Volume pot weirdness, hum, and switch dirt

[Eric***]

So I've been playing my Godin LG Signature a bit more recently and I have some questions about it. To preface this, every time I take off the back panel for the electronics cavity, I'm amazed by how tidy everything is. That being said, I'm experiencing some annoying electronics weirdness with it. Maybe it would be easiest to just list it out:

1) There's almost always a hum on the guitar, noticeably more than on my Agile LP. The tech I use said that's typical, but I think he just didn't want to fix it. It's double-HB, so I'd expect it to be pretty quiet. What would make it more noisy than any other double-hum guitar?

2) When I adjust the knobs or use the pup selector switch, there's usually some crackling, which I'm assuming is dirt. I have tried and tried to clean it out with deoxit and everything else, but the problem remains. It's annoying. Not killer, just annoying.

3) Sometimes the bridge pickup seems to have a volume drop-off when compared to the neck pickup. The bridge is a SD Custom Custom, which is pretty hot, so that doesn't make sense to me. Other times it seems like it's the same volume as the neck, so maybe it's a loose wire?

4) When I'm annoyed by the behavior of the volume pot (dirty and bridge pup not being loud enough), I regularly notice that a bunch of volume seems to come in the last 2% of the volume knob "travel", if you will. It's like when you max it you get all of the volume, but as soon as you take the volume off max, you're sitting at maybe 60-80%, like, instantly. If the bridge pup is in "quiet mode", rolling off the volume *at all* results in almost zero volume.

Any input on any of these issues? Much as I love the idea of this guitar, I'm toying with the idea of putting it up for sale on CL. However, if I could get the electronics straightened out, I think I'd probably keep it for at least a while longer.

Input would be appreciated!

[tunghaichuan***]

So I've been playing my Godin LG Signature a bit more recently and I have some questions about it. To preface this, every time I take off the back panel for the electronics cavity, I'm amazed by how tidy everything is. That being said, I'm experiencing some annoying electronics weirdness with it. Maybe it would be easiest to just list it out:

1) There's almost always a hum on the guitar, noticeably more than on my Agile LP. The tech I use said that's typical, but I think he just didn't want to fix it. It's double-HB, so I'd expect it to be pretty quiet. What would make it more noisy than any other double-hum guitar?

2) When I adjust the knobs or use the pup selector switch, there's usually some crackling, which I'm assuming is dirt. I have tried and tried to clean it out with deoxit and everything else, but the problem remains. It's annoying. Not killer, just annoying.

3) Sometimes the bridge pickup seems to have a volume drop-off when compared to the neck pickup. The bridge is a SD Custom Custom, which is pretty hot, so that doesn't make sense to me. Other times it seems like it's the same volume as the neck, so maybe it's a loose wire?

4) When I'm annoyed by the behavior of the volume pot (dirty and bridge pup not being loud enough), I regularly notice that a bunch of volume seems to come in the last 2% of the volume knob "travel", if you will. It's like when you max it you get all of the volume, but as soon as you take the volume off max, you're sitting at maybe 60-80%, like, instantly. If the bridge pup is in "quiet mode", rolling off the volume *at all* results in almost zero volume.

Any input on any of these issues? Much as I love the idea of this guitar, I'm toying with the idea of putting it up for sale on CL. However, if I could get the electronics straightened out, I think I'd probably keep it for at least a while longer.

Input would be appreciated!

My initial thought after reading this is that the pot is worn. Pots do wear out. If you've tried cleaning it with no success, then the pot probably needs to be replaced. If you feel comfortable doing it yourself, pots are fairly inexpensive.

It also sounds like you have an intermittent ground connection somewhere. A dual humbucker guitar should be dead quiet if it is wired correctly.

Before you sell it, you might take it to a competent guitar tech. He/she should be able to figure out what the problem is.

[Eric***]

My initial thought after reading this is that the pot is worn. Pots do wear out. If you've tried cleaning it with no success, then the pot probably needs to be replaced. If you feel comfortable doing it yourself, pots are fairly inexpensive.

It also sounds like you have an intermittent ground connection somewhere. A dual humbucker guitar should be dead quiet if it is wired correctly.

Before you sell it, you might take it to a competent guitar tech. He/she should be able to figure out what the problem is.

Thanks -- I'll check into that. I thought the guy I used was good, but I'm beginning to sour on him.

[FrankenFretter***]

Just like Tung, the first thing I thought of was the ground. If I were you, I'd replace the pots, or at least the one that causes you grief. Personally, I think that the whole CTS reputation is overblown, but they do make good pots. Full sized Alpha pots are also a good choice. Maybe it's time to just get a pre-made harness and be done with it. Replacing the tone caps with some nice paper-in-oil or Mallory 150s might make a nice difference as well.

As far as the switch goes, I would replace that with a Switchcraft. That's one brand that I think deserves the stellar rep that it has.

Okay, maybe I'm going a little overboard with my solution, but consider the source.

Whatever you do, good luck and keep us posted!

