I was testing a pedal a while back and inadvertently hooked up my power/grounds backwards. I caught it immediately, and no damage to the pedal, but my guitar was plugged into the pedal and since then, the volume pot has no effect. There is sound coming from the guitar but it is very low volume. I apparently fried the volume pot, or something. Anybody know what the problem might be? I'm hoping its something simple to replace, like the pot, and not a greater problem.
Thanks
I doubt that fried the volume pot. It sounds to me more like you've got a wiring issue in your guitar. Open it up and see, but don't assume at this point that the pot has blown. It could me a crazy circumstance of failed pot at the same time as the other issue.
Jacob
If you reverse the wires on a pedal, it simply wouldn't power on. Is check the guitar cable also.
Quote from: jkokura on January 31, 2014, 12:02:11 AM
I doubt that fried the volume pot. It sounds to me more like you've got a wiring issue in your guitar. Open it up and see, but don't assume at this point that the pot has blown. It could me a crazy circumstance of failed pot at the same time as the other issue.
Jacob
I'll open it up and check it out, but the guitar functioned fine up to that point and then the volume didnt work anymore. It still puts out sound, but it sounds about half volume and the knob has no affect on it.
Quote from: jimilee on January 31, 2014, 12:13:51 AM
If you reverse the wires on a pedal, it simply wouldn't power on. Is check the guitar cable also.
Tried multiple cables and the same cables with other guitars work fine.
Its definitely the guitar. I may not have reversed the wires, but I hooked some to power that wasnt supposed to be. I'm not sure what I did exactly, honestly. I was testing a partially wired confidence boost with a 9 volt battery. I don't know exactly which wires I crossed, but it made the battery really hot and then the guitar stopped working.
It may be the pickup...unfortunately. If you switch pickup positions, what happens?
Quote from: rullywowr on January 31, 2014, 01:17:44 AM
It may be the pickup...unfortunately. If you switch pickup positions, what happens?
Just tried that upon your suggestion. All pickups work the same. Volume has no affect. All pickup switch settings sound like they output at about half volume. Tone control seems to work fine.
Bump for any more help?
Anyone know a good guitar tech forum?
I gotta fix this!
Just thinking out loud here, so somebody please chime in if I'm wrong. Wouldn't shorting the two outside lugs of the pot bypass it? Wouldn't that just be setting the volume to max so you could tell if the pot has anything to do with this problem?
Quote from: billstein on February 05, 2014, 08:27:21 PM
Just thinking out loud here, so somebody please chime in if I'm wrong. Wouldn't shorting the two outside lugs of the pot bypass it? Wouldn't that just be setting the volume to max so you could tell if the pot has anything to do with this problem?
Typically, shorting the 2 outside lugs of the Volume pot would short your entire signal to Ground. Remember, the Volume pot's responsibility is to allow a variable resistance between the full signal and ground.
You would need to short the non-grounded outside lug to the middle lug. That would short your incoming signal directly to the jack output.
Quote from: Govmnt_Lacky on February 05, 2014, 08:30:45 PM
Quote from: billstein on February 05, 2014, 08:27:21 PM
Just thinking out loud here, so somebody please chime in if I'm wrong. Wouldn't shorting the two outside lugs of the pot bypass it? Wouldn't that just be setting the volume to max so you could tell if the pot has anything to do with this problem?
Typically, shorting the 2 outside lugs of the Volume pot would short your entire signal to Ground. Remember, the Volume pot's responsibility is to allow a variable resistance between the full signal and ground.
You would need to short the non-grounded outside lug to the middle lug. That would short your incoming signal directly to the jack output.
Ok. I will try that. There is currently a capacitor there. Think it fried?
could be the cap but not likely. like said above jump those 2 lugs together and listen for full output. if you get it then the pot/wiper is bad
Thanks, guys.
I jumped lugs 1 and 2 together, gets full output.
Looks like PRS sells 500k pots with 180pf capacitor. I doubt I'll buy theirs, though. 28 bucks?
Quote from: Govmnt_Lacky on February 05, 2014, 08:30:45 PM
Quote from: billstein on February 05, 2014, 08:27:21 PM
Just thinking out loud here, so somebody please chime in if I'm wrong. Wouldn't shorting the two outside lugs of the pot bypass it? Wouldn't that just be setting the volume to max so you could tell if the pot has anything to do with this problem?
Typically, shorting the 2 outside lugs of the Volume pot would short your entire signal to Ground. Remember, the Volume pot's responsibility is to allow a variable resistance between the full signal and ground.
You would need to short the non-grounded outside lug to the middle lug. That would short your incoming signal directly to the jack output.
