Bonkers Wiring / possible dead Capacitor...

KevS

I have my Amber Les Paul wired a bit Strangely at present..

Originally I got a guy to do it for me..
This was done with Bare Knuckle Mules and 50s wiring..

The Bridge Pickup was so shrill you couldn't really hear the note,,
just the foul shrill part of the signal...
It was really severely bright..
I like Bright Strat Pickups,,so I don't think I veer towards Dark sounding Guitars..

The guitar had Burstbucker Pros in it before that which I thought were awful...

So next I tried a Seymour Duncan Custom Custom..
This was still far too bright...
It was that thin and scratchy way..

I had read many reports that the Custom Custom was the Opposite of this..
Why that was the pickup I went for. in the first place.


Meanwhile the Mule Neck Pickup just sounded awesome..

So I thought the problem was maybe the 50s wiring in the bridge...
I had a Seymour JB in another Les Paul...
So the wiring for the new JB replacing the Custom Custom was put to normal with the normal value capacitor..
This sounded good finally..
The JB isn't the subtlest pickup,but I adjust pretty far away from the strings..
I tend to do that anyway with humbuckers..
I find the tone improves for me..

Any we have now arrived at this situation for the electrics...


I have a modern wired JB with 500k pots and matching cap which sounds good..
I have a Bare Knuckle Mule in the neck.With 50s wiring and some Russian Paper and Oil Cap..
This was done 12 years ago when I was less wise about Audiophoolery..

Now for the actual problem..

The Tone Pot on the Neck Pickup doesn't work,,it just turns and does nothing at all..

Either a dead Cap or the 2 different wiring schemes have caused an anomaly is what I'm thinking..

Also..

When the guitar had the SD Custom Custom in it,it picked up a Taxi Firm and other weird noises..
It seems more temperamental about touching crackle etc..
It isn't really bad..
I haven't used it since the JB went in,,in a practice room or gig situation.. 

I wouldn't mind a working tone pot..
Lack of Spinal Tap Radio Moments and touching sizzle..
I don't think the JB is as bad,but as I say,,haven't used it at volume..
I would like to keep the neck Pickup sounding as good as it does..

Is this possible..Or do I have to use the same wiring for both Pickups..?

Is the Russian PIO Cap Deceased..?

Also if I changed the neck pickup to modern wiring would I lose the sound..?
It really does sound special...

springhead

Check the ground connection on the neck tone pot.  

Funkfingers

Check everything.

If you wish Fretboarders to look over your guitar's wiring, upload photographs of what is going on in the control cavity.

KevS

Would changing the 50's neck wiring to normal lose me treble...?

I'm considering getting the control cavity professionally re done with new parts...
Pots and Caps..

Funkfingers

KevS said:

Would changing the 50's neck wiring to normal lose me treble?

Possibly. Depends what is wrong with the wiring at present.

Given that either the neck tone pot or its associated capacitor is faulty, it may be deemed out of circuit. If this is true, those components may be putting little or no loading on the neck pickup.

Restoring the wiring harness to full working order will definitely restore the component loading on the pickup. This, in turn, will sap a little treble from the pickup.

As an experiment, try temporarily linking the neck pickup's volume pot to the bridge pickup's tone pot. This should allow you to audition the loading effect and the usefulness of a treble roll off control.

CasperCaster

I'm personally not a fan of 50's wiring. In principal it looks like a good idea but in practice it doesn't work well, at least to my ears. 

Anyway, if the current neck tone is out of circuit for whatever reason, why not replace it with a no-load pot? I'm not sure if they are available to purchase in 500K long shaft configuration, but CTS pots are easy enough to take apart, cut the trace at the right point, then reassemble. I've not done it with other brands, but CTS are certainly fairly straightforward.

Loads of videos on the web. I just guestimate the right position on the track, then cut with a sharp craft knife.  

KevS

I am just going to get the wiring taken to standard with new parts and hope all turns out OK..

normula1

The last thing I'd describe an SD Custom Custom is thin and and scratchy.