Non-logo'ed quarter pound

[Shotgun]

I'm beating my feeble brains out over this one.

I have a non-logo'ed Quarter Pound pickup that I've had maybe fifteen years. The whole time I've had it, it has lived in the neck position of my strat.

For the past 13 years, I haven't played the guitar. As I was cleaning it up to play again, the five way switch had gone bad (or was too dirty to fool with) so I replaced it today with another genuine Fender switch.

Now, my 1/4 pound is weak as hell. Not when used with the middle pu, but when I use the QP all by itself. (So much for the out of phase theory.) There are only two leads on it, black and white, and I wired the switch just like the one that came out. The mid and bridge pickups work just fine.

Before swapping the switch, the QP worked perfectly. So I think I either didn't wire the switch correctly after all (I took it all apart no less than FOUR TIMES to check my work), or something is wrong with the switch, or something is wrong with the pickup.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Keith

[Chuckracer]

Re: Non-logo\'ed quarter pound

I ain't touchin it! No idea. Bad switch? [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

[jgcable]

Re: Non-logo\'ed quarter pound

Do what Pete said. If it turns out to be a bad pickup you can send it to me and I will try to fix it for you. Put a meter on it and see what the reading is. You can check the Seymour Duncan site for the proper value. Let me know Keith. I usually have good luck fixing pickups. My guess is that it is the switch. Usually 2 wire single coils either work or they don't. BTW... potted 1/4 pounders are almost completely silent. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Shotgun]

Re: Non-logo\'ed quarter pound

Thanks Pete and John: I will do what Pete suggested, and before soldering it (the qp) to the bridge position, I will put the meter to it.

If it's the pickup, I'll give you a call, John. I think I'd go to pretty extreme measures to salvage it if it is the p.u., because the guy I got it from in the late 80's got himself kilt not long after. I shouldn't have left the whole guitar in storage for so long, but there isn't anything I can do about that now...

Thanks, guys,
Keith

[jgcable]

Re: Non-logo\'ed quarter pound

"You can't fix this pickup"..... "dude, I can fix it". What movie (substitute car for pickup)

Let me know Keith.

[Shotgun]

Re: Non-logo\'ed quarter pound

Fast times? [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

Wasn't feeling so hot, until I read that. Got me to grin!

It is the pickup. I'm not sure how I was getting any signal out of it yesterday, the tee-tiny copper thread must have been severed but barely touching, because now that it’s unsoldered from the switch, the meter reads nothing. Nada. No continuity.

Maybe Dead Guy (how I refer to the p.u.'s former owner, Tim) is sending me a message from the grave: do not make those awful sounds through my old gear. Hummmm....

K

ps PM sent.

[Twisteramps]

Re: Non-logo\'ed quarter pound

solder your neck pickup (the QP) where the bridge pickup is (that works, right?) and put the bridge pickup wire where the neck one was.

if the neck works ok now and the bridge doesn't, bad switch or soldering technique.

if the neck doesn't work and the bridge does, it's likely a bad pickup.

Pete