Whats with the pots included with Livewires?

[Plaguewielder]

I have two sets of these. I have always had a problem with the pickups leaking audible sound when wiring these as a set from one pickup to the other. I just wired a single pickup no tone control in my guitar Sunday and last night at rehearsal I got the same leaking. I has always thought it was bad 3-way switches.

I went home and looked at all 8 pots that came stock with the Livewire sets. They all seem to be steel shaft CTS pots but running a multimeter on all of them I notice that first each only goes to about 98.6k all the way to 99.4k when wide open, but none go below 38.7k with the average across all 8 pots around 39k turned all the way off. This exaplained why I was always getting sound out of the pickups when they were turned off. None were turnning all the way off.

Is this normal? Would using a hand selected pot that actually turns off all the way help or hinder these pickups?

I ask because my original set was bought in 1989 and the other set was purchased about 3 years ago. Both sets have pots that average from 39k to 98.9k. I just wondered if this was needed for these pickups or just grabbing correct marked pots and putting them in the box to fill the orders for the pickups?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Whats with the pots included with Livewires?

it should go to 0 ohms when off, meaning no connection and all the signal is going to ground. check the ground wiring on the pot.

a pot that goes from 0 to 100k is what you want and will work perfectly with those pups

 

[Artie]

Re: Whats with the pots included with Livewires?

Thats pretty bizarre. In fact, its so bizarre, I'm going to risk insulting your intelligence by wondering if there's any possibility that you mis-read the meter range. 3.9 ohms would be a reasonable reading through the test leads.

Its just a thought. No offense intended.

 

[Plaguewielder]

Re: Whats with the pots included with Livewires?

Sorry for the delay in response.

No no insult taken. I checked a few times as well as had a buddy who works on guitars as a moonlighting gig check them as well. Every single pup from both sets of mine (one bought within the last 3 years as well as the ones I bought in 1990) do not go all the way to 0 ohms when turned off, nor do they go up to 100k but all are within the typical 10% +/- variance of a variable resistor(ala potentiometer). When turned all the way off the lowest goes down to the 39k I mentioned before.

I have always had bleeding problems from one pickup to the other when one pickup is "on" while the one you are selected to is "off". I never realized that it was the pots. Just need to go and hand pick some pots that do turn all the way off. Seems funny that I got two sets like this bought roughly 14-15 years apart. I just wondered if this was a standard setup because the pickups needed a non fully off pickup, or I just got a "Monday" or "Friday" packaged set.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Whats with the pots included with Livewires?

That's goofy. Good luck finding working pots.

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Whats with the pots included with Livewires?

Anyone know where I can buy the pots I need for the Livewires?