Question Pickups Soldered to Volume Pot?

[Eilif]

I've had two different techs install two different sets of pickups into two different EBMM guitars. One tech put EMGs into my Sub 1. Another tech put BKPs into my Silhouette. In both cases, the pickup manufacturers specify that a lead from the pickups be soldered onto the casing of the volume pot, and both EBMM guitars came from the factory with the stock pickups soldered to the volume pot.

However, both techs did not solder anything to the volume pot; instead, the leads go straight to the pickup selector switch. Is this bad, or does this change the sound or "hurt" the guitar or pickup in any way?

 

[patpark]

the only wires soldered to the back of the volume pot should be the ground wires. If the tech didn't do it this way, he may have soldered them to side of the switch or other area where he can get ground.

pickups need hot and ground to make sound. the hot goes to the switch. the ground goes to volume pot or other grounded part.

 

[threeminutesboy]

Reason why I always do the soldering job myself, to avoid checking someone else's work. How does your guitar sound now? I'm curious about the silhouette

 

[Eilif]

The guitars seems okay, but when I opened the cover to see how it had been soldered, I was disappointed...but I'm not having any trouble.

Sound: So far, I like the BKPs. The stock Dimarzios are good--and they helped sell me on the guitar when I first heard it--but the new pickups sound richer, for lack of a better term.

 

[Jack FFR1846]

The volume pot is a convenient place to form a single point ground inside the guitar. It is not the only place possible, however. The tone pot and switch cases are also grounded, so could be used. A blob of wire outside of everything could be that single point ground. The goal is to have all of the grounds go to one place, then one ground wire out to the output jack.

 

[shredhed]

My Morse has all 3 pups hot wires going directly to the switch.