

Re: Troubleshooting my new SD neck humbucker ES335 install??

If I was going to check for a grounding issue that would target the neck humbucker, but seemingly leave the bridge humbucker alone, could you suggest the most likely spot to focus on, or, is that just not possible?

I may have bent a terminal during install, but, I dont think so....

 

[djmaher]

Re: Troubleshooting my new SD neck humbucker ES335 install??

Combined and soldered together.

This also includes the bare/green ground connection.

Mostly "tinned" together, due to the thin wires.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Troubleshooting my new SD neck humbucker ES335 install??

follow the pup... so volume connection & ground, tone pot, then switch. from the switch to the jack seems fine since the bridge works

 

[dystrust]

Re: Troubleshooting my new SD neck humbucker ES335 install??

If I was going to check for a grounding issue that would target the neck humbucker, but seemingly leave the bridge humbucker alone, could you suggest the most likely spot to focus on, or, is that just not possible?

I may have bent a terminal during install, but, I dont think so....

The only places I can think of are the pickup switch terminal or the neck pickup volume pot. It's more likely that a connection broke.