Tiger wiring issue (Waldo?)

[playingdead]

Had some trouble with my Tiger guitar tonight, getting some loud pops and intermittent output.

Let me preface with the fact that while I can play the guitar fairly well, I can't even solder and don't know the first thing about wiring or reading a schematic.

I realized that the main output jack was loose in the body, so I took the control cover off. I discovered that the jack was loose, but also that there is a blue wire (ground?) that was soldered to the middle lug, but it seems to have broken free. It's a short wire that runs over to one of the lugs on the effects loop jack. I'm assuming it's a ground because there is another blue wire that's grounded to the control cover.

Even with that wire disconnected, the guitar still plays and the effects loop still works (I tightened up the jack and it seems fine now). I don't think it's the battery wire, either, because the wire running into the battery compartment is black.

What's the purpose of that additional ground? Just better shielding? RIght now, all that's attached to that output jack is a black wire (battery) and a red wire (signal). I was pretty surprised that the guitar still worked, and touching that blue wire back to the lug with the amp on didn't seem to make any difference in hum, etc. Perhaps it gets enough grounding from the effects cable?

Thanks for any insight ... I can post photos tomorrow if it will clear anything up. The guitar was wired by Resurrection.

[waldo041]

either your jackplate or shielding is keeping the ground to the sleeve or middle lug with the wire broke off. that sleeve needs to be grounded, so that when you put a plug in, it grounds the sleeve AND the negative battery wire(ring) together. its what switches the battery on and off, and is a SOLID ground for the jack vs trusting the shielding or jackplate. it works, as you can see, but i get it soldered back up.

does the blue wire on the effects jack that the broken wire went to have another blue wire running to another ground? or is that the wire running to the control plate?

peace,
waldo

[playingdead]

I think it's soldered to a couple of other blue ground wires, then from there it goes to the control plate. I'll try and take a photo tomorrow.

I'll definitely solder it back on there ... thanks, man. It's probably been loose all along. I've had occasional frustrating episodes of picking up radio transmissions, incredibly loud hisses etc. This was a typical one, watch me turn to make it stop:

http://www.playingdead.net/hiss.html

[waldo041]

sounded like tiger was hissin at someone in the crowd! NICE!

i'll wait on the pics.

peace,
waldo

[myoung6923]

If you need any help feel free to bring it over - we'll get it fixed up in minutes!

[playingdead]

Thanks, Mike.

Couple of photos (on my guitar, the buffer is in a piece of foam inside the cavity, I moved it out of the way (battery is under the tiger plate).

Cavity:



Closeup of the jacks:

[myoung6923]

The blue wire are the grounds. It can easily be soldered - while in there it would be a good idea to check out all of the solder joints and tighten up all of the jacks and stuff. I found that they didn't do a great job on the wiring on mine and I needed to re-do most of it

[jonarobb]

Curious who wired that up. Doesn't have any elements of Tiger's original wiring. If you bring it down to NY ever I'll rewire it correctly. Stacked pot and seperate tone controls for each pickup, dedicated individual Ceramic caps for each tone control, correct 5 way wiring, correct coil cut arrangement, etc....

J-

[myoung6923]

That's the standard Resurrection wiring. Mine was exactly like that - I ended up rewiring mine all together.

[playingdead]

Thanks, J – I may take you up on that sometime. I've thought about sending it out to Gary Brawer but the band's working too much to be without it for weeks.

V

[waldo041]

vic,

all that is keeping your guitar from turning on is that copper foil under the jacks. while workable, definately not ideal.

i'd take it to J, as soon as i had the next free day. i'd bet he'd have you home by the evening! the wiring is not horrible, but you do have a chance to get it done right! i'd also see if he could finish shielding the rest of the control cavity.


which buffer do you have? the cb1 or 2?

peace,
waldo

[playingdead]

As far as I know, it's the CB-1 ... I told them I wasn't interested in the Jangletone buffer, which had just come out around the time my guitar was built.

Hmmm ... road trip to NYC? That's a definite possibility ...

[jonarobb]

You're always welcome here Vic. Plenty of toys to entertain yourself with while you wait. Best pizza in NYC right down the block. I'll have you back home before daylight.

[playingdead]

I am definitely bringing home a couple of pies, pizza sucks in Boston.

(I am a native New Yorker myself. I sometimes drive to Riels in Hartford to buy bialys. I don't think people in Boston even know what a bialy is.)

[jonarobb]

I am definitely bringing home a couple of pies, pizza sucks in Boston.

(I am a native New Yorker myself. I sometimes drive to Riels in Hartford to buy bialys. I don't think people in Boston even know what a bialy is.)

Yeah, I'm right in the Bushwick/Ridgewood area of Brooklyn. Still very old school around here. This is the real Italian section of the city. All the wiseguys still live here. With that said, the Italian food, including Pizza, is just amazing. Corato's is the joint for a pie or a slice. I get Bialy's at Flemings Deli on Myrtle Avenue. First thing in the morning with a cup of coffee, just walk on over.....yum!