• From: Greeley, CO
  • Registered: 2007-02-10
  • Posts: 10

Topic: F#@%K!!

Hey everyone, I've been doing a lot of work on my '94 epi Les Paul standard, and I recently underwent the task of replacing the pickups and potentiometers by myself.  I put in Gibson pots and a '57 Classic in the neck, and a 500T in the bridge.  I'm getting sound out of it, but (a) the neck sounds really quiet and muddy, and (b) the bridge pickup's tone control works but the volume does not.  I know it's really hard to get an idea of what's wrong without having more details and/or the guitar right in front of you, but I was hoping to get a few ideas of what I may have done wrong before I take it in to my local Music Depot.

  • From: Pico Rivera, Calif. U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2006-10-26
  • Posts: 785

Re: F#@%K!!

Go to www.seymoreduncan.com and look for a wiring schematic for two humbuckers and a 3 way toggle switch. Chase the wiring backwards, (look at the schematic and see if you wired it the same). Don't use gibson pots the probley charged you $10.00 to $15.00 each you can get a up gradr kit with cts pots and mallory capacitors for and the toggle switch from Guitar specialties for around $ 40.00 american or a alpha set from Guitar fetish for about $ 22.00. If you go with the guitar fetish kit change the capacitors to the 0.22 orange drop caps they sell.

If you run into any problems get me an email and I'll see if I can help. What it sounds like is that one of your conectons to the switch or the volume pod is not making a proper connection.

Bootlegger.

  • From: Greeley, CO
  • Registered: 2007-02-10
  • Posts: 10

Re: F#@%K!!

Thanks so much for the tips, I rechecked the wiring and found out I needed more solder on the neck and the bridge was wired into the volume pot wrong.  I'm planning on doing some work on my '02 G-400 deluxe soon, so I'll have to look into those cts pots... by the way, is it normal to hear a little hum from my neck pickup when I touch the pickup cover?

  • Registered: 2007-09-05
  • Posts: 9

Re: F#@%K!!

Southpaww51
if you are getting hums you may have an earth problem somewhere. check the earths on pots and jack socket etc. Also the screening maybe poor if the wires have been soldered on and off a few times.

  • From: Pico Rivera, Calif. U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2006-10-26
  • Posts: 785

Re: F#@%K!!

southpaww51 wrote:

Thanks so much for the tips, I rechecked the wiring and found out I needed more solder on the neck and the bridge was wired into the volume pot wrong.  I'm planning on doing some work on my '02 G-400 deluxe soon, so I'll have to look into those cts pots... by the way, is it normal to hear a little hum from my neck pickup when I touch the pickup cover?

It is definately a grounding problem (earth to you brits) as chordcrasher mentioned it is either the ground to the jack or the ground to the pots. You also may check the ground to your switch. I don't think that the screening (?) as chordcrasher mentioned is a problem since you used new pickups and pots. Check that all your ground solder points hace a good connection. Email me if I could be of any help.

Bootlegger.