Advice needed on wiring please

[bossboy]

Hi all,
Just built a new pickguard, all new pickups pots etc
Have installed an Alpha 5 way switch
Have wired up as per attached drawing, I am only getting noise from the neck pickup, have checked wiring all good, i bridged out 2 and 3 as on drawing, is this causing the problem ?
I also ran earth pot to pot, is this really necessary ?
Thankyou

 

[MrTornadoHead]

Yes, you will need to run a ground wire between all metal points of contact with passive pickups.

Without seeing your actual work, it will be hard to diagnose the problem. Are you getting a loud hum from the front pickup or is it working as it should?

 

[Diavolo]

Without seeing your actual work, it will be hard to diagnose the problem.

Exactly.

@bossboy im guessing you jumpered the neck lug to the output lug on the switch by mistake.

Recheck your work comapred to the diagram.

 

[MAS Tequila]

Yes, you will need to run a ground wire between all metal points of contact with passive pickups.

I never do this

 

[MAS Tequila]

Exactly.

@bossboy im guessing you jumpered the neck lug to the output lug on the switch by mistake.

Recheck your work comapred to the diagram.

Or maybe didn’t jump the two output lugs?

How are your soldering skills?

 

[MrTornadoHead]

I never do this

Interesting. Do you use the pickguard sheilding to ground the pots together?

As long as you have plastic knobs, you probably won't hear anything.

 

[MAS Tequila]

Interesting. Do you use the pickguard sheilding to ground the pots together?

As long as you have plastic knobs, you probably won't hear anything.

I’ve been known to run all the grounds through shielding tape.

I also love aluminum pick guards, but don’t tell Doug!

And aluminum shielding plates.

The only noises I get are a pair of 100 year old Hunter cast iron ceiling fans.

Then only with a crap ton of gain, even Humbuckers.

On a Tele, that control plate is better than any ground wire.

 

[MrTornadoHead]

...
On a Tele, that control plate is better than any ground wire.

Sure enough, as long as it's a quality pot that doesn't have a plastic body.

If you run a ground wire to all the pots on a Tele, you run the chance of a ground loop that can induce more hum, and drive you nuts trying to figure it out. But in something as small as the Tele control area, that's a very small possibility.

As for the original poster, can you take a photo of your work? That would help us tremendously.

 

[MAS Tequila]

Sure enough, as long as it's a quality pot that doesn't have a plastic body.

If you run a ground wire to all the pots on a Tele, you run the chance of a ground loop that can induce more hum, and drive you nuts trying to figure it out. But in something as small as the Tele control area, that's a very small possibility.

As for the original poster, can you take a photo of your work? That would help us tremendously.

No plastic pots here.

Please pics of the wiring in question.

 

[bossboy]

Here is a photo

 

[Diavolo]

Here is a photo

I'll try not to critique the neatness of your work and only point out errors, but some of the messiness could be the cause for your problem.

side note: You didnt bridge 2 and 3 like on the drawing as you mentioned - You bridged the other two, pairing the tone control for the middle with the bridge. (edited for accuracy)

Theres little stray parts of the stranded wire coming off the neck and middle pickups, might want to snip those off.
especially the one thats coming from the neck and touching the lug connected to the volume pot.
Some of the lugs look bent over and the PCB material looks cooked.
Maybe you roasted the whole thing by overheating it.

How did you determine youre only getting noise from the neck pickup?

 

[IronSchef]

Yep - I think these stray strands might be shorting …

 

[MAS Tequila]

The strays are definitely a cause for concern

There are a lot of melted spots on the wire

Have you checked continuity

 

[jimk06]

Agree with the comments above about the loose strands of wire from the pickups potentially being the issue.

