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Okay. I installed the 4 ea CTS 500K pots and the 2 Russian PIO .022 caps that I purchased form RH Factor over the holiday weekend.
The caps are freakin huge! about 1 1/2" long. TIght fit in a Firbird control cavity.
All went well. I made a template and wired what could outside the control cavity. I wired the caps "modern" style. Modern style to me is 1 lead to the middle tone control lug and the other lead to ground on top of the tone pot.
Plugged her in a Wa La!!!! Every thing worked fine........except the bridge tone control. No varience in tone when rolled up , or down. Checked all my conections for continuity and everything shows it good. I'll pull the cap and have a friend test it.
Do you think it's a bad cap, a bad pot, or a bad connection?
I would value your input.
Thanks
Pappy

Glad to hear Ralph took care of you!

First thing I would do is check the pot with an Ohm meter, make sure the resistance changes when you roll it up and down. I've seen simple things like a bit to much solder run down and bridge lugs together at the base. Its most likely this or its simply wired backwards or a bad ground on the cap to ground.

I know what you mean about the cavity, it is a snug little bastard! This is the shield I made for mine when working in there

As far as my malfuntioning treble pot... I think it' s a bad pot, because I changed out the cap and it still doesn't work.
It still plays great and everything funtions, but no bridge tone control. Bummer.
I haven't had a chance to trouble shoot the pot yet. Got to borrow a Ohm meter. Oh well anyway..... PICKUPS!!!!
Lollars, Armstrongs, SD Antiquities...........
Wide $$$ differences! I see that the Armstrong mini's are very reasonably priced, with the SD Antiquities in the middle and the Lollars amost 2X as much as the Armstrongs.
Seems like some don't like the SD's. Any opinions on the Armstrongs? I really don't want to spend $300 for pups on a new $1700 guitar. Call me cheap, if you want to.
I've been playing my Firebird on my Blackheart L.G. a lot over the past few days and I can't get over how good it sounds clean on the neck pup. I put one of the Bitmo 10uators on the B.H and with the amp cranked, and attenuated down to 9 o'clock, the Bird emmits some serious squawk and screams at bedroom volume level! I have a Fender HRDX, but I haven't plugged in Firebird yet!

If your happy with the neck maybe try an SD or Lollar for the bridge?

I love my KA's but they only really sound good at the neck. They are to low output for the bridge pup (but rock if your using a good boost pedal)

I had my neighbor use his big fancy bench top Digital Multimeter to check out why the bridge pup tone control that I just installed in my New Firebird V did not work. The pot is dead, No reading at all when the pot is rotated. Everything else checks out fine. All the connections are good and I have continuity between all components.
I emailed Ralph at PH asking him to send me a replacement pot, but I haven't got a reply, yet.

Crap!

Ralph will take care of you on it. Dead pots happen from time to time.

I've had good luck with these http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/e ... ntage_min/
I find they sound very much like my Gibson vintage units, maybe a little more growl, which I happen to like.
I'm STILL waiting on a custom set from a certain winder& if I don't get them soon, a set of these are going in my white 3 pickup Bird.

Good luck with your wiring issue!

Tony

Tony,
I have a Vintage SD mini in the bridge position in my 76 LP Deluxe. I'ts got to be an early one, because I got this particular pup in 84'! Got a good sound. I have a SM-3 in the neck. I kinda like the SM-3 better.
These SD Vintage SD mini's are of a different design than the Firebird stockers. Yes?

These SD Vintage SD mini's are of a different design than the Firebird stockers. Yes?

They don't APPEAR to be different,to MY eyes They have the bar magnets in the center of the bobbins etc, like the originals. I only know this because I REFUSE to have that ugly SD logo defacing my Firebirds! I just get plain covers from Allparts & put a small bead of silicone sealer on the top of the coils/magnets to prevent that flat cover from becoming a diaphram(very important to prevent microphonic squeal!). You could pot them, or have them potted, rather than use the silicone, but my method is simple, easy & has always worked well for me.
I hope I've helped.

Tony

The silicone is brilliant Tony!