Simple (or not) Tele wiring problem

[dagassa]

Just finishing up on a custom Tele build and I'm embarrassed to say that what should be an extremely simple wiring project has left me scratching my head. I've wired up plenty of Strats and never had any problems but this Tele is really getting to me. Here's the setup. It's a single Dimarzio Super Distortion and one volume knob. I literally thought I could do this in my sleep. Here's the wiring diagram:

Now, the guitar is wired exactly as in the diagram.

red lead to hot lug on the pot
black/white leads connected and taped off
green/bare leads to ground on back of pot
ground wire from bridge to back of pot
output jack sleeve to ground on back of pot
output jack tip to center lug on pot
outside lug soldered to back of pot

It's been checked and quadruple checked, pulled apart and re-wired half a dozen times but when I plug in, I get absolutely nothing! No buzz, no hum, just silence. The only thing that's really any different from the other wiring that I've done is that on the Tele, the ground wire goes from under the bridge to the back of the volume pot (as opposed to the strat - pot to trem claw). I've used two pots and tried two pickups. I'm completely stumped. Any ideas? Thanks!!

 

[AutoBat]

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=1hum_1vol
Dunno if that drawing helps you any (naturally Dimarzio colorus will vary from Duncans)

 

[dagassa]

The only difference is that with the Duncan, the red and white are connected and taped off and the black is the hot lead. With the Dimarzio, the black and white are connected and taped off and the red is the hot lead. My Tele is wired exactly as in the diagram but I get no sound whatsoever.

 

[AutoBat]

i'm no good with diagnosing, i was hoping a different view on it would make something 'click'

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Sounds like something isn't connected internally.  Since you've swapped pots, I'd rule them out.  That leaves the pickup.  If you have a continuity tester, put it on the leads and check that.

 

[dagassa]

I picked up a multimeter earlier tonight so I will check that out tomorrow. I'm not too confident that it will help though as the pickup works just fine in my Fat Strat. I also swapped another Super D in and that one didn't work either. I'm wondering if it's the ground wire under the bridge??

 

[Dan025]

sounds like something is shorted, sounds like you did the wiring right according to what im looking at, check it with another guitar cable, it might be internally shorted. also if you used any coaxial (shielded) type leads they can short if you over heat them or pinch them.

check resistance at the output jack to confirm a short in the guitar, you should see the resistance at near zero at zero volume and as the rated dc resistance of the pickup at full volume, at partial volume the resistance may read higher, if you get less than the pickups rated resistance at full volume positions you have a short but need to check further to find it

if you get a value higher than a little more than half the rated resistance of the pot in any volume position then something must be open. if something is open youll need to check each lead end to end for contiuity.

if something is shorted youll need to find out where, since this is such a simple plan you should check it at the pot, if its before the pot it's in the pickup lead, if its after the pot its in the lead to the output.

so put the volume at 0 and disconnect the guitar cable, check resistance from lug#1 to lug#3, it should be the rated DC resistance of the pickup, if it is sgnificantly above or below then the problem is related to the pickup lead. if it is correct then put the volume at 10 and check lug #1 to #3 and it should still be near the rated value of the pickup, it the measured value drops then the problem is in the lead to the output. if there is a problem with the pot youll have to do further testing

 

[nexrex]

Any chance that the output jack or un-shielded hot wire is making contact with some type of shielding material? I have had this issue before, and you then basically will get no output as everything is then going to ground.

 

[pabloman]

Check to see if the jack is wired backwards. Maybe you have the hot lead on the sleeve lug. It definately sounds like a short. Good luck.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

If wired backwards, it would be anything but silent and get louder when the grounded parts were touched.

 

[pabloman]

This is true. But a short would definately quiet things up.

 

[dagassa]

Any chance that the output jack or un-shielded hot wire is making contact with some type of shielding material? I have had this issue before, and you then basically will get no output as everything is then going to ground.

Interesting! That might be something worth checking out. Thanks!

 

[DangerousR6]

Any chance that the output jack or un-shielded hot wire is making contact with some type of shielding material? I have had this issue before, and you then basically will get no output as everything is then going to ground.

Interesting! That might be something worth checking out. Thanks!

I'd almost put money on it that it's the jack, I had a similar issue when wiring up my last guitar "Billy Bo". It has a stereo jack for an on board overdrive, and I wasn't paying close enough attention when I wired it up the first time and got 2 connections wrong on the jack. And guess what, no sound, so after rewiring the whole thing twice with the same results, it finally dawned on me to check the jack, and viola...fixed...

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

On a stereo jack, as long as the hot is correct, either of the remaining lugs could be used for the ground.  They both make contact with the sleeve.  If neither are on the hot, they both contact the sleeve and there is the short.  But again, that is anyhing but silent.

 

[pabloman]

If you short the hot to the ground then there will be silence. That is how a kill switch works. That is how the PW Circuit Breaker cables work as well.

 

[DangerousR6]

If you short the hot to the ground then there will be silence. That is how a kill switch works. That is how the PW Circuit Breaker cables work as well.

On a stereo jack, as long as the hot is correct, either of the remaining lugs could be used for the ground.  They both make contact with the sleeve.  If neither are on the hot, they both contact the sleeve and there is the short.  But again, that is anyhing but silent.

pabloman is correct, I know cause I did it.... :icon_biggrin:

 

[nexrex]

If you short the hot to the ground then there will be silence. That is how a kill switch works. That is how the PW Circuit Breaker cables work as well.

On a stereo jack, as long as the hot is correct, either of the remaining lugs could be used for the ground.  They both make contact with the sleeve.  If neither are on the hot, they both contact the sleeve and there is the short.  But again, that is anyhing but silent.

pabloman is correct, I know cause I did it.... :icon_biggrin:

yeah its easy to do. The last VIP I wired, I had the underside of the volume pot (the hot output lug) touching my shielding paint. I basically got dead silence out of my pickups.  :doh:

 

[dagassa]

I appreciate all the input! Didn't have a chance to look at things today but it will be done shortly. Thanks again!

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Do all killswitches cause a short?  I thought they just opened the circuit.

 

[Dan025]

Do all killswitches cause a short?  I thought they just opened the circuit.

shorting the guitar is quieter and is just as easy and in some cases easier.