Author Topic: Wiring nightmare on a Strat (Read 11628 times)

chrisheyes · « **on:** November 23, 2005, 07:16:35 PM »

I've just upgraded the volume and tone pots on my guitar, soldered the Trilloy's onto the pots and 5 way switch.

The volume pot doesn't appear to be doing any thing, but the mid tone pot is working as the volume, but only when the mid pickup is selected

I'm well confused, any suggestions ? :(

HJM · « **Reply #1 on:** November 23, 2005, 09:08:31 PM »

Start again!!

Sorry :D

chrisheyes · « **Reply #2 on:** November 23, 2005, 09:13:20 PM »

Jee Thanks Hayden

It's a prewired harness, so I didn't start this mess :roll:

HJM · « **Reply #3 on:** November 23, 2005, 09:54:28 PM »

Huh...so you just installed the guard???!!

Check that there are no shorts happening when you put the guard on the guitar - shielding paint can cause issues iff it touches anything it shouldn't!

Does the selector work OK? - if it does take a look at the vol/tone pots.

hope that's a bit more helpful - if you'd done it yourself the easiest thing would be to go back over everything.....

Steve-Mr Pig 2U · « **Reply #4 on:** November 23, 2005, 10:03:38 PM »

Is it a pre wire that we have supplied? or did you just replace the pots and switch yourself?

chrisheyes · « **Reply #5 on:** November 23, 2005, 10:30:00 PM »

Hmmmmmmmm i've found there is no resistance in the bridge pickup - It's totally dead

I'll have to eat humble pie and send the Sinner pickup back to Tim for re-winding

There was a short across the 5 way selector that was the ghost in the machine.

HJM · « **Reply #6 on:** November 23, 2005, 10:42:18 PM »

I take it your testing the bridge pup without the switch hooked up to it?

chrisheyes · « **Reply #7 on:** November 24, 2005, 07:02:36 AM »

Quote

Steve-Mr Pig 2U

Is it a pre wire that we have supplied? or did you just replace the pots and switch yourself?

It's not a KNP prewired harness,it's from elswhere. The guitar is a '79 Tokai Silver Star, a '70 Style Strat copy. The pots and switches were scratchy and the jack plug intermittently failed. I decided to upgrade them to give full justice to the tone of the BKP Trillogy's previously installed.

Quote

HJM Posted:

I take it your testing the bridge pup without the switch hooked up to it?

That's correct. I got the multimeter out and started testing the circuits.
I found the short across the 5 way switch but also found that the brigde pickup was giving a reading of zero.

On closer inspection of the pickup I found that the very fine copper wire that goes round the bottom flat, through the hook up wire eyelet was frayed. I desoldered it from the harness / scratplate and tested the ends of the hook-up wires and found it to be dead.

Should the volume and tone pots touch the shielding foil. I had the wided the holes for the new pots, could this also have contributed to my tone / volume problems ?

Cheers for all the help supplied so far guys :)

HJM · « **Reply #8 on:** November 24, 2005, 09:03:22 AM »

There's obviously something amiss - have a look on this site re your question about the shielding foil, it shouldn't casue a problem as long as it's not touching the lugs.

http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/index.php

chrisheyes · « **Reply #9 on:** November 24, 2005, 12:15:16 PM »

Quote

HJM

There's obviously something amiss - have a look on this site re your question about the shielding foil, it shouldn't casue a problem as long as it's not touching the lugs.

By 'lugs' do you mean the washer and nut that hold the scratchplate to the pot Hayden ?

HJM · « **Reply #10 on:** November 24, 2005, 05:16:40 PM »

No - the bits you solder to, sorry!

chrisheyes · « **Reply #11 on:** November 24, 2005, 11:07:44 PM »

Cheers HJM - I get your drift now :D

HJM · « **Reply #12 on:** November 25, 2005, 08:14:07 AM »

can you post some pics of the electronics?

chrisheyes · « **Reply #13 on:** November 25, 2005, 11:37:38 PM »

Will do HJM

I contacted the guy that made the harness for me and sent him some photo's of the electonics. He confirmed that he has made it up wrong

The ground wire between the volume pot and the middle pot went from the back of each of them. I should also be connected to one of the lugs on the volume pot. I've sorted that out but still get the following strange actions of the pots:-

The 5 way selector is working perfect, however I'm still not getting 1 volume and 2 tones.

Taking the convention that position 5 on the 5 way is the Neck Pickup and position 1 is the Bridge only, this is what happens

Position 5 - Volume pot working as a tone, Middle pot working as a Volume, Bottom Pot - nothing.

Position 4 - Volume pot working as a tone, Middle pot working as a Volume, Bottom Pot - working as a tone.

Position 3 - Volume pot working as a tone, Middle pot does nothing, Bottom Pot - working as a tone.

Position 2 - Volume pot working as a tone, Middle pot does nothing, Bottom Pot - working as a tone.

Position 1 - Volume pot working as a tone, Middle pot does nothing, Bottom Pot does nothing.

Any further ideas ?

Could it be I've wired the jack socket the wrong way round ?

I'm going insane here trying to track the fault down. Keeping taking the scatchplate in and out of the guitar with the strings still on has already cost me the Bridge Pickup - it's dead. I've sent it back to Tim for rewinding :(

HJM · « **Reply #14 on:** November 26, 2005, 08:31:17 AM »

I'd guess he's hooked the switch up wrong...sounds like a real mess! Pic would be easier!