My volume control thinks it's a tone control!

[Esplender]

I've got a Seymour Duncan active humbucker installed at the bridge position. I've yet to get another humbucker installed for the neck position.
Using the diagram that came along with the pickup, I've used it as a template for setting up a 1 volume, 2 tone and a 3-way switch setup.
The volume control was working fine until I've placed the capacitors (Both are 0.047uf) where the diagram indicates. None of the assigned tone pots have any effect on the sound and the volume remains the same whilst it controls the tone produced.

Here's how I've set it up:

In the diagram Seymour Duncan provided, There was a thin, unlabeled black wire which distincts itself from the bare and black wire. So I've made an assumption that it's a coaxial wire. (Which is the dark grey line connecting the two tone pots together in the diagram provided). The grey blobs on the pots are the solder, just so you know.

*Sigh* If only diagrams were colour coded, instead. :tard:

So where did I go wrong with the wiring?

 

[JR]

:icon_scratch: Isnt that wiring diagram missing grounding?

 

[Shmoopie]

most actives don't need a ground. there grounded internally.

 

[Alfang]

if the volume was working prior to installing the Caps, I'd start looking there. looks like the diagram is not clear for you as to where to terminate the cap leads. start working backwards towards where it was last working correctly.

I'm sure it's a simple error

 

[JR]

most actives don't need a ground. there grounded internally.

well ya learn something everyday, to tell u the truth ive never worked with active pickups. But ya know what that means!! next projects gonna need some EMGs!  :cool01:

 

[jackthehack]

Haven't wired one of these, and your diagram is clear as mud, but assuming you're using the SD Livewires, there are several areas in which you appear to have strayed, here's their diagram:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=livewire_2v_2t_3way

1.) Vol pot - Don't know that it makes that big a difference, but with active PUs I'd stick with recommended values (100K) and experiment later if I didn't like the sound - you have a 250K pot listed there....
2.) There should be an added wire connecting the ground on the volume pot to the tone pots, definitely try adding that...
3.) Do you not intend to add a second vol pot? Don't know that you want to run to BOTH tone pots from right lug on vol pot. There is no diagram from SD for V-T-T wiring using 2 LiveWires, you might want to contact their tech support dept.

 

[Alfang]

Yeh that's a much better schematic.

SD has saved a few frustrated people in the past with easy to read schematics. I bet he has it fixed by noon.

 

[Esplender]

2.) There should be an added wire connecting the ground on the volume pot to the tone pots, definitely try adding that...
3.) Do you not intend to add a second vol pot?

Thanks. :glasses10:
I'll try that and see how it goes. I don't intend on having two volume pots, just so you know.

 

[Esplender]

Alright, I've connected the tone pots to the volume pot with coaxial wires. My volume pot's back to normal, but the tone pots have no effect on the sound whatsoever.
Any theories? :icon_scratch:

 

[jackthehack]

You COULD make life simple, scrap the 2nd tone pot and use this diagram... In your diagram you're tying the two tone pots in parallel to the single  vol pot and there is no way to differentiate in the circuit that either PU is being used anyway....

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=livewire_1v_1t_3way

Here's a 2 HB 1 Vol 2 Tone diagram, don't know that it would work with your active PUs, but should give you some idea of how that circuit would be wired normally. Note that the PUs in this diagram are wired directly to the tone pots.....

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=2h_1v_2t_3w

 

[DiMitriR33]

you pic shows only one p/u ?
but anyway use the second link jack posted above. forget about the bateries at first just treat the bare wire as a ground(bare/green wires for passive p/u) and the white as a hot(black wires).
the jack ground in the scematic goes to the "sleeve(ground)" on the output jack
then the bateries go in series with the + side of one to the - on the other. the red wires from the p/u's get hooked to the + side of one batery. the -side of the other batery hooks to the jack "ring".

the pot value for the vol wont efect the tone like a passive p/u. on the othe hand with the preamp in the p/u there will be more noise and a low pot value may help. also it may set the bias for the preamp circuit.
i'd use exatly what SD recomends for them.