Odd volume pot arrangment

[ACS]

OK, so I've finally got my wah running *almost* how I want it.  Except the level - it's far too hot...

The volume pot is a 10K Lin connected via only two leads from the PCB to lugs 2&3.  Here's the bit I don't understand: at max output volume the resistance is zero ohms; at min output volume resistance is around 9K.  There's no ground bleed connected to this pot...  At minimum setting on the volume pot, I'm still getting WAY too much signal - on every other pedal I've used zero has meant zero!!  Maybe it's just cos it's late and I'm tired* but this is just really making no sense to me... Have any of you guys ever struck a volume pot using this topology??

Thanks guys
Aidan

[ayayay!]

What wah are you building?  A schem would help.

Also for a lot of wahs (most) 10k is WAYYYyyy to little for volume attenuation.  You need to add a resistor in series on one of the legs.  Try a 40k or 50k and go from there. 

[ACS]

The Wah is a Snarling Dogs that I've rebuilt from non-functional.  Made for an interesting third project after Dano's FKR and Dragonfly's Lil' Devil fuzz!!  Consequently I do not have a schematic - trust me, the rebuild would have been *much* easier with one 

So the 10K pot was the one that was in there when I obtained the unit - there's no obvious sign of it having been replaced, so I suspect it's stock (but as with too many things in this world, I have no way of proving it!)  Would it be normal for a wah volume pot to still be passing plenty of signal at its minimum setting?  Gut feeling says No, but other opinions appreciated.

Aidan

[ayayay!]

Whoa wait a minute.  Let's backup so I can understand:  are you saying it's a volume pot or the actual "wah-travel" pot.  In other words, how many pots exactly do you have on this pedal? 

[ACS]

Nope, definitely the master volume for the wah as a unit.  Total: 2 pots, one 3-way switch.  Wah travel pot is behaving nicely after the right persuasion...

So basically, the sound level when the unit is engaged is *substantially* louder than when bypassed - I have the 10K volume pot, wired up as indicated, but at complete minimum, the signal is still WAAAAYYY too loud!  As I said, on every other pedal I've ever used the volume pot would take the signal down to nothing when rotated counterclockwise; on this one that's definitely not the case, making me suspect a wiring issue, or possibly incorrect pot from previous owner...

Cheers
Aidan

[earthtonesaudio]

I owned a snarling dogs wah for a while but returned it because of the same problem, much too hot of an output.

Take a look at the circuit and see what's going on in there.  That volume pot might be either a gain control on some inverting transistor/opamp or else it's part of a voltage divider.