Got a new Squire today and need help

[Duff]

Got a twentiety anniversary Squire Affinity strat today for thirty dollars, in nice shape, black. It plays great with great tone and has an awesome, just awesome flammed maple neck with rosewood fretboard. The maple one would have looked awesome if one piece.

Anyway, the problem is: I sprayed cotact cleaner, the good kind, in the pots and put new strings on before playing it. When I plugged it in to test it out I found out the tone pots don't have any affect on the tone. No scratchiness, clipping out, nothing. Dead silence and perfect clear fully turned up tone type tone.

I pulled the pickguard and examined everything and touched up a couple suspicious solder joints. No change.

I doubt the tone pots are shot. I think it is that they are not grounded right. The only what looks like a ground wire going from them goes from only one tone pot to the five way switch and is a black wire coming from the end tone pot farthest from the volume pot. No other grounds go between the two tone pots that I can tell. The plug ground goes to the top of the volume pot, as does the bridge ground.

The above arrangement does not seem correct but it could be because I'm not an expert. This is sss style. All five switch positions work properly.

It's just that the tone controls have absolutely no effect. They make no noise at all when turning them with good volume and striking a note; no effect.

Any ideas as to what might be the problem? I examined all solder joints multiple times and they are all good.

Hopefully somebody knows exactly what the problem is. I don't want to replace the tone pots and don't think it is them. Maybe the guitar contact cleaner didn't dry completely yet but I still think the pots would work unless the cleaner is grounding them out. The previous owner mentioned something about the tone pots being scratchy or cutting out but all pickups work xceptionally well with awesome clean tone thru the clean channel on my Super Champ XD, no noise whatsoever.

Really nice inexpensive guitar. Hopefully I can get to the solution to this.

Thanks in advance for any ideas,

Duffy

[Ch0jin]

Hi Duff,
Maybe have a look at the following as a guide.

http://www.fender.com/support/diagra...137000APg2.pdf

thats for a 70's era SSS Strat, but I'm guessing it should be basically the same as what your looking at.

If you have a multimeter you can check the pots. Disconnect the pot from the circuit. Set the meter for Ohms (if u have a DMM and it's autoranging its this simple) and measure across the two outside tabs on the pot You should read almost exactly what the pot is rated at (500K etc) if thats cool, then measure from one outside tab to the centre tab whilst sweeping the control. You should measure from close to 0 to close to the rating (500K for example).

Hope that helps until the experts arrive

[Ch0jin]

O and I loved your work on Appetite for Destruction by the way