wetwillis17
TDPRI Member
The pups read OL on continuity but I do get a resistance rating... Is this right? They're brand new but could be duds I suppose. I'm mostly assuming I'm the problem here and not the parts
Reverse Telecaster Wiring HELP
- Thread starter wetwillis17
- Start date
^This. It might be obvious, but it trips up a lot of people, including moi.
I drew this very basic reminder, so I never get confused. Basically, nothing spins except the plate. The switch moves to it's new position and the pots orientation to each other stays the same (unless you're reversing that, too).
IF you were to start by spinning the loaded plate (bad idea, IMO), then you'll still need to get to the same place as above, but to do so will require UN-spinning the switch, and you'll still need to swap the pot locations. But with the initial spin you'll have created a big twisty mess, so there's that.
With the volume turned down, you should see close to 0 ohm. With it turned up, you should see the resistance of the pickup(s) in parallel with the volume pot resistance. OL means the resistance is too high for the meter to read, so it's not autoranging or you don't have the meter set to a high enough range.
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wetwillis17
TDPRI Member
Resistance when tested through cable, vol pot counterclockwise:
neck: 0.8 ohms
Both: 0.8 ohms
Bridge: 0.7 ohms
Clockwise, OL resistance reading in all positions.
This is all through the cable, should I pull the pups back out and test them directly? These numbers seem weird but could be the wiring
wetwillis17
TDPRI Member
My meter should autorange, but honestly it intimidates me. Only one with continuity I could get when I was looking, Klein tools mm600. Says it should be able to range it, does this mean I'm not measuring correctly or something is wrong with the pups?
Edit: after re reading, I think you're right and my meter isn't able to handle the higher resistance on its current setting. The low ohms make sense for 0 vol, but then what's my problem? Grounding still?
Edit 2: volume knob is correct. If I turn it to 9.5 (vs10) the meter reads a high resistance, then taps out when I max it.
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This means your wiper and ground connection from the pot to the input are good, SO you should see at least around 250k with the pot turned up/clockwise. What is your meter set to?
wetwillis17
TDPRI Member
My meter only has one autoranging resistance setting, but it does respond properly. Can't read volume at full but gives a reading that makes sense (240ish) when volume is just below full
Edit: fixed image
The resistance should go down towards full up.
There should only be two possibilities, unless something is also wrong with the pot (did you use a no load pot by mistake?).
1. You have a hot lead shorted to ground somewhere, so at full volume up, your meter reads close to 0 ohms.
2. You have no connection to the volume input (no pickup hot lead connection or a missing pickup to ground connection), so at full volume up, the meter reads around 250k.
There should only be two possibilities, unless something is also wrong with the pot (did you use a no load pot by mistake?).
1. You have a hot lead shorted to ground somewhere, so at full volume up, your meter reads close to 0 ohms.
2. You have no connection to the volume input (no pickup hot lead connection or a missing pickup to ground connection), so at full volume up, the meter reads around 250k.
wetwillis17
TDPRI Member
So, I'm gonna cry. I bought a mf blender pot, not a volume pot. This explains so so much. I'm cracking it up to my excitement to do this project when I started, goddang have I done some unnecessary work! I'm gonna get 2 fresh pots and come back.
I KNEW it was something to do with a component!! Not that it was busted, but that I had the wrong one or something in the wrong place. I'm not sure how I didn't double check that before but... Goodness do I appreciate all of your time and extend the hugest apology for subjecting you all to this confusion. Next time, I'll not be so dumb. I owe you all a drink or three, thank you so much!
@wetwillis17 it's a good mental exercise. In hindsight, if we had started troubleshooting with the guitar output resistance, it probably wouldn't have taken us 50 posts to figure it out.
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wetwillis17
TDPRI Member
I'm scared of my meter and it shows. More of a brute force all in guy, but I'm learning every day why that may not be the best approach. Again, seriously, thank you. I know this is all my idiocy and I clearly needed the help figuring that out, but we did it! Another careless guitar player identified. Ill remember ALL of this before I come here next time... Hopefully I'll have a finished tele to put on a different thread this afternoon!
LutherBurger
Poster Extraordinaire
Nice work, @Phrygian77. I was stumped.
Thanks. Naturally we're going to assume the most likely problem is something like a bad or incorrectly wired connection. The OL reading, when he was measuring the resistance at the output, is what finally flipped the switch in my head.
wetwillis17
TDPRI Member
Agree. It got me too. Now when I rewire a control plate, I imagine the switch just levitating and leap-frogging the pots and the wires changing in length.
Anyway, back to pickup weirdness
TDPRI peeps are the bomb!
Oh, I dunno...
Remote is hard!
Remote? Remote troubleshooting?
At least the electrics in a guitar are relatively simple compared to amps.
Yes, troubleshooting. Stuff you could see in a glance, in person, but fool around for ... fifty posts... easily online.
But yes, still simpler than amps. Although... sometimes (not always) the level of even "newbie" knowledge on the amp forums is pretty high compared to guitar DIY. I guess it's the fear of electrocution that focuses the mind.
