P-Rails and preamp for Piezo, N-Tune Not Working!

[guita...@rogers.com]

I have now wired the n-tune as per the "Wiring up N-tune for use with
active pickups, beta" and it still doesn't work. The way the guitar is
wired is describer in the emails below, basically it is similar to a
les paul but has P-rail humbuckers, and there is a a preamp for the
piezo pickup. The humbucker signal is not boosted by the preamp at
all, but there is a switching connection (see description below and
wiring info and drawings on the preamp webpage: www.lrbaggs.com/Manuals/ctrl-x_manual.pdf.
The tuner does light up when first switched on but that is it. The
signal from the humbuckers goes through the switch as it should, the
mute works when the n-tune is engaged and everything else works fine
EXCEPT the TUNER... I have another N-Tune kit and I tried the circuit
board from that as well and it also lights up when switched on, but no
tuner function. HOW DIFFICULT CAN IT BE TO MAKE THIS THING WORK WITH
JUST A SIMPLE ALTERNATE WIRING.....????? VERY FRUSTRATING, There is
further information about my N-Tune installation challenge listed
below.
Further info:
- I am now trying your wiring diagram "Wiring up N-tune for use with
active pickups, beta". The preamp that I am using on my electric
guitar is not supposed to affect the magnetic pickups, it is for the
piezo under bridge pickup only. That said there is still an additional
wire that comes off the preamp that ends up connected to the N-Tune on
terminal 5. When I wired the n-tune using the standard wiring
instructions the N-tune lights up when first activated but the tuner
does not function. I am also sharing the battery that is used for the
preamp with the n-tune. I haven't yet finished the re-wiring based on
the "Wiring up N-tune for use with active pickups, beta" diagram. My
main question... is it mainly the shared battery that is an issue? and
why is it when I have only the magnetic (humbucker) passive pickups
switched on that the tuner still doesn't work? I can send you a
drawing of my wiring method, basically the 2 orange wires from the
preamp and supplied preamp switch are wired to terminal 5 on the
tuner, the wire from the humbucker selection switch is connected to
the preamp selector switch and this allows the preamp switch to select
the passive humbuckers only, and feed to the N-tune terminal 5 threw
the orange wire. The preamp wiring can be found at
www.lrbaggs.com/Manuals/ctrl-x_manual.pdf.
Previous Wiring Try - based on standard N-tune wiring diagram,
I just finished installing the N-Tune and it doesn't seem to be
working. It functions as a volume control when pushed in. The tuner
lights up once as it's supposed to when you first pull the switch
shaft up, and mutes the output from the guitar, but that is the extent
of it.
It doesn't tune or respond (light up) when any of the strings are
plucked. I was very careful with the circuit board and made sure I was
grounded to avoid any static charge. I have the 500k version. I have
it mounted in a hollow body jazz-box like a gibson L-5 with a pair of
Seymour-Duncan P-rail pickups. I followed your wiring diagram
carefully and had to work it into my setup because the guitar also has
a "ctrl-x" L.R. Baggs preamp to combine the magnetic pickups with an
under bridge Piezo pickup. The manual for that unit is at
http://www.lrbaggs.com/Manuals/ctrl-x_manual.pdf
To make this fit together I ran the magnetic pickups through their
individual tone controls first. The output from each of the tone
controls goes to each side of the Bridge/Neck 3-way selector switch
(switch same as les Paul).
The output from the pickup selector switch then goes to a 3-way double
pole toggle switch that is provided with the Control-X preamp (see
webpage listed above). That connection is made to the left lower
corner pole on the Control-x selector switch.
The 3-way control-x selector switch works to select as follows:
magnetics only (down),
magnetics & Piezo (middle),
Piezo only (up)
Just to simplify, we can take the Control-X out of the picture as one
of output signal wires FROM the left center pole of the Control-X
toggle switch connects to terminal “5” on the N-Tune pot assembly. The
hot to the output ¼” phone jack is connected to terminal “M” on the N-
Tune volume pot.
So to simplify further, the output from the magnetic pickups from the
magnetic pickup selector switch is connected to terminal “5” of the N-
Tune assembly (through the Control-x selector switch) and then
terminal “M” on the N-Tune volume pot connects to the tip output of
the ¼” phone jack.
I’ve tested the small wires that run from the N-Tune switch terminals
to the circuit board connector and there are no breaks there.The
guitar passes a signal to the output jack and functions properly in
all other respects.
Any suggestions?
GuitarBear

[Sherman]

I just stumbled across your post while searching online for n-tune
wiring diagrams. I have an experience that /might/ help with your
situation, so I thought I'd let you know, just in the remote chance
it's helpful. :)