[tunghaichuan***]

Just like Tung, the first thing I thought of was the ground. If I were you, I'd replace the pots, or at least the one that causes you grief. Personally, I think that the whole CTS reputation is overblown, but they do make good pots. Full sized Alpha pots are also a good choice. Maybe it's time to just get a pre-made harness and be done with it. Replacing the tone caps with some nice paper-in-oil or Mallory 150s might make a nice difference as well.

As far as the switch goes, I would replace that with a Switchcraft. That's one brand that I think deserves the stellar rep that it has.

Okay, maybe I'm going a little overboard with my solution, but consider the source.

Whatever you do, good luck and keep us posted!

Sometimes the "shotgun" approach is best. I like the idea of replacing the entire wiring harness, Godin is a good brand, but like a lot of others they may skimp on somethings to bring their instruments in at the price point they want. Electronics can get downgraded.

The main thing about the pots is to get the right bushing: diameter (they come in both Iperial and metric) and length. Also the right shaft so that the knobs fit.

I concur on Switchcraft, there is a reason they are the industry standard.

[Eric***]

I think I'm going to avoid the DIY route at the moment. Guitar modding is something kind of like beer-brewing for me: something I'm very interested in and that would be useful (in some capacity, anyway), but that might not fit real well into my life presently. Hopefully someday.

Still, I appreciate the input.

[Eric***]

So, I do have a question: I was just googling for switches, and I saw that StewMac.com has a whole load of 5-way switches, with varying options. One of them was for 2HB guitars, but the options were for inner/outer pickups in parallel/series, etc. The LG Sig has a 5-way, but it's neck/coil split neck/both/coil split bridge/bridge, at least that's my understanding of it. What would be the correct switch to replace that? Is there a Switchcraft one that would work?

[FrankenFretter***]

So, I do have a question: I was just googling for switches, and I saw that StewMac.com has a whole load of 5-way switches, with varying options. One of them was for 2HB guitars, but the options were for inner/outer pickups in parallel/series, etc. The LG Sig has a 5-way, but it's neck/coil split neck/both/coil split bridge/bridge, at least that's my understanding of it. What would be the correct switch to replace that? Is there a Switchcraft one that would work?

Someone else can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that the standard 5-way blade switch should work; it's all in how you wire the switch. Then again, I've never tried that one, so I may be way off.

[marnold***]

I wonder if the short is in the leads that are normally soldered together to make the bridge humbucker a humbucker. If those leads were being grounded somehow (against a pot or against shielding in the cavity or something), that would definitely lead to volume loss and noise. Basically you'd be converting the humbucker into a hot single coil.

[otaypanky***]

If you feel like taking a road trip over to the Jersey shore, I can give you the name of a great fellow who could square it away for you Eric. I bet if you made arrangements ahead of time time he'd do it while you wait and show you how.

[ZMAN]

I a m not sure if your guitar was new or used. A lot of guitars have their jack come loose. A lot of guys will simply get a wrench and "tighten" the nut. Usually if you don't secure the jack in place it will turn, and damage the joint or the wire.
I had this issue with an Epi G400, and all my tech had to do was resolder the joint. It had become detatched. As far as the pots are concerned there might be corrosion. I am not sure what posts Godin uses.

[Eric***]

I a m not sure if your guitar was new or used. A lot of guitars have their jack come loose. A lot of guys will simply get a wrench and "tighten" the nut. Usually if you don't secure the jack in place it will turn, and damage the joint or the wire.
I had this issue with an Epi G400, and all my tech had to do was resolder the joint. It had become detatched. As far as the pots are concerned there might be corrosion. I am not sure what posts Godin uses.

It's used, so that's a possibility.

[Eric***]

Update: I got it back from the shop, and it seems to be more silent, though I haven't put it through the paces yet. The good news is that when the guy at the shop contacted Seymour Duncan, they said they've had noise problems with the Custom Custom Bridge pickup, so they offered to replace it. I said I'd rather have a JB in the bridge anyway, so they sent one of those to the shop for the cost of shipping ($15). So it ends up being a free upgrade.

I think SD said the A2 magnets (at least in the Custom Custom) have been giving them noise issues, which is strange. Makes me wonder why they continue to make that pickup. The whole reason the guy contacted SD was because he had managed to get the neck pickup dead silent, but the bridge was still giving him some noise.

Anyway, I'll try to remember to update after I road test the guitar, but it will probably next week, as I'm going camping this weekend. Thanks for all of your help!

[MAXIFUNK]

A GOOD GUITAR TECH is worth his weight in GOLD for us non-DIY types. Sounds like its fixed and improved very cool stuff.

[Pickngrin]

Cool, I'm glad to hear that it seems you got it sorted out and got a pickup upgrade in the process. I just clicked the link for the Godin LG Signature...nice guitar! How does the acoustic bridge sound? I've never tried one of those.

[Eric***]

Cool, I'm glad to hear that it seems you got it sorted out and got a pickup upgrade in the process. I just clicked the link for the Godin LG Signature...nice guitar! How does the acoustic bridge sound? I've never tried one of those.

The LG Signature (mine, anyway) doesn't have an acoustic pickup. It's just a 2 humbucker, 25.5" scale, bolt-on neck guitar.

I noticed yesterday that it's *still* not 100% silent, but I guess it's good enough. Some of that might have been due to the cable, so I'm not sweating it.