Tele wiring help

[richardjmorgan]

Hey all. I've attempted re-wiring my '52 Tele using the following diagram that Jonathan at Feline gave me (the blue bits are my additions, putting the ground wires in the same place as they were to begin with – maybe these are wrong and causing the problems I'll describe shortly):


Here's what I have done (replacing the Tele switch with a 3-way toggle):


Now, when I turn the volume pot all the way down, I'm still getting sound coming out of the guitar (but at much lower volume). Also, the whole thing's buzzing until I touch the strings, so I'm guessing I've failed to earth something properly somewhere. Anyone have any suggestions as to what I've done wrong and how to go about fixing it?

[Modular1]

Double check you have the polarity correct on the input jack. Might be why strings buzz when you touch them.

[richardjmorgan]

Double check you have the polarity correct on the input jack. Might be why strings buzz when you touch them.

I'll check this, but it's not buzzing when I touch the strings; it's buzzing when I'm not touching the strings. Sorry if that wasn't clear!

[richardjmorgan]

I've double-checked everything, and am still getting the same issues – can anyone help me?  :(

[PhilKing]

Move the black wire to the jack to the volume pot.  It's only ground connection is through the plate.  You should also run a ground wire to the tone pot casing.

[FELINEGUITARS]

yes - just connect a wire between the backs of the two pots
Also have the black wire to the jack come to the back of the volume pot for best practice
My sketch shows an earth symbol on the back of each pot (albeit hastily drawn)

[richardjmorgan]

Thanks guys – I'll give that a try!

[richardjmorgan]

OK, we're getting somewhere! Ran a wire between the backs of the volume and tone pots and it's solved the buzzing issue, so cheers for that, guys!

However, I'm still having issues with the volume pot – even when all the way down, it doesn't totally cut off the sound. Then when I turn it up, it doesn't get any louder until right near the top and jumps up to more or less full volume. So what have I got wrong here?

[Transcend]

OK, we're getting somewhere! Ran a wire between the backs of the volume and tone pots and it's solved the buzzing issue, so cheers for that, guys!

However, I'm still having issues with the volume pot – even when all the way down, it doesn't totally cut off the sound. Then when I turn it up, it doesn't get any louder until right near the top and jumps up to more or less full volume. So what have I got wrong here?

I also have this issue in one of my guitars.

It's just a damaged pot.

The only real course of action is to replace it.

[richardjmorgan]

OK, we're getting somewhere! Ran a wire between the backs of the volume and tone pots and it's solved the buzzing issue, so cheers for that, guys!

However, I'm still having issues with the volume pot – even when all the way down, it doesn't totally cut off the sound. Then when I turn it up, it doesn't get any louder until right near the top and jumps up to more or less full volume. So what have I got wrong here?

I also have this issue in one of my guitars.

It's just a damaged pot.

The only real course of action is to replace it.

:? Really? It was totally new! How annoying.

[Philly Q]

It does sound like you fried the pot or it was just a dud, I've had that happen.

I notice it's a "vintage" style pot.  I like the feel of those better than the normal flat-backed CTS pots (which are always too stiff), but they do seem to be a bit more fragile.

[richardjmorgan]

It does sound like you fried the pot or it was just a dud, I've had that happen.

I notice it's a "vintage" style pot.  I like the feel of those better than the normal flat-backed CTS pots (which are always too stiff), but they do seem to be a bit more fragile.

It's the replacement 1meg pot that comes as part of the 'modern' wiring kit that came with my Tele. So I'm guessing the likely conclusion is I've knacked it with my inept soldering? Bugger.

[Philly Q]

Yes, you may have overheated it, but as I say that type of pot does seem to be more fragile. 

I wired a Strat a while ago with three of those pots, brand new, and it was all very clean (I thought), but the volume pot turned out to be knackered.  I replaced it and everything was fine.

[Transcend]

Yeah i have also had dud pots in the past.

From CTS more than anyone else over the last year or so i feel their quality is really slipping.

I generally stick to Alpha & bourns now

[Philly Q]

I generally stick to Alpha & bourns now

I'ver always been a bit snobby about Alpha pots, just because "metric = cheap", but I honestly can't remember if I've ever actually used them. 

Are they good quality?  It would save having to replace the knobs every time I upgrade the electronics.  :lol: