My old tele may be dead???????

[hbombgraphics]

pics added here
Did some more noodling around acoustic and it doesn't sound bad so I think it may be an electronics issue
also there is the "this guitar doesn't recapture everything I associated with it syndrome" you have all these expectations after years of shows and sometimes it probably sounds almost the same but you remember it being way better.

the wiring is terrible so I definitely want to clean it all up and maybe that will solve my problems

[dubkitty]

yeah, my first instinct is to clean up the wiring in the control cavity...you could be getting signal loss from a bad pot or something as simple as a cold solder joint. check the jack wiring, the condition of the jack, and the grounding as well. a corroded output jack could also screw your tone, and replacement or rust removal via sanding or steel wool (keep the steel wool away from the pickups or you'll never get the little bits out of there!)

i'd definitely test the PUs as well, though. if they've been subject to something that demagnetizes them, particularly too much time in proximity to a soldering iron, the magnets will be too weak to create a proper signal.

[hbombgraphics]

Thanks dude. Ordered new pots today. Gonna do the full rewire.