Need Help!!!!! NO output!

[davejeon02]

So I was playing my strat today and it was fine, but I opened up my pickguard to tighten a screw that I had meant to tighten for some time. I had just now gotten around to it. But after I put it back on, there was nothing amplified, tried different cables, and my friend's guitar worked, but not mine! I tried to resolder everything that was on the volume pot originally back onto it, but no progress. The tuner doesn't pick up any signals. Any ideas?

 

[baimun]

Stuff like this can be aggrivating... could be a cold solder joint (usually grey instead of shiny) could be a shielding wire touching a hot lead when you shove everything back in.

Will take some troubleshooting to find.

Strats are nice because if you solder an output jack to the pickguard, you can test it by tapping on the poles with an allen wrench without them even being in the guitar.

 

[davejeon02]

Can potentiometers just "die"?

 

[tfunster]

Can you post some pics??

It sounds like you're grounding out the signal, or you messed up the wiring when you rewired.

 

[davejeon02]

Can you post some pics??

It sounds like you're grounding out the signal, or you messed up the wiring when you rewired.

I never rewired, I simply readjusted my pickup screws (I put the springs in the wrong place).

Can you tell me how I would identify either of those problems and how I would fix them?

 

[dougk]

Pull the PG screws and lift the PG some. Plug the amp back in and tap the pickups with a screwdriver to the pole pieces. See if they "pop". If the guitar is shielded you might have a hot lug touching the shielding. Happened to me once, really, REALLY annoying.

IF nothing happens then, you probably have a problem at the output jack.

 

[Structo]

You either pulled a wire off or shorted something to ground.
Easy fix.

 

[davejeon02]

Pull the PG screws and lift the PG some. Plug the amp back in and tap the pickups with a screwdriver to the pole pieces. See if they "pop". If the guitar is shielded you might have a hot lug touching the shielding. Happened to me once, really, REALLY annoying.

IF nothing happens then, you probably have a problem at the output jack.

I am used to the "tap with a screwdriver" trick, I use it when I install new pickups to make sure they work before I attach the PG and tune up. There was NO pop. Everything at the output jack is definitely connected right.

And all wires are soldered somewhere. How would I fix a "shorted" something to ground?

Thanks for all the help everyone! Please keep the ideas coming.

 

[VaughnC]

I never rewired, I simply readjusted my pickup screws (I put the springs in the wrong place).

Can you tell me how I would identify either of those problems and how I would fix them?

You'd need to use an ohm meter to check for continuity or shorts. If you don't have a DVM or don't know how to use one it might be best to have a tech check it out.

 

[davejeon02]

Is there a solution for a short?
And what is the cause of a short circuit? The guitar was working one moment, then after putting the PG on (no internal adjustments), it didn't. Could a short circuit happen so suddenly?

 

[davejeon02]

Bump for more ideas before I go crazy and try to resolder everything I see tonight.

 

[baimun]

If you weren't soldering it's more likely that something moved like a wire bending or a terminal lug on one of the pots.

Check every position for even a change in buzz noise.

check the wire by the output jack... if it pulled over when you moved something, it could be shorting against the guitar cable when you plug it in.

 

[davejeon02]

check the wire by the output jack... if it pulled over when you moved something, it could be shorting against the guitar cable when you plug it in.

Please elaborate... Sorry I'm a bit of a tech novice and don't know much. Bare with me please

And one of the terminal lugs is supposed to be on the volume pot, right? (the end one)

 

[VaughnC]

Resoldering everything is probably futile and may create more problems. Like baimun said, something probably moved slightly when you removed the pickguard and caused a short or open of some sort, both of which can be difficult to visualize. I'm a pro electronic tech....IMO, unless there's an obvious visual short or open in the wiring, the only way to isolate the problem is with an ohm meter.

 

[davejeon02]

UPDATE: Volumes are back to normal, EXCEPT position 5 and position 1 don't produce a signal! However, all the other positions are fine, any ideas???