Ahhh. That makes sense. Well, at least I'm learning enough here to almost be right. Getting closer. ;D
Quote from: AntKnee on February 05, 2014, 08:58:41 PM
Thanks, guys.
I jumped lugs 1 and 2 together, gets full output.
Looks like PRS sells 500k pots with 180pf capacitor. I doubt I'll buy theirs, though. 28 bucks?
Might be a nice opportunity to experiment. I know I've read about people taking pots apart and being able to clean the disc and get it working again. So why not, you've got nothing to lose and you might save a few bucks and learn along the way.
Yes you can try some deoxit cleaner but it sounds like the wiper is toast. Don't buy a PRS pot, that's a ridiculous price for the pot and pf cap. Look for a CTS pot for around $6
http://www.mojotone.com/guitar-parts/guitar-and-bass-potentiometers-resistance/Mojotone-CTS-500K-Short-Split-Shaft-Guitar-Potentiometer#.UvKxtmCYZjo
Also for kicks try to clip the pf cap out of there and see if any change
The cap shouldn't do anything at full volume even if it's fried. It's a treble bypass cap. Don't pay that much for a pot no matter what. PRS just gets them from someone else anyway. CTS pots are good as are the Bournes guitar pots and they cost much less. And just a note, the volume pot is acting like a variable voltage divider which works to reduce the input voltage. The impedance the input signal sees to ground across the pot stays the same.
I'm 99% sure the pot is dead. I already removed it. I doubt I'll mess with opening it up or anything. Just want the guitar working again asap, so I'll just replace it.
Thanks again, everyone!
Food for thought....
Going with a non-PRS pot could lead to some contention during a future resale of this guitar if the buyer is anal-retentive!
My 2..
Quote from: Govmnt_Lacky on February 05, 2014, 10:53:54 PM
Food for thought....
Going with a non-PRS pot could lead to some contention during a future resale of this guitar if the buyer is anal-retentive!
My 2..
I'll never sell it. I'll be buried with it.
Quote from: AntKnee on February 05, 2014, 10:04:39 PM
I'm 99% sure the pot is dead. I already removed it. I doubt I'll mess with opening it up or anything. Just want the guitar working again asap, so I'll just replace it.
Thanks again, everyone!
If you have a DMM put the leads on pins 1 and 3 to measure total resistance (i.e. 500k). THen put the leads on pins 1 and 2 and turn the pot. getting a reading of 0-500k when turning?
if you just want it working asap bypass the pot and wire it directly to the output jack. and put an alpha or bournes pot in it when you get one. no reason for it to cost more than $5
Agreed - you can walk into Guitar Center and get a Fender with tone cap for 7.95. An AllParts Alpha for $5.95.
Quote from: Clayford on February 06, 2014, 02:31:20 AM
Agreed - you can walk into Guitar Center and get a Fender with tone cap for 7.95. An AllParts Alpha for $5.95.
This. And actually the Fender pot is a CTS brand pot and decent quality.
It's even 500k (http://www.guitarcenter.com/Fender-500K-Split-Shaft-CTS-Potentiometer-109444257-i1907243.gc), and this ProLine (http://www.guitarcenter.com/ProLine-500K-Split-Shaft-Potentiometer-106362098-i1757470.gc) for $5.99 looks suspiciously just like a CTS as well.
Quote from: pryde on February 06, 2014, 02:11:30 AM
If you have a DMM put the leads on pins 1 and 3 to measure total resistance (i.e. 500k). THen put the leads on pins 1 and 2 and turn the pot. getting a reading of 0-500k when turning?
Already pulled it out, but tried this for the heck of it. Between pins 1 and 3, I get a bouncy reading, anywhere from 440-550, mostly, but also up into the 1000s. Between pins 1 and 2 or 2 and 3, I get nothing.
I'll probably just go to guitar center for the part. Ordering a cts from somewhere is not very practical since they all want like 11 bucks for shipping on a small 7 dollar part.
Quote from: AntKnee on February 06, 2014, 02:44:51 PM
Quote from: pryde on February 06, 2014, 02:11:30 AM
If you have a DMM put the leads on pins 1 and 3 to measure total resistance (i.e. 500k). THen put the leads on pins 1 and 2 and turn the pot. getting a reading of 0-500k when turning?
Already pulled it out, but tried this for the heck of it. Between pins 1 and 3, I get a bouncy reading, anywhere from 440-550, mostly, but also up into the 1000s. Between pins 1 and 2 or 2 and 3, I get nothing.
I'll probably just go to guitar center for the part. Ordering a cts from somewhere is not very practical since they all want like 11 bucks for shipping on a small 7 dollar part.
You just confirmed the wiper is not making contact inside the pot= toast :)