Dumb/Old Codger question of the day.......volume/tone pots related

StanleyAccrington

Old geezer here who has a problem with tone/volume knobs on his 'Les Paul type' guitar. I know diddly squat about how sound gets from the guitars strings to the amp. All I know is whatever pickup I switch to has two knobs that affect the vol and tone when I twiddle them. All was fine and dandy within my world of limited guitar tech knowledge........I could knock out a few tunes trying to emulate (very badly) my guitar heroes.

But something doesn't seem to work now. I reckon it's a volume pot but I'm confused because it isn't totally silent.....I can turn 'up' the corresponding tone knob for that particular pickup and get some volume coming through. Is this possible?

Anyone in North Yorks area willing to meet up and explain what the leckie bits of my guitar do and how it all works?

ICBM

That could be a dead pickup. If the coil is broken at the ground end, some sound will get through - but it will be thin and weak, and turning the tone control down will act like another volume control.

Funkfingers

Another classic issue is the three-way pickup selector toggle switch working loose in the “poker chip”. 

On “type” guitars, it is possible for the metal parts of the selector switch to come into physical contact with the surface of the switch cavity. Strain on the cables and/or physical distortion of the sprung switch contact leaves can prevent signal from passing.

So can condensation and corrosion. Try squirting electrolubricant on the switch contacts.