Hi guys,
Recently I picked up a strat copy (excluding the guts, only a rusty bridge) at a flea market for next to nothing. I gave it some love, cut out a custom pickguard and wired it with 2 humbuckers I had kicking around (Duncan Designed HB101n and HB103b), just as a fun little project.
Besides having changed out pickups in a couple of guitars, I'm fairly new to the wiring thing. I've basically used this wiring diagram, except I've used an import 5 way blade instead of the Fender type switch.
The issue I'm having is that the guitar sounds very muddy and dark, like when the tone knob is turned all the way down. But the tone knob is not even working; it does not change the tone, but instead turns off the volume when turned 95-100% down. I've wired it like in the diagram above, but with a 22nF capacitor. I've triple checked every connection, rewired most of it and also tested with tapping the pole pieces while the pickguard was laying on its back, to check if the issue had anything to do with wires/connections touching each other inside of the guitar - same thing.
The diagram shows the cap soldered with one leg to the middle lug of the tone pot and the other to ground. The rightmost lug (if you're facing the side with the lugs) is soldered to the back/side of the pot. That's how I did it also.
Later I found this diagram, which shows the capacitor connected to a different lug than the one with the wire from the volume pot. What is the difference between these methods?
I've dug up many threads with similar issues, but could not fix it. I don't think the cap is bad, because it seems to be bleeding highs all the time.
Any thoughts?
Recently I picked up a strat copy (excluding the guts, only a rusty bridge) at a flea market for next to nothing. I gave it some love, cut out a custom pickguard and wired it with 2 humbuckers I had kicking around (Duncan Designed HB101n and HB103b), just as a fun little project.
Besides having changed out pickups in a couple of guitars, I'm fairly new to the wiring thing. I've basically used this wiring diagram, except I've used an import 5 way blade instead of the Fender type switch.
The issue I'm having is that the guitar sounds very muddy and dark, like when the tone knob is turned all the way down. But the tone knob is not even working; it does not change the tone, but instead turns off the volume when turned 95-100% down. I've wired it like in the diagram above, but with a 22nF capacitor. I've triple checked every connection, rewired most of it and also tested with tapping the pole pieces while the pickguard was laying on its back, to check if the issue had anything to do with wires/connections touching each other inside of the guitar - same thing.
The diagram shows the cap soldered with one leg to the middle lug of the tone pot and the other to ground. The rightmost lug (if you're facing the side with the lugs) is soldered to the back/side of the pot. That's how I did it also.
Later I found this diagram, which shows the capacitor connected to a different lug than the one with the wire from the volume pot. What is the difference between these methods?
I've dug up many threads with similar issues, but could not fix it. I don't think the cap is bad, because it seems to be bleeding highs all the time.
Any thoughts?