I just purchased a batch of display units of n-tune tuners. They have
a mounted volume knob and 1/4 jack on a plastic display with a 9v batt
in back, made to sit on the counter at a guitar shop so a customer can
plug-in in the store and try it out. I bought 5 of them, and all of
them work fine. Except one. When you turn it on, it lights up like
it's gonna work, then never does anything else. You can turn it off,
then back on and it will do the same. Very consistent, but very
broken. Sounded enough like your description that you might just have
a manufacturing defect. Thought I'd mention it before you pull all
your hair out.

s

> under bridge Piezo pickup. The manual for that unit is athttp://www.lrbaggs.com/Manuals/ctrl-x_manual.pdf

[dna...@wavecable.com]

Have you installed them yet? If there's no vibration for it to sense the CB won't send a signal to the LEDS...

Doug

.
The tuner does light up when first switched on but that is it. The
signal from the humbuckers goes through the switch as it should, the
mute works when the n-tune is engaged and everything else works fine
EXCEPT the TUNER... I have another N-Tune kit and I tried the circuit
board from that as well and it also lights up when switched on, but no
tuner function. �HOW DIFFICULT CAN IT BE TO MAKE THIS THING WORK WITH
JUST A SIMPLE ALTERNATE WIRING.....????? VERY FRUSTRATING, There is
further information about my N-Tune installation challenge listed
below.
Further info:
- I am now trying your wiring diagram "Wiring up N-tune for use with
active pickups, beta". The preamp that I am using on my electric
guitar is not supposed to affect the magnetic pickups, it is for the
piezo under bridge pickup only. That said there is still an additional
wire that comes off the preamp that ends up connected to the N-Tune on
terminal 5. When I wired the n-tune using the standard wiring
instructions the N-tune lights up when first activated but the tuner
does not function. I am also sharing the battery that is used for the
preamp with the n-tune. I haven't yet finished the re-wiring based on
the "Wiring up N-tune for use with active pickups, beta" diagram. My
main question... is it mainly the shared battery that is an issue? and
why is it when I have only the magnetic (humbucker) passive pickups
switched on that the tuner still doesn't work? I can send you a
drawing of my wiring method, basically the 2 orange wires from the
preamp and supplied preamp switch are wired to terminal 5 on the
tuner, the wire from the humbucker selection switch is connected to
the preamp selector switch and this allows the preamp switch to select
the passive humbuckers only, and feed to the N-tune terminal 5 threw
the orange wire. The preamp wiring can be found atwww.lrbaggs.com/Manuals/ctrl-x_manual.pdf.
Previous Wiring Try - based on standard N-tune wiring diagram,
I just finished installing the N-Tune and it doesn't seem to be
working. It functions as a volume control when pushed in. The tuner
lights up once as it's supposed to when you first pull the switch
shaft up, and mutes the output from the guitar, but that is the extent
of it.
It doesn't tune or respond (light up) when any of the strings are
plucked. I was very careful with the circuit board and made sure I was
grounded to avoid any static charge. I have the 500k version. I have
it mounted in a hollow body jazz-box like a gibson L-5 with a pair of
Seymour-Duncan P-rail pickups. I followed your wiring diagram
carefully and had to work it into my setup because the guitar also has
a "ctrl-x" L.R. Baggs preamp to combine the magnetic pickups with an
under bridge Piezo pickup. The manual for that unit is athttp://www.lrbaggs.com/Manuals/ctrl-x_manual.pdf
To make this fit together I ran the magnetic pickups through their
individual tone controls first. The output from each of the tone
controls goes to each side of the Bridge/Neck 3-way selector switch
(switch same as les Paul).
The output from the pickup selector switch then goes to a 3-way double
pole toggle switch that is provided with the Control-X preamp (see
webpage listed above). That connection is made to the left lower
corner pole on the Control-x selector switch.
The 3-way control-x selector switch works to select as follows:
magnetics only (down),
magnetics & Piezo (middle),
Piezo only (up)
Just to simplify, we can take the Control-X out of the picture as one
of output signal wires FROM the left center pole of the Control-X
toggle switch connects to terminal �5� on the N-Tune pot assembly. The
hot to the output ��� phone jack is connected to terminal �M� on the N-
Tune volume pot.
So to simplify further, the output from the magnetic pickups from the
magnetic pickup selector switch is connected to terminal �5� of the N-
Tune assembly (through the Control-x selector switch) and then
terminal �M� on the N-Tune volume pot connects to the tip output of
the �� phone jack.
I�ve tested the small wires that run from the N-Tune switch terminals
to the circuit board connector and there are no breaks there.The
guitar passes a signal to the output jack and functions properly in
all other respects.
Any suggestions?
GuitarBear