5 way switch issues....

[Jumble Jumble]

tylereot, do you think you could please provide the original diagram the Ken gave you, without the tone controls?

No big deal if not.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

OK, I probably won't be able to hit it until some point during the weekend.

HOWEVER: given that it sounds like the phase is reversed on the humbucker, here's my suggestion. Wire up the guitar exactly as in the diagram - with the humbucker wires as shown. The only change you should make is to swap the "hot" and "ground" wires from the single coil pickup. This will make both pickups "out of phase" - ie they'll be in phase with each other.

This will correct the issue with the humbucker wiring, and will also correct the issue with the tap on the single coil. Doing it this way allows you to keep the tone controls wired per-position as shown.

 

[tylereot]

I THINK.... I've got it now.  Between great advice from Jumble, as well as troubled treble, I'm doing the open heart surgery tomorrow morning.

I ..think... I've learned a lot about how this works.  We'll see tomorrow

THANKS!

 

[Jumble Jumble]

If you want to understand the fundamentals, try these:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/the-tone-garage/guitar-wiring-101/
http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/the-tone-garage/guitar-wiring-102/
http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/the-tone-garage/guitar-wiring-103/
http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/the-tone-garage/guitar-wiring-104/
http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/the-tone-garage/guitar-wiring-explored-humbucker-internals/

Should give you a bit of confidence in knowing what you're doing

 

[tylereot]

If you want to understand the fundamentals, try these:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/the-tone-garage/guitar-wiring-101/
http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/the-tone-garage/guitar-wiring-102/
http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/the-tone-garage/guitar-wiring-103/
http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/the-tone-garage/guitar-wiring-104/
http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/the-tone-garage/guitar-wiring-explored-humbucker-internals/

Should give you a bit of confidence in knowing what you're doing

Thanks, I was looking for those earlier, though I've read most of 'em.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

How'd it go?

 

[tylereot]

Many thanks to Jumble and Troubledtreble, it's done, and making great sounds.
But I did learn that it's much better to:
1) do it right the first time, as unsoldering neatly is a bear
2) have the right gauges of wire on hand before you start, or you're going to be tempted to use lamp cord, barbed wire, bailing wire or whatever you have handy.
3) know which way the tone pots work before you solder.  Mine now work in the opposite direction of the volume.  That's ok, because I'm finding I don't really use them, having a 5-way switch and a lot of variety there already.  Also, it seems they're behaving as reluctant builder suggested: tone on, tone off in this configuration.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

That's a shame. You should definitely get in there and replace the tone cap if that's how you feel. What's in there at the moment, .047? Whatever you've got, try halving it anyway. A tone control that works how you want it to is a lovely thing. And while you're in there you can swap those two wires on the tone pots.

Also, get some of this stuff:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/de-soldering-braid-222591

I bought a 2m roll back in 2001 and I reckon I've got about 1.9m left. All your de-soldering and cleaning problems will be solved.

 

[Cagey]

Desoldering braid can cause you to do some serious damage to components due to overheating, so you really want to avoid it if you can. You're much better off with a solder sucker such as this...

They're $6 at Amazon, but they're common as dirt so you may be able to find one around town.

Basically, you push the plunger down, heat up the joint, then press the button to release the piston inside. This causes a vacuum, which sucks up the solder. Works like a charm, and quickly.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Oh yeah, I should have mentioned the pump too. I always use that on pot casings, but on lugs etc I find the braid a bit easier to use.

 

[reluctant-builder]

But on lugs etc I find the braid a bit easier to use.

+1

In fact, I just take a length of regular 24 AWG, braid it myself and use that to remove solder from lugs. Works like a charm.

The cheap little solder suckers are fine for a while, but mine went bad pretty quickly. I realize it's intended merely to be an O-ring making a vacuum, but it's not making a vacuum anymore.

 

[Cagey]

The cheap little solder suckers are fine for a while, but mine went bad pretty quickly. I realize it's intended merely to be an O-ring making a vacuum, but it's not making a vacuum anymore.

Open it up and dump out the solder, clean the thing by running a paper towel soaked in mineral spirits or something through it, then rub a little Vaseline on the O-ring. It'll work like new.

 

[reluctant-builder]

Open it up and dump out the solder, clean the thing by running a paper towel soaked in mineral spirits or something through it, then rub a little Vaseline on the O-ring. It'll work like new.

Ah! Thanks for the pointer; I'll give it a shot.  :icon_biggrin:

 

[tylereot]

Great stuff, gents!

Now I'm trying to learn to play it.  It makes gorgeous noises.  It wants me to do my bit, but what my fingers keep doing is jazz.  It's ok with that, but she really wants to surf.

I just read that Jim Thomas of the Mermen uses a strat with two Jazzmaster pickups, and a P90 in the middle, wired out through a separate amp, so he can distort it, while keeping his jazzy's clean.  THAT's what it wants to sound like.

I will probably open it up again, but I'm just leaving the tone controls out of this altogether for now.  It's got a .22 on the Jazzy, and a .47 on the Humbucker.  They both do the same thing.