chris77
I need some help please. I am busy installing a Fender mid boost kit into my strat, but hit a snag last night. I am going to try and explain as best as I could - The 5 way lever switch has two rows of 'connectors' on opposite side of the wafer. Lets call them l1, l2, l3, l4 and r1, r2, r3, r4. The wiring diagram I have (from guitarelectronics.com. The one that came with the packaging is cluttered and confusing) shows the pickups connect to l1, l2 and l3, with l4 going to the volume pot. Nothing is connected to r1,r2,r3 or r4. And thats the confusing bit. With my current wiring the left side is the same, but on the right side I have a wire connecting r1 to l4 and another connecting r2 and r3. Should I keep it as is, or remove them to replicate the wiring on the schematic? What should I do?
AlanRatcliffe
Put simply: both the tones are master tones, so you don't need to use the second half of the switch. If you wire it up the original way, the Mid boost will only work on one pickup (and two switch positions).
chris77
Aah, o.k. Thanks Alan. So I will leave it as is. Now I just need to fit everything together. Should be able to record my weekly challenge bit with it this week. ?
chris77
After Alan explaining the switch wiring to me, I just connected the earth to the body and the wires to the output jack. Tested it, nothing. Last night I opened her up again to check if I have al the wires as per the schematic. I then thought maybe I should switch the wires on the output jack around. Still nothing. I am pretty sure the boost-board isn't grounding somewhere and the battery is brand new. So, any ideas to try before I dismantle everything and start over?
AlanRatcliffe
Never change jack socket wiring around willy-nilly if a battery is involved unless you know exactly what you are doing. Otherwise, just be methodical:
1. First thing is to check your wiring - pay attention to pinouts on the guitarelectronics wiring diagram and compare against the Fender diagram. Possibly they have changed something.
2. Next trace your power: battery positive to +Ve on the circuit, battery negative to ring on the socket. Make sure the socket earth is connected to your common earth.
3. Make sure all the parts that need earth are connected to earth. Make sure they are direct connections (i.e. not relying on pickguard screeening to carry the earth from one part of the circuit to another), ideally all connected at one central point.
4. Next trace your signal path: Pickups to switch, switch output to circuit input, circuit to and returning from volume pot, circuit output to tip of the socket. Make sure they are all present and correct.
5. Try plugging in the amp and touching the live bits in the signal path in reverse order and see if the amp hums when you do (an indication that the signal is getting through). The point at which you lose the hum is where the signal is lost. If it's lost at the circuit, it could be power or signal wiring. If you get no hum at all, then there is a short from signal to earth somewhere - check any shielded cables to make sure you haven't overheated the earths, melting the screen through the core insulation.
chris77
Thanks Alan. I will hopefully get home before dark today, so there should be time to go through the the steps. Man, you really are a godsend, you know that hey ?
chris77
O.k, fixed at last. Thanks Alan. Resoldered one of the wires from the circuit board to the volume knob and changed the cap to an orange drop. Works great now, but will take a while to get the volume/gain controls figured out. Aaand I misplaced my pickguard screws, no Idea how. If they made their way to my 'spares' box it's going to take a while to fish them out. ☹
AlanRatcliffe
Good to hear.
chris77 wrote
Aaand I misplaced my pickguard screws, no Idea how. If they made their way to my 'spares' box it's going to take a while to fish them out. ☹
I keep a whole packet of new spares for when I do that. ? But generally I'm in the habit of keeping a small box for each project on my bench and all the screws and parts go straight in as I remove them.
