Fried Volume Pot?

Well, this thread is actually about an LP copy, but it is technical, so I figured I'd post here.

Anyway, I was switching out the Pups on said LP copy, and I may have been a little liberal with the soldering iron on the back of the neck volume pot. I'm afraid I cooked it, and I'm wondering if what I'm hearing matches that.

So, the bridge pup sounds great, but in the Rhythm position, there is noticeably less volume, even when the volume is dimed, like probably less than half, even wit6h the Pup height way up. When I roll it off to about 7, I can't hear anything at all.

Is that what it would sound like if I left the heat on the back of the volume pot?

Without more to go on I'll speculate that you dripped some solder and have a short or one of the joints is incomplete.

Tight in there. I'd pull the pots out so I could see better.

Without more to go on I'll speculate that you dripped some solder and have a short or one of the joints is incomplete.

Tight in there. I'd pull the pots out so I could see better.


+1 that.

It's sounding like a short or incomplete connection. Pots can take a lot of punishment with the soldering iron. also - with solder, less is more. If you doused a lug, the excess solder could drip down and short to the next lug.

Thanks for the replies. A coupla questions:
1. If it's a short, does it make sense that I can still hear output, but it's just at a low level? The output is not intermittent, and des not respond to jiggling, like a loose jack would.

2. Can I test the pot while it's wired in with a multimeter?

Thanks for the replies. A coupla questions:
1. If it's a short, does it make sense that I can still hear output, but it's just at a low level? The output is not intermittent, and des not respond to jiggling, like a loose jack would.

2. Can I test the pot while it's wired in with a multimeter?


Re: #1
definitely - it's a classic description of a grounded out pup or pot. You can still get a little signal, but it's thin, barely there. I've done this mistake when coil tapping a humbucker and choosing the wrong ground wire. When I tested the resistance (while pickup was installed) it was less than the half the actual ohms.

re: #2
Yes, but no :neutral: - since it's wired in and grounded, your best test would be to isolate it, and that means desoldering. Measuring it in-situ can be done, but I don't know how to interpret the readings you'll get. Plus, you might find it's harder to attach to the lugs cleanly, without inadvertanty grounding one of the meter's leads.

To test: connect to two of the lugs (use alligator clips), and set the meter to the 1K Ohm scale.

Lug #1 & #3 should measure the resistance across the pot.

Lug #2 & either #1 or #3 (arbitrary) should enable you to measure the resistance change while turning the pot's knob. You should see the resistance move from '0' to what ever the rating is (250K, 500K, 1Meg) although some pots can vary by a hearty %, ie an old pot marked '250K' could potentially read anywhere from 150 -300K.

But before you un-solder anything, try a few simple things first. Double Triple check that you've wired correctly in the first place. Test the resistance of that rhythm pup to make sure it's not bad. I'm guessing the problem isn't the pot, but one of the leads off the pup.

good luck! keep us posted.