Would add that some of the other wires are a good bit longer than needed, and a bit loopy-- that *shouldn't* really cause any issues, but it's better to keep them as short and direct as possible. For example, for the jumpers between lugs on the switch, it's better to just use a very short piece of wire just long enough to reach from one lug to the next, with the insulation removed, so it's a little metal bridge between the two lugs.
(hold the little piece of wire in place with tweezers between the two lugs while soldering the first connection-- then the first connection will hold it in place so you can solder it to the other lug)

 

[MrTornadoHead]

@bossboy - don't sweat it with the loose strands and such. If you're just beginning with soldering, that's a normal part of the learning curve. Those loose strands will cause you all sorts of grief (yep, I think we've all gone through it). The guys who replied above are on top of helping you out.

In the future, it helps if you can tin the wire before trying to solder it in place. That will definitely help with the strays.

You're learning and at least giving it a go.

 

[DougMen]

I'll try not to critique the neatness of your work and only point out errors, but some of the messiness could be the cause for your problem.

side note: You didnt bridge 2 and 3 like on the drawing as you mentioned - You bridged the tone controls in a way I would guess the bridge pickup has its own control, and the neck and middle are on the other control. Still should work, but its not like the diagram you said you copied.

Theres little stray parts of the stranded wire coming off the neck and middle pickups, might want to snip those off.
especially the one thats coming from the neck and touching the lug connected to the volume pot.
Some of the lugs look bent over and the PCB material looks cooked.
Maybe you roasted the whole thing by overheating it.

How did you determine youre only getting noise from the neck pickup?

Look at the diagram again. It shows, and lists, tone 1 on the neck and middle pickup, and tone 2 on the bridge pickup.
1 goes to the bridge pickup, 2 to the middle, 3 to the neck, 4 and 5 jumpered together and to the vol pot input, 7 and 8 jumpered together and to tone 1 for the neck and middle, 6 to tone 2 for the bridge.

 

[bossboy]

Ma

@bossboy - don't sweat it with the loose strands and such. If you're just beginning with soldering, that's a normal part of the learning curve. Those loose strands will cause you all sorts of grief (yep, I think we've all gone through it). The guys who replied above are on top of helping you out.

In the future, it helps if you can tin the wire before trying to solder it in place. That will definitely help with the strays.

You're learning and at least giving it a go.

Many thanks, yes I am learning
I have got another switch and will keep trying
I did tin the wires but then found I had trouble getting them through the terminal holes
I’m not one to give up, even though I am a senior citizen and hands are not as steady as they used to be

 

[DougMen]

Ma

Many thanks, yes I am learning
I have got another switch and will keep trying
I did tin the wires but then found I had trouble getting them through the terminal holes
I’m not one to give up, even though I am a senior citizen and hands are not as steady as they used to be

However you decide to do your grounding, you must have continuity between the pickups' ground, the output jacks' ground, and the trem (sic) claw ground for your guitar to work correctly. And you don't have to run the wires into the holes in the switch lugs. You can just lay them on top. It will work just as well.

 

[Diavolo]

Look at the diagram again. It shows, and lists, tone 1 on the neck and middle pickup, and tone 2 on the bridge pickup.

Yes, but thats not how its wired in the actual photo.
Still, thanks for the correction because I flip flopped which lugs go to the neck or bridge tone control.
I edited my post above for accuracy.

Mostly what I was trying to point out:

i bridged out 2 and 3 as on drawing, is this causing the problem ?

When we see a photo of the actual work, 1 and 2 are bridged.
Intentional or not, or regardless of if it still works but in a different way, I felt it may be worthwhile to point out.
Because if it was unintentional and the person doing the work got it backwards perhaps the pickups are wired backwards too, or some other mistake.

 

[Random guitar guy]

Twist the wire ends before poking them through the holes on switches, pots etc. I like to tin them lightly so they are stiff and then bend enough to grab the back of the hole, have the wire rested so it is naturally against said back.

Then I mash the iron and feed a hair of solder.

I think it is the extra strands others mentioned they are in contact with other terminals. Beep out all solder joints in continuity mode.