Epiphone guitars

[rusty keys]

I have a epiphone dot and I thought one of my pickups wasn't working. When I select the middle position of the switch and turn off the bridge pickup with the volume knob the neck pickup goes silent also. Was told this is normal because either volume knob would become a master. I thought I needed a new switch. Is this true, how would know if both pickups are working in the middle position.

[etawful]

It's not really that either becomes a master, they both control the same pickup as any other switch position (i.e. the neck volume controls the neck, bridge volume controls the bridge), BUT, turning one all the way off will turn off both in a conventional Gibson 2 humbucker, 2 vol. 2 tone configuration.

 

If you want to know for sure that both are working in the middle position, simply put turn up both volumes and tap the pickup with a screwdriver. If you hear the tapping through the amp on each pickup, they're both working.

[toneforhire]

built in temolo...Ace Frehely wouldnt be the space man without his les paul functioning this way

[rusty keys]

Thanks for the reply etawful, when I get home I'm gonna see if my sg is set up the same way. I've never noticed that before but then I have been out of the electric guitar playing for a long time.

[Fuelish]

As was said before, it's perfectly normal (and pretty {censored}ed-up, imo) - freaked me out playing around the first time when I got my LP as well..... as long as you don't cut either volume totally off, both will be working. There's a way around this, wiring so each volume pot can be totally turned down and the other still produces sound, but I'm a wiring ignoramus at this point, so ..... the info is out there, and I'm sure there are folks here who know how to and have done this.

[etawful]

 

As was said before, it's perfectly normal (and pretty {censored}ed-up, imo) - freaked me out playing around the first time when I got my LP as well..... as long as you don't cut either volume totally off, both will be working. There's a way around this, wiring so each volume pot can be totally turned down and the other still produces sound, but I'm a wiring ignoramus at this point, so ..... the info is out there, and I'm sure there are folks here who know how to and have done this.

 

 

All you have to do is swap the hot wire going from the pickup to the volume pot and the wire going from the volume pot to the switch. This will make each operate independently. My understanding is that this affects the tone circuit though, I'd have to look up exactly what the result is though, I don't recall off the top of my head.