Help me untangle some wiring

[RitterSport]

Full disclosure, this is about a guitar, a Washburn WI-STD with two humbuckers, two volumes, two tones, and a switch. The wiring seems to be completely screwed up.

First, there are two harnesses coming from the pickups, one with a red marking and one with a black marking -- is there some standard that says that red will be neck (or bridge)?

There also seems to be two wire harnesses coming from the switch, which is counterintuitive to me -- they look exactly the same. I guess I can flick the switch all the way one way and see what opens and closes, and then the other way, and label the wires that way? I assume one is for each pickup.

Right now, there's a green wire from each pickup that I think should go the volume knobs, but seem to be tied together to one of the switch wires??

Anyway, I can post a picture of the rat's nest if that will be helpful, but I guess I'm really looking for a place to turn to figure out how all of this is normally wired.

 

[Reedt2000]

Looks like its a Les Paul clone and should be wired the same way. Do any of the knobs have push/pull? Sometimes there will be coil splitting options. Both diagrams (with coil splitting and without) are readily available online. As for which pickup is which color wire, either take one out and look at the wires coming from it, or hook one separately to an output jack, plug it in, and tap on the pickups (gently) with a screwdriver.

 

[RitterSport]

No push/pull knobs. What would that do? (Sorry, I'm a bass player and barely that, so I don't know much about guitar features).

Does this look like the right wiring diagram? 2 Humbuckers/3-Way Toggle Switch/2 Volumes/2 Tones

I got it from here: Guitar Wiring Diagrams | 2 Humbuckers/3-Way Switch/2 Volumes/2 Tones

 

[Reedt2000]

Push/pull usually lets you isolate one of the two coils in each pickup so they operate as a single coil instead of a humbucker.

Your diagram looks good. Not sure if the washburn pickups have a braided shield for ground like is shown in your diagram or if the ground from the pickup is just another wire. It doesn't matter which you've got, they go to the same place.

 

[RitterSport]

I wonder if the old owner decided to try and combine the tone controls or volume controls into one -- why else would it have the green wires tied together to the switch? Weird.

Looking at the wiring diagram, I think the guitar is missing a capacitor. I'll get a picture and post it. More evidence, I guess, that the previous owner tried to simplify the knobs.

 

[RitterSport]

Here's the rat's nest.

 

[Biggbass]

Les Paul wiring

Electric Guitar Wiring 104: Separate Sets of Volume and Tone Controls

 

[Reedt2000]

Does it work at all as-is? Do the pickups have 4 wires coming from each? Its hard to tell what's going on in the picture. What is your goal with this guitar?

 

[RitterSport]

Does it work at all as-is? Do the pickups have 4 wires coming from each? Its hard to tell what's going on in the picture. What is your goal with this guitar?

It works, but only one of the volume knobs seems to do anything, and only one of the tone knobs (I think -- I tried different combos of the switch and tone knobs).

Is it possible that the other owner re-wired it so it has one volume and tone, and you use the switch to go from one pickup to the other?

The switch effect is pretty subtle between two of the settings -- I'm not sure if all three positions work. It might just be two out of three.

My goal is to have it working like it's supposed to -- two volumes, two tones, working switch.

 

[Reedt2000]

It works, but only one of the volume knobs seems to do anything, and only one of the tone knobs (I think -- I tried different combos of the switch and tone knobs).

Is it possible that the other owner re-wired it so it has one volume and tone, and you use the switch to go from one pickup to the other?

The switch effect is pretty subtle between two of the settings -- I'm not sure if all three positions work. It might just be two out of three.

My goal is to have it working like it's supposed to -- two volumes, two tones, working switch.

Thats why I ask about the number of wires from each pickup, I've seen a variable blend from humbucker to single wiring option, if you have 4 conductors from each pickup. You can tap on the pickups to see if the switch is doing what it's supposed to. If you just want it standard (and you are comfortable soldering), I'd just take it apart and redo the whole thing.

 

[RitterSport]

Thats why I ask about the number of wires from each pickup,

If you look at the picture, there are two sets of two harnesses coming from the pickups (from the whole on the lower left). The thicker harnesses have the red and black ends and the thinner ones don't.

My guess is that the thinner ones are just grounds? The thicker ones each have a green and red wire, so those are probably the useful ones.

 

[Reedt2000]

I think you have 4 conductor pickups (north and south leads from each coil, possibly a ground too). It may wired so there is a master volume, master tone, and the other two knobs sweep from 2 coils to one (one knob for each pickup). Tapping on the pole pieces lightly with a screwdriver and turning the not-volume-or-tone-knobs would tell you if my guess is correct. Are you sure the pickups are stock? They may have been upgraded.

 

[RitterSport]

I'm not sure about anything with this guitar, but when I look online for this model, the pickups always seem to be the same Duncan USM pickups. Here's an example: Used Washburn WISTD TSB SNGL CUT Electric Guitar Tobacco Sunburst | Music Go Round Greensboro NC | Reverb, same color and everything.

I'll try tapping the pole pieces lightly and play with the seemingly non-functioning knobs.

 

[RitterSport]

OK, I tapped each of the four low E-string poles with the switch in the middle and the non-functioning knobs in all four positions (all on, all off, one in each direction) but no luck. The tapping came through just the same.

So, I think what I have is a Gibson clone wired to be a Telecaster clone.

 

[Rabidhamster]

It works, but only one of the volume knobs seems to do anything, and only one of the tone knobs (I think -- I tried different combos of the switch and tone knobs).

Is it possible that the other owner re-wired it so it has one volume and tone, and you use the switch to go from one pickup to the other?

The switch effect is pretty subtle between two of the settings -- I'm not sure if all three positions work. It might just be two out of three.

My goal is to have it working like it's supposed to -- two volumes, two tones, working switch.

Hmm hard to say for sure in a 2d photo but it looks like I would totally redo that, might be faster ultimately if you’re alright with soldering.

 

[RitterSport]

Maybe that's why the original owner rewired it to just have one of each? Rather than get a new volume pot, just take it and the tone control out of the circuit, I guess.

 

[Rabidhamster]

Maybe that's why the original owner rewired it to just have one of each? Rather than get a new volume pot, just take it and the tone control out of the circuit, I guess.

Yeah it’s easier to just clip the three spots. especially if they only used one pickup or something anyway.

 

[Tim Grant]

Here is something else you need to be aware of with Gibson style wiring. It might explain further why the previous owner may have wired them together. Mod Garage: Decouple Your Les Paul’s Volume Controls

 

[dwizum]

If your ultimate goal is "get it to work like it's supposed to" then, honestly, I would stop trying to troubleshoot the original mess and just cut all the wiring out and start over. Remove the pickups so you can see which wires come from which pickup. Test the pots with a multimeter or just toss them and spend the $12 on all new pots. Then pick your favorite Les Paul wiring diagram and go to town.

 

[RitterSport]

That's probably my best bet. It's my son's guitar and he just got another one (inherited from his uncle) which is a G&L version of a Telecaster, and it seems silly to have two Telecaster-style guitars.