p/j tone pot wiring problem

elbeau · #1 01-04-2013, 07:21 AM

Sorry if this has been covered before but the search didnt turn up much. I wired my new build up with brand new all parts 250k pots and .47uf orange drop cap. Right now the tone control is acting as master volume and not a tone control. Is there something wrong with what I'm doing? I used this wiring diagram http://www.seymourduncan.com/support...c=std_p_j_bass and this is the best pic I can post right now. Anyone else had this problem in the past or can anyone direct me to a better wiring diagram?

Matthijs · #2 01-04-2013, 07:30 AM

check if the cap is shorted, maybe one lead is touching the housing of the pot?

Stone Soup · #3 01-04-2013, 11:13 AM

Carefully check this against your wiring.

elbeau · #4 01-04-2013, 02:28 PM

Matthijs had it right. Got the cap touching the pot. Moved it and she sings just the way she should. I put some electrical tape around the leads for the cap so hopefuly this problem won't happen again. Thanks!

SGD Lutherie · #5 01-04-2013, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elbeau

and .47uf orange drop cap.

You mean .047µF.

Quote:

Got the cap touching the pot.

This is one of the problems with using a cap that's much larger in physical size than it needs to be.

There's nothing that makes an orange drop any better than a regular, and smaller film cap you can get at Radio Shack.

They will both sound the same.

elbeau · #6 01-04-2013, 04:54 PM

I figured that much but saw them at GC and figured that Radio shack is a few towns over. Now that its not touching she's right on

Cadfael · #7 01-04-2013, 05:21 PM

The wire of the cap soldered to the contact of the pot has ASBSOLUTELY NO contact to the housing of the tone pot?

If there is any contact between one of the pot contacts and the (grounded) housing, the tone pot will work as a master volume! The cap has to be between Ground (housing) and the contact of the pot (and via middle contact of the pot to HOT) without any other contact.

The SD drawing is right for people who know what they are doig (and why!).
Download my 5.5 MB 360 page "wiring bible" (in German) and go to 1.1.21 (page 23 at the moment). You will find the 100% same wiring but with a "better" cap illustration. The schematic (light blue background) also shows you why the tone pot works like a master volume when the cap is bridged ...
http://161589.homepagemodules.de/t29...-E-Baesse.html