Humbucker Wiring Problem- Makin me humbuckin crazy!

[IAmTheWalrus]

I'm having an odd issue with a semi-hollow body setup, and was wondering if anyone could offer any advice.

After wiring the harness and fishing the components through the 'F' hole (that was a whole bunch of fun!) all I got was a loud 'NNNEEHHHH!" sound. Crap.

So I've taken to (after pulling the components) wiring the harness externally and am STILL running in to issues. I may have fried a pot or the switch... Here goes

Setup:
2 Wilkinson humbuckers
2 A-500K Volume Pots
2 B-500K Tone Pots
1 3-way toggle switch
1 Output jack

After fussing with a variety of wiring plans, I decided to test the components to see if I could find a point-of-failure. All tries include proper grounding- excuse me if I omit that in any of the following.

1) Pickup: ground to ground, hot to output--- works

2) Pickup- Hot to Switch (Neck or Bridge position, tested seperately), Switch common to output---works

3) Pickup- Hot to Vol Pot lug (grounded), other lug to output jack---works

4) Either\Or-

-Pickup - Switch - Volume - Output
-Pickup - Volume - Switch - Output

-do NOT work. NO signal out.

I've done these tests on each pickup individually. Once or twice, some variation of the above with both pickups.

I've tested the switch for continuity- all good.

Put an ohmmeter on the pots- gets expected reading.

I'm about to order new pots, switch and jack just to be sure. But since all components test OK, but just don't work together, I'm a bit stumped.

Any ideas?

Also- I've considered just going with a 2- Volume setup (no tone)- but can NOT find any diagrams for such. Seems that it would be simple, but since I can't get my setup to work with a traditional wiring scheme I don't want to fuss too much with that idea.

Thanks all!

[big_teee]

Sounds like you have it wired wrong.
The output chain is
jack to 3-way switch.
One side of 3-Way switch to neck Vol. Pot Center Terminal.
Other side of 3-Way switch to Bridge Vol. Pot Center Terminal.
Neck Vol. pot side terminal to Neck pickup.
Bridge Vol. pot side terminal to Bridge pickup.
normal LP, or ES335 wiring.
https://www.google.com/search?q=es33...6N8EcVZjB-M%3A
T

[IAmTheWalrus]

Thanks Teee. I see one difference in the images you linked to; I've been grounding the rightmost terminal of the vol pots, most of the images you linked ground the leftmost. From what I understand about pots, this shouldn't matter should it? Thanks for the path info- I've always thought of the signal path in terms of pickup out, next, next, out jack. I appreciate the response. Still working on the project.

[big_teee]

Here's another pic that is better.
http://www.mojotone.com/335wiring.jpg
That is what they call 50s wiring.
Upside down, I ground the vol. pots just like this picture.
To combat noise, I like a continuous piece of shielded cable from the jack to the switch.
Especially in a LP where the switch is so far away.
https://www.google.com/search?q=es33...ih=600#imgrc=_
T

[IAmTheWalrus]

I just ordered pots, switch and a jack from StewMac, just to start clean. The mojotone pic wiring is the one i'm going with when the parts get in.

Thanks again!

Really lookin forward to fishing those controls through the 'F' hole again. please kill me.

[Steve A.]

Before pulling out the pots, switch and jack tie dental floss or fishing line on the bushings very securely to make it easier to reinstall them.

Steve Ahola

[IAmTheWalrus]

I received the parts from StewMac and pre-wired everything externally.

Glad to say, installed everything and it's great! Still not sure why all of the old components tested fine individually (as described in the first post) but not when I chaned them. Oh well, its all good now!

Thanks all!