Potential Wiring Problem on new SG?

[DRC68]

I think there is a defect in my new Epiphone SG Special... :o

I finally plugged it into my Focusrite Scarlet Solo and listened to the monitor output through headphones. I notice that the middle and treble switch positions sound exactly alike. Even the Vol and Tone controls function identically in both positions. I assume this is not normal...

Here are a couple photos of the wiring. Does anyone notice anything odd? It acts as if both middle and treble positions are wired to the same switch poles:



Kind of looks like a grade school heat 'n' glob soldering job to me. It's disappointing to have a defect like this in a brand new instrument. Hopefully it can be rectified without too much headache.

 

[DRC68]

Well, I found and fixed the problem.

The issue was a huge glob of solder connecting the neck position terminal with the ground. The neck pickup was permanently active because if it.

Here is a horribly out of focus picture, even still the solder bridge between the lower two contacts is obvious:



In my younger years I wired plenty of cheap kit-bash guitars (most of them successfully), in fact that's how I learned to solder. I was able to use my skills learned from decades of electronics tinkering to clean up the solder bridge. Now everything works as it should. But this illustrates how not every instrument is properly tested, and something like this should never have left the factory, even on a sub-$500 instrument.

I expect y'all are going to jump on me and say I should have brought it back to the store and had them send it back under warranty and waited umpteen weeks for a fix or replacement. If I wasn't confident in my skills then I would have. It was just such a simple and easy fix I figure why bother with the headache. If this was a $2000 Gibson I would not have touched it, but then I may not have had the issue to begin with. For all the great strides Epi has made, QC is apparently still a work in progress.

At least I verified the that they did indeed use CTS pots.

And man, the bridge pickup has power! I'm loving the P90's on this thing.

 

[plankton]

I can't see anything obviously wrong with the wiring, but it's hard to tell from just a photo.

Does the neck pickup position sound different? Are the switch contacts connecting properly?

The switch should have the hot wire from each volume pot connected to one of the outer lugs on the switch. Both middle lugs on the switch should be wired to the output jack hot.

The middle sound is simply both pickups combined. If both pickups work on their dedicated setting, then an issue with the middle position is likely an issue with the switch mechanics. Might just need a shot of contact cleaner or maybe a little bend in one of the contacts.

If it's anything more than that, you should take it back to the shop where it was bought.

 

[plankton]

Ooops, too late. Glad you solved the issue easily.

I have a 2020 Epi Pelham blue Special and it's a fantastic guitar! P90s rock!

 

[DRC68]

Ooops, too late. Glad you solved the issue easily.

I have a 2020 Epi Pelham blue Special and it's a fantastic guitar! P90s rock!

Agreed! I'm considering myself lucky that the only Epiphone SG they had left was the burgundy Special P90. I just wish I hadn't payed it quiet in the store, still kicking myself for not noticing this earlier. Fortunately, other than that one solder issue, this guitar is flawless.