Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Tech => Topic started by: horsehead on July 24, 2010, 12:29:32 PM

Title: New wiring problem!
Post by: horsehead on July 24, 2010, 12:29:32 PM
Right so sorted out the no sound problem & now have 1 pickup working fine, switch to the middle position, bith pickups are on, but put the bridge pickup on, on it's own & nothing. If you turn it all the way upto 10, you can just about hear something

Here's a picture I've just taken to figure it out
(http://i26.tinypic.com/350szld.jpg)
Title: Re: New wiring problem!
Post by: Philly Q on July 24, 2010, 12:58:04 PM
In the middle position, if you turn the neck volume down low, does the bridge pickup sound "normal" or is it still weak?
Title: Re: New wiring problem!
Post by: horsehead on July 24, 2010, 01:51:40 PM
still weak
Title: Re: New wiring problem!
Post by: Philly Q on July 24, 2010, 03:14:27 PM
I'm thinking you may have fried the bridge volume pot, but I could be way off the mark.
Title: Re: New wiring problem!
Post by: Ratrod on July 24, 2010, 03:27:39 PM
The problem could be at the switch.
Title: Re: New wiring problem!
Post by: AndyR on July 24, 2010, 05:45:28 PM
The problem could be at the switch.

+1

I had similar symptoms a while back, and it turned out to be the switch.

But, I wouldn't rule out Philly's suggestion either (in fact, that's what I feared I'd done until I tracked down my dodgy switch)
Title: Re: New wiring problem!
Post by: Philly Q on July 24, 2010, 07:00:36 PM
You could be right.  Thinking about it, when I've had LPs and LP-alikes in the past they've often had an issue where one pickup mysteriously "dies" temporarily then suddenly comes back (usually when you hit a really big open chord, for some reason).  Cleaning the switch contacts seemed to help a bit.

I don't understand the science of it at all, but I wonder if it's something to do with the great length of wire between the switch and the controls?

Going back to the dead pot theory, I mentioned it because it happened on a Strat I wired a while ago - there seemed to be nothing wrong with the wiring but I was getting almost no sound.  Because the volume control didn't seem to be doing anything I tried changing the pot, and then it all worked perfectly.
Title: Re: New wiring problem!
Post by: WezV on July 24, 2010, 07:35:42 PM
You could be right.  Thinking about it, when I've had LPs and LP-alikes in the past they've often had an issue where one pickup mysteriously "dies" temporarily then suddenly comes back (usually when you hit a really big open chord, for some reason).  Cleaning the switch contacts seemed to help a bit.

this seems to happen when the switch has been left in one of the outer positions for a while.   usually sorted by flicking it back and forth a few times and easily prevented by leaving the switch in the middle when not in use

not sure if that if that is whats going on here though