3 humbucker Black Beauty help PLEASE!

[acoustic1991]

I had this crazy notion that I could set up my BB (3 pickups, 1 3 way switch, 2 volume and 2 tone controls) to this:
The neck and bridge pickups on the 3 way switch, but only use 1 volume and 1 tone control; the middle humbucker is wired to the other volume and tone control, all pickups sharing the same output jack.
So, I wired it all up and everything works great, EXCEPT, when you turn down the independant volume for the middle pickup, all the pickups have no output. If I disconnect the the middle pickup from it's volume pot, everything works perfectly (except for the middle pickup of course!).
My question: What do I need to do to get my idea to work, other than installing a second output jack? Can it even be done? All help is greatly appreciated!
Thanks, Josh

[frankfalbo]

Without seeing it I would say reverse the center lug and the pickup hot lead. You're shutting the guitar down because you're sending the whole signal to ground when you taper off the middle pickup's volume. Reversing the wires will make the pickup go to ground but not the guitar's hot.

[acoustic1991]

frankfalbo - Thanks for the advice! I tried it, but it didn't work. With the middle pickup volume all the way up, it was barely on, and with the volume down, all pickups quite working. I'd like to post my schematic, but I can't posted for you.
Thanks for the idea thou!
Josh

[frankfalbo]

I meant to add that it's totally do-able. If you can even post a pic of the cavity I could figure it out, or tell you what to do. I think it's a great idea for how to wire up a 3-pickup LP.

[acoustic1991]

Frankfalbo
My camera is on the fritz, but I did get my poorly hand-drawn schematic on the net for you. Here's the link:
http://www.adamsbridge.com/pages/3/index.htm
I really appreciate all the help. Right now, I'm completely lost!
Thanks, Josh

[frankfalbo]

From the drawing it's what I thought. You have to switch the hot (both wires-the one that goes to the tone pot and the one coming from the pickup) with the one that goes to the jack. Basically your middle pickup blend is acting as a master volume and killing the whole signal. I can't tell if you've got anything miswired or if you've accidentally touched solder to something, but that's exactly the way to fix it based on your diagram

[acoustic1991]

Frank - I put in a new pot and it works! I must have had something crossed on the old pot. Now the volume for the neck/bridge is a master volume, it shuts off all the pickups
Now, I might be getting a bit picky, and can live with it the way it is, but can you think of a way to wire it so I can just use the middle pickup? Is that even possible?
Thank you very, very much for all your time and help!!!
Josh

[frankfalbo]

To each his own, but I've always found that to be a lame sound. Maybe for soloing its something different. Anyway not without a toggle switch or push pull pot. But of course you can do it. You could also go with a master tone knob, and have 1 volume for N/B, and one volume for M, and then a master volume. Or you could switch those wires on your current N/B volume so that they don't kill the whole guitar. Then you could turn either one up or down and the signal would still go through. So you could turn the N/B knob down and still have the middle.

[acoustic1991]

So switch the center lug on the n/b, like I did on the m volume, right? I'd like to at least try it, and if I don't like the sound I can always switch it back.
Thanks a lot,
Josh

[frankfalbo]

That should do it, just remember that depending on whether you switch the wire going to the tone knob, you'll either have a master tone or one that only works with the N/B

[acoustic1991]

Frank - Your a life saver. I won't get to it yet tonight, but I'll try it tomorrow. I'll let you know what I think.
Thanks again for everything! It's greatly appreciated!!
Josh