Tone Pot on Neck / Middle not functioning

SRich

I wonder if the assembled knowledge of the Fretboard can help with this one?

I picked up a Silver Sky from @skippy76 ;yesterday (it's ex Adrian @ThorpyFX so it did a journey from Brackley to London and then back up to me in Oxfordshire) and the Tone Pot on Neck / Middle isn't functioning at all.....no response. It had a pickguard change in recent days. Now I'm not a solderer by any poor description of one, so I have no clue if what I see is the culprit......I had hoped to catch the eye of @ICBM ;;

Any eagle eye suggestions chaps?

drofluf

Don’t know where in Oxfordshire you are but there’s a guy on Cumnor Hill who may be able to help you out. 

ICBM

If the bridge one works it's got to be the pot. It's unlikely that both the switch terminals for the neck and middle would be not making contact at the same time, and it can't be the cap since it's the same one. The solder connections look good so it has to be the pot.

Sometimes the terminal makes a poor contact with the trackboard where it's rivetted - try squeezing the terminal hard onto the board with a pair of fine-nose pliers - the one on the right where the cap is soldered. You should be able to do it in situ.

If that doesn't fix it I'd guess you need a new pot.

SRich

Thanks chaps......I’m sure it’s serendipitous but still I’d rather be playing it than driving off in these socially distanced times.

Dave Smart at Cumnor Hill would be my go to......I need to see how busy he is.

 Much appreciate the fast responses as ever.

skippy76

Thanks @ICBM sound advice as usual!

drofluf

SRich said:

Thanks chaps......I’m sure it’s serendipitous but still I’d rather be playing it than driving off in these socially distanced times.

Dave Smart at Cumnor Hill would be my go to......I need to see how busy he is.

 Much appreciate the fast responses as ever.

That’s who I was thinking of!

At the start of lockdown he was able to do some work for me with a couple of days wait. Lovely gut to deal with and a few minutes from my front door. 

SRich

ICBM said:

Sometimes the terminal makes a poor contact with the trackboard where it's rivetted - try squeezing the terminal hard onto the board with a pair of fine-nose pliers - the one on the right where the cap is soldered.

Thanks @ICBM ........that was the indeed the right solution! Expert Wiz awarded for your essential experience......I’m sure you need the should get the Fretboard equivalent of an MBE...  cheers mate.

ICBM

Great!

I've lost count of the number I've fixed like that... the usual one is the ground terminal on a volume pot where it's been bent back to solder to the casing and strained the rivet - it's unusual on a tone control, but logic dictated that it was the likely cause .

SRich

You're brighter than the Northern star mate.....thanks again.