Someone help me figure out a strange wiring problem please

[thrashmetl]

So I took the Wolfetones out of a guitar of mine, put them in another guitar, didn't like them much in the other guitar so I swapped them back. Now for some strange reason the output is super low. Even on a high gain patch I have it's almost clean right up against the strings. I thought maybe it was my rig so I hooked up another guitar and nope, my rig is fine. My Wolfetones have the traditional braided leads, not four conductor. I have never experienced this before, any idea what the deal is?

Also worth noting, it is effecting both pickups equally and I've the traditional LP 2 Volume and 2 Tone setup.

[walterw]

well, both pickups being weak means you didn't damage one of them, so that's good.

look at the switch, and then the output jack (the two components in common with both pickups). something touching a grounded sidewall, or a bad wire connection.

a little pushing and poking of those components is in order.

[korus]

Originally Posted by walterw

well, both pickups being weak means you didn't damage one of them, so that's good.

look at the switch, and then the output jack (the two components in common with both pickups). something touching a grounded sidewall, or a bad wire connection.

a little pushing and poking of those components is in order.

+1

I would check the output jack first. Hot and ground are touching (partially) each other there, it happens when jack is tightened to the plate. Unscrew 4 screws that hold the jack plate, take the plate and jack gently out and check connections of hot and ground. ( you might do this even without taking off the control cavity back-plate...)

[thrashmetl]

I really wish that was the case, but I took the jack off, resoldered both connections and put it back in and the problem remains. Everything is isolated, nothing is touching. I'm perplexed.

Also I forgot to mention before, not sure if it matters, but along with the output being low, it sounds like the tone is rolled off too.

[leray1]

Any chance you subjected the pickups to a magnetic field and they need to be recharged?

[walterw]

both pickups, by the exact same amount? that's way down the list of likely causes.

[fumbler]

After you've already checked for the "easy fixes" like cold solder joints or a wire inadvertently touching something it shouldn't, sometimes it's easier and faster just to take it all apart, check each component individually with a meter and then wire it all back up again. This is especially true for a pretty straightforward wiring scheme like a standard LP.

You may have burnt out a component with too much heat.

[walterw]

Originally Posted by thrashmetl

I really wish that was the case, but I took the jack off, resoldered both connections and put it back in and the problem remains. Everything is isolated, nothing is touching. I'm perplexed.

try re-soldering the other end of that connection, at the switch. also, are any of the switch tabs touching the walls of the cavity they're in?

Originally Posted by thrashmetl

Also I forgot to mention before, not sure if it matters, but along with the output being low, it sounds like the tone is rolled off too.

do the tone knobs still have an effect?

[Branzell Guitars]

Thrashmetl

Turn all your tone and volumes all the way up on the guitar. Plug your rig into an amp (keep amp settings the same for these tests) and take a screw driver and tap on top of the pups. Make a mental note of the output you hear from tapping on them. Now unsolder the pups from the harness and get two aligator clips and a spare output jack. Clip one lead to the hot leg on the jack and the other to the ground leg. Hook the ground wire to the braid on the pup and the other lead to the hot wire on the pup. You can also just clip the leads on the end of the patch cord plug. Tip is hot, shaft is ground. Connect to amp and fire her up. Tap on pickups again. Louder now? If not you may well have demagnetized you pickups. Did you use a soldering GUN? That is a no no that big coil can demagnetize your pickups quite effectively! Never use those around guitars pickups! Only use a soldering iron the pencil type. Let us know what you find

Gary Branzell
Branzell Guitars
http://branzellguitars.com/