Hi all,
I have a small issue with my PRS Bernie Marsden. when using either pickup and with the volume (s) on full, the tone control works a treat, however when you roll off the volume (even by the smallest amount) the tone control goes into a sort of secondary volume control mode, losing its tone changing capabilities and just reducing the volume.
I have looked at the wiring and it looks to be OK
I have had this happen on 3 other PRS USA guitars in the past which makes me think it is supposed to happen, all the guitars in question were built from 2008 onwards, never had it on earlier models.
Any ideas and suggestions would be welcome
Comments
(Like the deliberate complete lack of shielding for the coil split wiring on some pickups, for example.)
All the PRS guitars I’ve owned or played worked normally, but I haven’t actually come across that many very recent ones.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
https://i.imgur.com/fuGVzyY.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/XVujQCX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/qiSlGI7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/asBgBVm.jpg
thanks for your help.
@Rowby1
I do remember reading something way back about PRS introducing treble bleed caps, I have had 2 305's and a 2008 Experience 24 that all had the same thing going on. So I might have to look into making changes to the cap.
thank you for your input
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
the snipped-off wire would have originally gone to the bridge as a ground judging from a wiring diagram I found for a Bernie M, the ground to the bridge now comes off of the neck volume pot, not sure why that was changed.
I will give that a go with the tone pot.
cheers
Appreciate your help thus far @ICBM
Can you see what value the tone cap (which is actually a treble bleed...) is? It's not visible in the pic. It will say something like 223 or 473.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
@prudd - what are you plugging it into?
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
The issue must be with the volume control.
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Thanks for all your comments chaps, I will delve deeper into it later and when I get the time
I reckon that the signal to your tone control currently has two paths to ground when it should only have one.
@ICBM the cap says 2a223j
@funkfingers here are some more pics of the pots, I have had a good look to see if any wires are touching and it all looks OK to me
https://i.imgur.com/299nbtN.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/kteWgoe.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/SwgHFel.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/CFzDvgl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/p9jTxuf.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/keALE7w.jpg
thanks again for your input on this
If you've taken the tone pot out and it did the same, what happens if you take the volume pots out? I still wonder about some contact between the terminals and the shielding paint somewhere.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
You appear to have two white insulated wires going to the middle terminal of the tone pot. Where are the other ends of these two white conductors connected?
This does have the inherent property that the tone control is downstream of the volumes ("50s" wiring) which can have this effect, but I wouldn't expect it to such a drastic degree as to be effectively a volume control.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Q2) Have you or any previous owner attempted a Fifties wiring mod?
I am still concerned about the solder in the third terminal on the tone control pot. I do not believe that PRS/World Guitars QC would permit a mistake like that to leave the factory. I reckon that somebody has been meddling.
The tone control should work as is BUT the Gibson Vee/Explorer circuit convention is to connect the capacitor to the centre terminal and the white in/out to the third terminal.