# Octaves, Zouks, Citterns, Tenors and Electrics > Four, Five and Eight-String Electrics >  wiring single humbucker

## Bill Stokes

Looking for help on this.  I used this diagram to rewire my Almuse classic pickup.

But the volume pot does nothing.  Otherwise great; no hiss or buzz, tone knob works great.  Sounds like volume is wide open, but turning the knob does nothing at all.

Any ideas?

I'll send a personal appeal to Pete, but wanted to cast the net wide.  I'm planning to use this thing tomorrow night.

Thanks!

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## rico mando

GO here http://www.almuse.co.uk/ go to mandolin pick ups and click on tech.pdf download

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Bill Stokes

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## Soundfarmer Pete

Bit of a mystery that one......Although I`m now making the Classic as a 4 wire (easier to produce), the older ones are two wire humbuckers so the red core signal wire goes to the left volume tag (black in the SD diagram) and the braided shield goes to ground....might be worth trying a different pot....

Best of luck!
Cheers,
Pete

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Bill Stokes

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## Tom Wright

I would bet that there is a blob of solder shorting the two tabs on the volume pot.

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Bill Stokes

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## Bill Stokes

Well, I had my wires mixed up.  Re-did the connections with the scheme from the Almuse site, and that clue about the RED wire.  (Thanks Pete.)

But it's still not right.  Now the volume pot works but the sound is thin; like only one coil hooked up.  I tried a different pot, just in case, but no go.  My guess is that I still have the wires mixed up.  I loved the sound yesterday!  Big fat full sound, but the volume pot didn't do anything.

Maybe I should mention (if it isn't already obvious) that I really don't know anything about electric wiring or pickups.  Learned some basic soldering in 7th grade (1967) and I can follow directions if they are simple enough.  I put a guitar together recently with this same wiring: one humbucker, one volume, one tone and no switch.  That works perfectly, BUT it only had two wires from the pickup.  Basically idiot-proof.

p.s.  Thanks for the suggestion Tom. I don't think that's the problem but I DO think Blob of Solder could be a good name for a band.  Blob O'Sodder ?  Blah Ba Solder?

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## Soundfarmer Pete

Bill, Is your pickup a 2 wire or 4 wire?......(or have you modified the pickup wiring)?

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Bill Stokes

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## Bill Stokes

It's 4 wires.  I haven't modified it.

I soldered the tips of the green and white wires together and taped them off.  Soldered the black and the shielding wire to the back of the volume pot.  Ran the red wire to left post of volume.

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## thistle3585

Throw an on/on/on switch in there for some variety.  If you could post a photo of the actual assembly then we might be able to help.

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Bill Stokes

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## Soundfarmer Pete

> It's 4 wires.  I haven't modified it.
> 
> I soldered the tips of the green and white wires together and taped them off.  Soldered the black and the shielding wire to the back of the volume pot.  Ran the red wire to left post of volume.


Sounds like you have a Moongazer......whatever, the wiring scheme is the same as Seymour Duncan - I did this intentionally since the SD site offers a plethora of wiring diagrams......
Red and white should be soldered together....you have the two coils "fighting each other"!

Worth checking Andrews wiring diagram and fitting a switch - he`s had plenty of experience with Almuse humbuckers.

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Bill Stokes

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## Bill Stokes

GOT IT!!  Everything works and it sounds so good: big sound, no buzz or hum.  Volume and tone knobs do their respective jobs.

So now it is wired just like I had it before, except with a different volume pot.  Thank you Pete!  Also thanks Andrew Tom and Rico.

(It is a Moongazer pickup; sorry about that.  This is some persistent mix-up in my brain.)

I put a switch in there last Summer when I got the kit.  But I got intermittent hiss/buzz with my Roland amp, which has the effects I want for this mando.  (Plus, I always seem to accidentally bump the switch.  Same with guitars.  I prefer one neck pickup, no switch.  Use effects processor or stomp box for variety.)
The hiss was probably the result of some sloppy connection I made.  But I don't hear it now.  I'm happy.

At some point I'll do this job over again with new pots and wire.  It's not as clean as I'd like, from so many re-tries.

Thanks again, Pete.

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Soundfarmer Pete

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