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50s wiring = problems. help!

DaveSG

Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2007
Messages
126
So I was wiring up my historic SG with the '50s style' wiring, and I hit a snag.

I wired up both the neck and bridge pickup wiring this way, starting with the bridge, but the bridge pickup is totally and completely dead. I was baffled, so I thought maybe I have to wire them both the same way. So I wired up the neck pickup the same exact way, and it works just fine!

Looked at the bridge wiring again...nothing. I checked it at least a half dozen times, comparing it to the neck wiring and making sure it wasn't a loose connection or wires touching something. Nothing. I had just done it on another guitar right before this one, no problems. I had the diagram the whole time for reference.

When I was playing around with it, I was able to get some juice through it when I wired the lead to the middle, along with the pickup selector wire and cap (which is how NOT to do it 50s style) , and it finally worked, although it sounds different now (= worse).

I'm stumped. I cannot figure out why this would work on the neck but leave the bridge completely dead. Bad volume pot? Please help.


Here is whats going on:

wiring50sm.jpg


(its happening on the bridge, not the neck, whoops)

When I wire the lead to the right spot, its dead. When I wiring to the middle with all the other stuff, it works.

Why???

I DO have a multimeter but I have no idea how to use it...if anyone can tell me the setting to use to check where the problem is, I can try that.
 

reswot

Active member
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Messages
3,295
My guess would be that something is grounding the input lug of the pot. Check for continuity between that lug and the back of the pot. It could be a stray piece of wire or even a blob of solder.

Stupid question, but maybe worth asking: Is the volume turned up on the pot?
 

DaveSG

Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2007
Messages
126
I wonder if I might have to take the pot out...is there a way to pull off the pot cover to check? It sounds like may be a likely possibility.

I did adjust the volume to check:)
 

BobV

New member
Joined
Jan 11, 2009
Messages
831
If you connected the pickup to the middle lug, along with the wire that runs from there to the switch, then to some degree you bypassed the volume pot (except for a variable resistor to ground so the control might work) and the signal path isn't going through the pot before it goes on to the switch. If you had to do that, then it suggests theres something wrong with the pot - maybe it got overheated in the soldering process? Try the ohmmeter connected to the center and outer lug, and as you turn the pot you should get a smooth change in the value. The needle should move rather smoothly, not jumpy, and shouldn't suddenly drop to zero in the middle of the path.
 

J.D.

Well-known member
Joined
May 24, 2006
Messages
10,030
Chances are you have a "nick" in the cloth between the signal wire and the outer ground on either the pickup or switch lead wire and you are grounding the signal out on the bridge pickup circuit :jim
 

DaveSG

Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2007
Messages
126
Well,

Tried it with the Ohmmeter and I got nothing. When compared to another pot, there definitely was a value reading, so something got screwed up. Time for some new RS Pots!:spabout

Thanks everyone for your comments and feedback.
 
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