pot wiring

[ratkinson]

When I wire up the volume pots in my strat, (i have only 2 pickups with 1 3-way switch and independent volume pots) grounding the other side of the potentiometer grounds out all the sound. I'm going in one side, out the center, and grounding the third lug. Should I go in the center?

[ChrisK]

grounding the other side of the potentiometer grounds out all the sound.

What exactly do you mean by this statement?

I'm going in one side, out the center, and grounding the third lug

This sounds correct depending on which side you're using for each connection.

For right-handed pots (in a right-handed guitar), the following should help:

guitarnuts2.proboards45.com/index.cgi?board=schem&action=display&thread=1158705194

Should I go in the center?

This can also be done (reverse LP wiring), but you still have to mind the rotational direction effect.

[ratkinson]

THose diagrams didn't help much. Shouldn't it be irrelevant which side I go in, since the wiper controls the resistance between the outside two lugs, wiring it backwards or forwards (reversing my initial ground/input) should just change the direction i have to turn the pot to turn it up/down. When I unground the potentiometers (I bussed them to ground) The sound comes right back, but the controls don't work. I can't figure this out. I've copied les-paul wiring schematics (2 pickups one three way switch and independent volume (simply omitting the tone controls)) and this still happens.

P.S. is it absolutely necessary to connect the ground to the body of the pot?

[sumgai]

ratkinson,

Shouldn't it be irrelevant which side I go in, since the wiper controls the resistance between the outside two lugs,

Ooops, faux pas. The wiper does not control the resistance between the two outside terminals - the resistance is fixed forever and ever. The wiper controls the amount of resistance that you measure between it and one or the other outside terminal.

wiring it backwards or forwards (reversing my initial ground/input) should just change the direction i have to turn the pot to turn it up/down.

That's a bit ambiguous. On the one hand, it looks like you're saying "reverse the two outer terminals", which would have the effect you describe, the rotational effect is reversed. But when we modders say "reverse the pot connections", we mean that you swap the input and wiper connections, and the ground stays put. There's more detail on this, found here, and within that message, there's a link to a good diagram (and a now-redundant description) of what we're talking about.

When I unground the potentiometers (I bussed them to ground) The sound comes right back, but the controls don't work.

I suspect that you have something else going on here, well out of the ordinary, if you can't easily see it just by looking at it. (Or you could have a pair of bad pots..... nah, not likely).

I can't figure this out.

Now imagine your frustration multiplied by this innerweb connection between us! Remote diagnosis has never been real easy, I assure you.

I've copied les-paul wiring schematics (2 pickups one three way switch and independent volume (simply omitting the tone controls)) and this still happens.

If it didn't match the diagram found in that secondary link (the one that goes to the original GuitarNutz website), then you didn't get it quite right, sorry to say. That diagram is the most simple one I've seen, and it's been used by Gibson for decades, so it works.

If all "seems" good, but it ain't, then it's time for you to take a rest, and let someone else look it over. A fresh pair of eyes, without all the "I've already done this" baggage may be just the ticket for doping out the real problem.

P.S. is it absolutely necessary to connect the ground to the body of the pot?

You can leave the pot casing ungrounded only if the entire cavity is properly shielded with a good material. In all other cases, ground the casing.

You may find this article to be helpful: "Quieting the Beast", it deals with the topic in some depth, and is illustrated as well.


HTH and Good Luck!


sumgai