Is this normal wiring for tone and volume?

bhuether · 01-29-2009, 09:43 PM

I just looked inside my Carvin DC127 guitar (with 2 humbuckers) and noticed that the wiring for the tone and volume controls looks like no standard wiring I have seen. I made a diagram here:

http://www.guitar-dreams.com/misc/ca...127_wiring.jpg

Notice how the tone capacitor is connected. I thought these caps were supposed to go to ground?

Also, I see lots of differences in how volume tone pots are connected.

Here, we see volume input connected to middle of tone pot and tone cqapacitor conencted to input terminal (then to ground)

http://www.dimarzio.com//media/diagrams/D.pdf

Seymour Duncan is sort of opposite and has volume input connected to tone pot's input and tone capacitor connected to middle terminal (then to ground).

http://www.seymourduncan.com/images/..._1t_3w_1pp.jpg

And then at this great site, most of the diagrams have volume and tone inputs connected and then tone cap connected at middle terminal then to ground (which I suppose is like Seymour Duncan):

http://www.geocities.jp/dgb_studio/faq_e.htm

Just trying to wrap my mind around these differences so I can figure out how to wire up one of my guitars. THe most confusing thing is the way the tone cap is connected on my Carvin...

thanks,

brian

daz · 01-29-2009, 11:19 PM

C1 if a hi pass cap which is NOT supposed to go to ground. It allows hi end to pass thru to the output free of the resistance of the pot. So when you turn the volume down it doesn't get muddy. Not all guitars have that cap. Those which don't usually sound very muddy by the time you turn the volume down to 5 or 6. the other cap (tone cap) IS grounded thru the tone pot when it's down all the way. Turned up it is separated from ground by whatever the amount of resistance the pot has. So yes, it's correct.

Mark Hammer · 02-05-2009, 01:52 AM

The two configurations (tone cap to pot to ground, pot to tone cap to ground) are electronically identical. No different than 2 x 3 = 6 and 3 x 2 = 6. The .022uf cap is a fairly normal value. I imagine that C1 will be in the 150-470pf range.

01-29-2009, 09:43 PM	#1
bhuether Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 37	Is this normal wiring for tone and volume? I just looked inside my Carvin DC127 guitar (with 2 humbuckers) and noticed that the wiring for the tone and volume controls looks like no standard wiring I have seen. I made a diagram here: http://www.guitar-dreams.com/misc/ca...127_wiring.jpg Notice how the tone capacitor is connected. I thought these caps were supposed to go to ground? Also, I see lots of differences in how volume tone pots are connected. Here, we see volume input connected to middle of tone pot and tone cqapacitor conencted to input terminal (then to ground) http://www.dimarzio.com//media/diagrams/D.pdf Seymour Duncan is sort of opposite and has volume input connected to tone pot's input and tone capacitor connected to middle terminal (then to ground). http://www.seymourduncan.com/images/..._1t_3w_1pp.jpg And then at this great site, most of the diagrams have volume and tone inputs connected and then tone cap connected at middle terminal then to ground (which I suppose is like Seymour Duncan): http://www.geocities.jp/dgb_studio/faq_e.htm Just trying to wrap my mind around these differences so I can figure out how to wire up one of my guitars. THe most confusing thing is the way the tone cap is connected on my Carvin... thanks, brian

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01-29-2009, 11:19 PM	#2
daz Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1,062	C1 if a hi pass cap which is NOT supposed to go to ground. It allows hi end to pass thru to the output free of the resistance of the pot. So when you turn the volume down it doesn't get muddy. Not all guitars have that cap. Those which don't usually sound very muddy by the time you turn the volume down to 5 or 6. the other cap (tone cap) IS grounded thru the tone pot when it's down all the way. Turned up it is separated from ground by whatever the amount of resistance the pot has. So yes, it's correct.

02-05-2009, 01:52 AM	#3
Mark Hammer Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 1,116	The two configurations (tone cap to pot to ground, pot to tone cap to ground) are electronically identical. No different than 2 x 3 = 6 and 3 x 2 = 6. The .022uf cap is a fairly normal value. I imagine that C1 will be in the 150-470pf range.

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