HELP! Problem with electronics

[jayman]

Hi, Ive just completed my EX-1 build but have run into a problem with the electronics. There is no output unless the tone pot is turned all the way up (clockwise turn as far as it will go). The volume pot seems to work OK but as soon as I back off on the tone pot (as little as a tenth of a turn) the signal to the amp just dies. There is a slight change in tone and drop in volume as I turn the tone pot the first couple of millimeters then nothing.

I thought it may have been my poor soldering or I might have fried one of the components so I replaced both pots and the capacitor and re-soldered all the wiring. The problems is still the same.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

[Brendan]

Have you put some form of shielding in the control cavity? I'm wondering if you've got your signal going to ground when you turn the knob. Take a couple of photos of the wiring, add them to this post and there are a couple of guys here who should be able to do some forensics for you.

[dingobass]

Hmmmmmmmmmm... sounds like an earthing out problem.
Photos will help to identify the issue.

[jayman]

Photos to follow.....

[jayman]

141131411414115

I've attached pics here (hopefully!!) Just to explain, I switched out the bridge pickup for something a bit hotter so hence the extra wiring there's a coil tap option with it which i didn't use. That's the green and white wires. Hope the pics are clear enough.
Thanks!

[jayman]

I've attached pics here (hopefully!!) Just to explain, I switched out the bridge pickup for something a bit hotter so hence the extra wiring there's a coil tap option with it which i didn't use. That's the green and white wires. Hope the pics are clear enough.
Thanks!
141161411714118

[dingobass]

Moved the thread here so our wiring gurus can have a look.

[WeirdBits]

What's the grey(?) wire connecting to the lug on your tone pot? It looks like the purple wire is the hot coming from your volume, the cap is on the middle lug and the other lug normally doesn't have a connection for a tone... but it appears you have a grey wire attached. I can't see what it links to but it's not typical tone wiring, so that's a place to start.

[jayman]

Hi Scott,
The grey wire goes from the first (top) lug on the tone pot to the centre connector on the switch. The rest is as you quite correctly called it. Any suggestions??
Thanks for your help.

[WeirdBits]

Ok, so your pickups are connecting to the left and right lugs on the switch and the grey wire is going from the middle switch lug to the 'top' lug on the tone pot, correct? As it is currently wired you're probably getting a really muddy/muffled sound with the tone fully clockwise and then the sound level drops away to almost nothing with the slightest turn on the tone knob.

That middle grey wire is the 'output' from the switch so you need to disconnect it from the 'top' tone lug and instead connect it to either the bottom lug on the tone pot or bottom lug of the volume pot (where the purple wire connects). The purple wire is the 'hot' link between the volume and tone and your grey wire needs to connect that same lug, at either the volume or tone pot.

The PBG 2 Humbucker 1 Vol 1 Tone 3-way toggle wiring diagram (http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/PBG-2H1v1t3_non_tele_2014.pdf) has the switch in a different position than your EX, but it shows where everything needs to connect.

[stan]

Scott to the rescue, you are invaluable mate

[jayman]

That's great Scott thanks for that. I'll fire up the soldering iron and I'll let you know how it goes!
Thanks again.

J.

[jayman]

WOW! Is all I can say. Followed your instructions there and had a quick look at the wiring diagram. I've re-wired it now and the difference is just phenomenal. It's brought the guitar to life. I can't put it down now. Both pickups are balanced now (which they weren't before), tone pot works beautifully and you can actually tell which pickup is selected now. I'm getting tones from my little Rockburn practice amp that I never thought were possible with this guitar.

Really feel like I've missed out the last couple of weeks with it sounding so bad!!

Thanks for that Scott, if you're ever in Galway I owe you a pint!!

[WeirdBits]

You're very welcome, glad you got it sorted.

[nitroburner1000]

You're very welcome, glad you got it sorted.
Your the man!