Pickup probelms

[mikeyw123]

Hi,
Having installed my new Bare Knuckles, two days ago, I have encountered some problems. I installed my Riff Raff and Stormy Monday into my SG and everything was working fine and sounded great, but the next day I picked my guitar up and plugged in and there was no volume coming from the bridge pickup (Riff Raff) but the neck worked fine. I had a look inside the cavity and tested the joints but everything was fine, then after poking around for a while it worked again and I could play through both pickups fine. But today, when I plugged in again I had a repeat of the same problem, which makes me think it is something more serious. Please can somebody help me because when they do work the tone is great. Sorry for the large post but I really want help!  :(

Almost forgot: I get slight volume through the pickups if I boost it using an overdrive pedal. The pickup is also very high so it is not a height problem.

[CJ]

i no hardly anything about wiring, but i would think if it sometimes works then something in your wiring is loose causing it to only sometimes make the connection.

[WezV]

braided wire or 4 conductor?

+1 to a loose connection but i think its also worth heat shrink tubing braided wire if you are intending to leave the wire longer

also check the 3 way switch.  Give it a quick bit of back and forth to see if its being unruly

[mikeyw123]

Sorry should have said it is braided 2 conductor and none of the wires appear to be loose, so I don't think it is that. I have tested the switch as well but that seems to have done nothing.

[CJ]

maybe try re-soldering the wires just to be sure it made a good connection? also make sure there's nothing interfering/ touching the wire?

[mikeyw123]

I have just tried resoldering the joint but my soldering iron has died :x but the pickup is now working, I am going to find my other iron and resolder the join completely and see if that fixes it properly.

[Philly Q]

It's possible that the braided shield on the pickup cable is occasionally touching a "hot" connection on a pot or the switch or the jack, shorting the signal.  

Might be worth covering it with heat shrink tubing, as Wez mentioned, or wrap tape round it to make sure it doesn't touch anything it shouldn't.

[WezV]

thx for clarifying philly... i think i need you around next time i fall out with laura so you can make it clear what i actually meant to say ;) :)

sometimes i just assume people brains are going in the same direction as mine!!

[Philly Q]

thx for clarifying philly... i think i need you around next time i fall out with laura so you can make it clear what i actually meant to say ;) :)

Gladly, so long as there's no crockery flying around!  :lol:

[AndyR]

^ What everyone else says - but I've had this a few times, and for me it has ALWAYS been the pickup selector switch (apart from times when obviously visible f-ups happened with my soldering :lol:)

On mine, switch cleaner spray kept them going for a bit, but it was still an intermittant fault - eventually I just got new switches.

[mikeyw123]

The problem has returned today after thinking it was fixed, I don't think it is a problem with the wire touching something it shouldn't because I have tested the pickup with the cavity open so I could see nothing was touching. About the switch, I haven't touched the switch at all, so could that still be the problem?

[Philly Q]

Yes, it could be the switch, as Andy said.  For some reason Gibson-style switches do seem to be temperamental, I've had this problem of the sound suddenly fading or dying (temporarily) on several guitars. 

It never seems to happen with Fender switches.

[mikeyw123]

So perhaps I need a new switch, any particular makes/brands to go for that are good quality.

[Philly Q]

Switchcraft are the best, and if you buy a switch that's described as American made that's what make it'll probably be.