Les Paul Ultra No Sound? HELP PLEASE!

[Retro Hound]

Hello all,

I was playing my Epiphone Les Paul Ultra the other night and when I switched to "rhythm" or the neck pickup, I go no sound. Yesterday when I tried playing I barely got any scratchy sounds at all no matter where the switch is. When I looked at the switch it looked OK, but when I looked at the pots, there is one wire (really two taped together) that is not attached to anything. It's about in the middle of this picture, a little to the left. Sorry the photo isn't very good. The bottom of the picture is the top of the guitar. Does anyone know where that wire is supposed to go? I tried looking online for a wiring diagram, and got too wide a variety for me to figure it out. THANKS FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN OFFER!

[Commodore 64]

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=2h_2v_2t_3w

http://www.seymourduncan.com/images/support/schematics/2h_2v_2t_3w.jpg

The wiring should be like that. See if you can figure out where that loose wire should go.

[Bloozcat]

Those wires as shown in Commodore 64's diagram are for coil splitting and should be taped together when the pickup isn't split.

Sounds like you've got a loose wire or a bad/cold solder joint somewhere. All the solder joints should be shiny. Dull looking solder could (but not always) indicate a cold solder joint.

I'd probably start by just checking each solder joint for a loose connection. Start with the input/output jack, then the pickup toggle switch as that's where I've found the most problems with intermittent or no signal. Next, go to the pots and check all of those connections. Hopefully, it'll be something that shows itself right away...

Edit to add: Oh yeah, before you start opening up your guitar, check your cord. That could be the simplest of fixes if that's bad...

[bcdon]

I fixed a similar problem on my EPI LP last night. My bridge pup would go silent after playing pretty hard. It turns out that a signal lead was just laying on the solder joint and would bounce on/off. All I did was compare the bridge wiring to the neck pup and solder the wire to the spot on the bridge that was missing the wire (compared to the neck pup).

[DeanEVO_Dude]

Ok, here is an experience that I had.

My first EVO had shielding paint inside the control cavity. The way it was wired was the pickup wires came into the control cavity and were spliced onto a wire that went up to the selector switch. The splices where the wires joined had tape on them and one piece came off and the bare wire rested against the side of the control cavity, causing the pickup (both with the switch in the middle position) to short out = no sound.

I recommend that you trace the wires in there... not the exact wiring, but just to get an idea as to where all of them go. ID the wires to the pickups, the wires to the switch, the wires to the jacks. Once that is done, then you can ID the individual conductors (hint-the ground is usually the exposed wire around the inner conductor(s) of a cable)... Do the pickups have a single insulated conductor comming out of the cable? or do they have 3 or 4 insulated conductors? If there is only one or two, you should have one going to one of the volume pot terminals (each pickup cable goes to its own pot), the other should go to the case of the pot. On another terminal of each pot should go to the switch, as well a connection to the tone pots (again, one to each volume pot). At any rate, both volume pot connections should look the same, maybe with a different color cable jacket, but still the same connections. If one has a connection to terminal 1 with 3 wires on it, the other should also have a connection to terminal 1 with 3 wires on it as well. The volume pots are the first place the signal from the pickups go.
Take it slow, methodically, and you should be able to identify that wire, and where it should go, or whatever else might be the problem. If you have some soldering skills, or know someone who does, you can save some $ by doing it yourself (or your skilled friend doing the repair). The great thing about the wiring in a Les Paul style guitar (vol and tone for each pickup) is that you have two halves that should have exactly the same connections.

I hope I have not confused you too much. Cheers!

[ZMAN]

It is probably the the pickup selector switch. Epiphones are notorius for them failing. I even had a problem with my Elitist, that is supposed to have USA wiring but not the switch I guess.
I have replaced the switches on 2 Sheratons, and 2 out of the 3 Les Pauls I owned. They all failed. I used switchcraft and never had a problem.
I would check that first. Another way is to switch it back and forth rapidly a few times and it might come back. Then replace it.

This has been a sore point with me for years. I have sent letters to Epiphone and got no reply. They cheap out on a 10 dollar switch. The labour to replace it is about 35 on a Sheraton. I actually found a shop that would do it as a warranty repair. I am almost certain that will be the culprit.

[Retro Hound]

Well thanks everyone. I fiddled with the switch, and messed with the contacts (high tech - I took a pocket knife and gently pushed them out) and then I tried a different cable (thanks Bloozcat). Then I tried the same cable with a different guitar. There were problems. I opened the ends of the cable and fidgeted with them also. It works great now. I'm pretty sure the problem was both the switch and the cable. The cable shouldn't have anything to do with the neck pup not working, but the cable was having problems. I really appreciate everyone's help and will keep all this great info in mind for future reference. I'm guessing what looks like an unconnected wire is just two wires spliced?