** WIRING ASSISTANCE NEEDED** (Pic incl.)

[TwilightOdyssey]

Hi all,

I just wired up my guitar according to the diagram below, generously provided by a friend.

My symptom is, I'm sure, a common one, and I'm sure I'm probably overlooking something really basic here, but I'm totally lost at the moment.

I am getting the most horrific hum from both the humbucker and single coil pups until I physically touch either the control pot, the metal jacket to the guitar cord, or the claw screws to the tremolo.

FYI: The bridge pup is a 2 conductor humbucker (BK Miracle Man), with a braded shield. The neck pup is a 2 conductor single coil (BK Irish Tour). I have all of the cables grounded to the left lug of the volume control/push-pull pot, just as the drawing indicates. I also have that lug grounded to the bottom of the trem's spring plate.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!!



Thanx in advance! :)

[Bird]

Just a guess, but it sounds like it may not be grounded correctly.I think there's a post on it in the pickups section.

[TwilightOdyssey]

Thanx!

[HJM]

Is the body of the pot grounded?

[PhilKing]

Is the bridge grounded?

[HJM]

Is the bridge grounded?

Probably

"I also have that lug grounded to the bottom of the trem's spring plate. "

[PhilKing]

Sorry - it's a bit early :oops:

[HJM]

Sorry - it's a bit early :oops:

Know that feeling...

[TwilightOdyssey]

Thanx for the input, guys!

It appears that I need to attach the ground lug to the side of the pot; I tried doing so this morning, with piece of wire, and the hum stopped dead.

I will solder the wire in place tonight, and I think that my hum issue will be solved.  :oops:

I shouldn't've panicked ...

At least with a project this size, I was able to put the body aside and worked on getting the tuners into the peghead ... got 4 out of the 6 in there!

I might actually have a WORKING GUITAR tonight!!
Woo hoo! :D

[TwilightOdyssey]

Okay, by connecting the ground lug to the pot, I was able to eliminate 90% of the hum ... good deal!

However, when I touch the braid to the humbucker, or the metal sheath to the cable, the hum still totally goes away.

Soooo, I know I'm missing some additional grounding. Any further ideas?

[TwilightOdyssey]

This is really pissing me off now!
I've tried de-soldering everything, checking all the connexions, and re-soldering them back; I'm sure that I have the basic wiring down.

I'm still getting a mid-level hum, tho, which goes away when I touch the sleeve to the guitar lead, the volume pot, or the braid to the bridge pup.

Any ideas??!

[Bird]

Could be something to do with the amp. Make sure that's not the problem.

[Tim]

What you need to do is strip it all back down again and start slowly-make sure that the bridge p/up braid, the neck black wire, the jack and the ground wire of the guitar all share common ground. If in doubt whip open one of your other axes and see how they've done it.

It's one of those things were if I had the guitar in front of me I could sort it out quickly but it's like working blind-I'm out playing tonight, won't be back till the wee hours of Sunday morning but if you're still stuck post up a pic of the wiring cavity so I can see what you've got going where and I'll try and sort it out.

good luck!

[FELINEGUITARS]

Do a quick check to make sure you havent got the wires to the jack socket the wrong way round- it doesn't sound likee it , but always worth a check

[TwilightOdyssey]

Thanx for the tips!

I've checked and re-checked, but I am now going to de-solder, cut back, and re-attach everything nice and fresh, and see if that makes a difference.

At least I was able to finish the neck while pondering the hum issue -- got the tuners and nut in; just have to screw down the tuners and string retainer.