Les Paul 'coupled' volume pots - HELP!

[whiskeyhead]

I need help with the electrics on my Epiphone Les Paul (P90 Pickups). It sounds like the volume pots were wired wrong in the factory resulting in them being coupled rather than uncoupled. When the PU selector is in the middle (both PU's on), rolling the volume off either volume control cuts the sound completely from both. Or in other words, the volume pots are acting as Master rather than individual. Most annoying!

Also, when either one or the other pick up is selected there is a sort of Phasing fuzz. This goes when both are selected together. Part of the same problem maybe?

I've had the guitar (Epiphone '56 Goldtop) from new and originally thought it was meant to be like that!

This is the absolute limit of my knowledge on the subject so if anyone out there understands what I'm rambling on about or knows someone who does, PLEASE get in touch. Cheers.

[UnklMickey]

'pauls w/ 2pickups & 2 vols will do that if the pots are connected "normally".

to "fix" that, gibson wired the volume pots bass-ackwards like this:





U.M.

[Mini-Strat_Maine]

unklmickey said:

'pauls w/ 2pickups & 2 vols will do that if the pots are connected "normally".

Or other guitars with "Les Paul type" controls. I've seen it described somewhere as when both pups are selected, whichever volume control was adjusted just prior to the switch being thrown to "Both" becomes the default setting.

My Jay Turser Hawk-12 (2 HB, 2V/1T plus weird coil cut) does the same thing, but I don't think I've noticed it with my Ibanez Talman (2 HB, 2T/2V). From a very scientific study I just did with the Hawk, it seems that the pot which assumes control of both pickups doesn't have to be the one for the single pickup that was selected last. It also seems to me that tweaking the same pot once both pups are selected will make both pots operative again.
In other words, if you were working off the bridge pup but adjusted the neck volume pot downward to avoid a blast of sound when you select both pups, the neck pot now has control.
Experiments will continue pending receipt of a grant from the Society for Testing and Research Into Nuisance Guitar Stuff. ;D

--
Doug C.

[karpetking]

the pots are wired like this in my bought new tele custom reissue, and in my friend's bought new tokai, expensive, 335/355/whatever type thing. if either of the volume pots are turned all the way down, the guitar is off.