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Volume Pot Fades Out then Back In
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Author:  Ken C [ Fri Sep 02, 2011 11:40 am ]
Post subject:  Volume Pot Fades Out then Back In
Buttoned up the wiring on my '72 Tele the other night, but I have an issue with my volume pots. I am using a Seymour Duncan dual humbucker setup, wired per their instructions for 2 humbuckers, 2 volume, 2 tone, and a 3 way switch. Both volume controls reduce the volume when turned, but then past the center point, the volume goes back up again. I am using CTS500 pots from Warmoth. The tone controls function fine.

I could have received a couple of bad pots, which seems unlikely as only the two volume controls have the issue. Or I could have wrecked the pots when soldering to the casing. Or I have something wrong with my wiring. I have gone over the wiring several times, and it appears to be consistent with this diagram. Is it fairly easy to screw up a pot with too much heat? I have ordered replacement pots, but am open to ideas of other things to check.

On my LP burst, I wired it ala vintage spec and had no issues. I used a different brand of pots, however, on that guitar.

Thanks,

Ken
Author:  theguitarwhisperer [ Fri Sep 02, 2011 5:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Volume Pot Fades Out then Back In
can you post a closeup picture of the volume pots?
Author:  Ken C [ Fri Sep 02, 2011 7:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Volume Pot Fades Out then Back In
theguitarwhisperer wrote:
can you post a closeup picture of the volume pots?


I just closed everything back up and am ordering some more pots. I thoroughly checked my connections, resoldering most, but the problem persisted. I pulled all the connections from one of my vol pots, and the ground post seems to be shorting out. I don't believe I used a hot enough iron when soldering the ground tab to the case. I had to hold the iron on the case and the tab for a long time to melt the solder. Long enough that I may have damaged the pot. So I have ordered a couple more pots and will start over when they get here.

Thanks,

Ken
Author:  theguitarwhisperer [ Fri Sep 02, 2011 11:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Volume Pot Fades Out then Back In
Makes sense. In addition to or instead of overheating, sometimes you have to be careful when bending the tab to the back of the pot, if it's not sturdy it loses continuity where the tab attaches to the wiper in portions of the sweep, or constantly. If I use a pot that has a potential weak tab, I don't bent it, I solder a bus wire from the tab to the back of the pots. Even some very high quality pots can have that sometimes. I've run into that with Gibson pots, and ProParts pots.
Author:  Ken C [ Sat Sep 03, 2011 4:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Volume Pot Fades Out then Back In
theguitarwhisperer wrote:
Makes sense. In addition to or instead of overheating, sometimes you have to be careful when bending the tab to the back of the pot, if it's not sturdy it loses continuity where the tab attaches to the wiper in portions of the sweep, or constantly. If I use a pot that has a potential weak tab, I don't bent it, I solder a bus wire from the tab to the back of the pots. Even some very high quality pots can have that sometimes. I've run into that with Gibson pots, and ProParts pots.


Thanks for the heads up on the tab. That may very well have been the cause of my spotty resistance. When I put the replacement pots in, I will use your bus wire approach.

Ken
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