Some questions about treble bleed caps, and grounding.

[Swoop]

I haven't been all that happy with my Firebird since I rewired it a while back. Just doesn't sound quite as good as it used to (though I have been playing it recently, and it's close but no cigar, as tehy say) I think this is because, with the old wiring, it had a treble bleed capacitor on the 3 volume controls, as well as the capacitor on the master tone control. Now, it does not, as I wired it following this diagram below, for a 3 pickup Les Paul.

 

 

I've been contemplating taking it to a tech to have it rewired again, but it seems a shame to waste all that money and effort spent doing it myself. It functions mostly fine (I will detail the small issues it has later), and I did a nice, neat job of wiring it. So if I can rectify this myself, that'd be great. I was wondering if I could add some treble bleed caps to the current volume controls, and if so, where would I solder them in on the above diagram? Is it as straightforward as soldering them in to the existing wiring? Or will there need to be some other alterations?

 

Also, it seems to have a grounding issue. I have made sure the grounding wire is firmly attached to the bridge, but it doesn't seem to be doing a sufficient job. How can I better ground the wiring? Do I need to ground each component individually, or can I solder one wire from a pot to a screw in the cavity, and have this ground everything since it's all connected?

 

One more thing, the tone control is a little iffy. When I back it right off, there is no volume at all. It works like a tone control should right, darkening the tone, right up until it gets to 1, then all goes dead. Have I cooked it whilst wiring it, is it defective and should I replace it? Or have a perhaps got my wires crossed somewhere? Literally.

[Swoop]

http://www.bothner.co.za/articles/volumepot2.shtml

 

Just discovered that link which explains how to add treble bleed caps. I think I'll give that a go tomorrow.

[TWANG]

put a .001uF ceramic chip cap between the left lug and middle lug

looking at the back of the pot.

voila! treble bleed.

 

No like? try .015uF, or .002uF. But .001uF is the usual.

 

Ground issue: no loops. anywhere you have the ground connections so they make a circle, you'll get possible noise.

connect each component to ground.

 

sheilded wires connect to pots on one end only. back of pot.

 

You of course have grounds from the pickup and to the jack. or you'd have no sound.

you have a ground from the switch.

you have a ground wire connecting each pot.

and one to the bridge.

that's enough.

 

You may have had your tone control ON 1 when you soldered it, instead of all the way down.

Consequently the heat travelled through and burned a spot, at 1, which is now dead.

OR it could simply be that you just don't have that much sensitivity.

But if I read you right, it's not just the tone that goes dead, it's the signal.

So you have something wrong in there, probably, it's shorting everything to ground when turned down.

recheck wiring.

 

TWANG