weird tone pot business going on

[ted s]

A while back I gutted the guts of my chinaStrat and replace all the pup's, pot's, switch jack. I noticed this problem right away but only now got to checking it out.
Business as usual in positions 1 and 5, but in 2, 3, 4 when tone #2 is cranked down it actually turns the output off.
I have triple checked my wiring against 3 different sources, it's all ok.
It's not an on/off pot, it measures fine and has the same part number as the other.. wtf
I was thinking of turfing it for one master tone control unless my fine feathered fretter friends have any advise.

thanks either way

 

[Plank_Spanker]

That problem sounds familiar, but I'll be damned if I can remember where I heard it...................:thwap:

I'll keep looking.


Oh, DVM.............................

 

[duhvoodooman]

Not completely sure, but I suspect that the capacitor attached to that tone control is bad and acts as a short circuit, so that instead of acting as a low-pass filter, as you turn the tone pot resistance down, it just shunts more & more of your signal to ground. Sounds like the guitar is wired such that the neck pup is on the other tone control, and the bridge is not wired for tone control at all (this is pretty standard for Strats), which would explain why positions 1 & 5 aren't affected. So I'd try changing that tone cap first. Quick & cheap.

One other thing to check--you don't have the third lug on the problem pot soldered to or touching ground, do you? I think that would do the same thing. If you do, disconnect it and see if the problem disappears. AAMOF, I'd check that first, before going after the tone cap....

 

[ted s]

Thanks Bob,
The 3rd lug is vacant. I'll clip that cap and see what happens.
I just re-strung it, Kluson style tuners are a blessing.

 

[mrmudcat]

Any update ted???:tongue:

 

[ted s]

Haven't got around to it yet, thanks for the poke.oke:
I think I'll do it now.

 

[ted s]

ok, so I clipped it, I guess it's bad, have to measure it,
what the he77 was I thinking clipping it without a replacement, now both pots do nothing equally, sounds kinda neat.