OK, Pickup Wizards, I Have An Issue......

guitarweasel

guitarweasel

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OK guys, After tearing apart my new Strat and installing the loaded SSS Strat pickguard I got from from Mojo, I suddenly have an issue with the volume dropping real low and sometimes just cutting out, I'll be playing at what I thought was a normal volume and then it suddenly get's loud as hell! What's up with that
 
guitarweasel said:
OK guys, After tearing apart my new Strat and installing the loaded SSS Strat pickguard I got from from Mojo, I suddenly have an issue with the volume dropping real low and sometimes just cutting out, I'll be playing at what I thought was a normal volume and then it suddenly get's loud as hell! What's up with that
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Most likely I suspect the push-in wire connectors.
I would get rid of those and solder the grounds, solder the jack wires, etc.
Push-in connectors have not been very reliable.

I would not have faith in any "solderless" wiring system.

You tried a different guitar into the same amp?

Is there shielding inside the guitar touching the jack wiring?
Pull just the jack out, and plug the guitar cable into it.
Did the problem go away?
Is the plug making good contact to the jack?
Wiggle the jack wires around, does in trigger the problem?
 
Amp Mad Scientist said:
Most likely I suspect the push-in wire connectors.
I would get rid of those and solder the grounds, solder the jack wires, etc.
Push-in connectors have not been very reliable.

I would not have faith in any "solderless" wiring system.

You tried a different guitar into the same amp?

Is there shielding inside the guitar touching the jack wiring?
Pull just the jack out, and plug the guitar cable into it.
Did the problem go away?
Is the plug making good contact to the jack?
Wiggle the jack wires around, does in trigger the problem?
Click to expand...

I think you maybe right about the solderless connectors, that in itself was a pain to get together they're really small and it didn't help that my Strat was two ground wires making a total of three ground wires going into a tiny space.......ugh.
 
guitarweasel said:
I think you maybe right about the solderless connectors, that in itself was a pain to get together they're really small and it didn't help that my Strat was two ground wires making a total of three ground wires going into a tiny space.......ugh.
Click to expand...

Take out the wires first.
Strip all the wire ends, twist the ends of the wire.
Tin the ends of the wires with a soldering iron, to make the end of each wire solid.
Then stick the wires back in to the connector.

If the ends are all tinned, it might make better contact.

But yeah we have problems with solderless connectors and solderless patch cords, etc.
 
Amp Mad Scientist said:
Take out the wires first.
Strip all the wire ends, twist the ends of the wire.
Tin the ends of the wires with a soldering iron, to make the end of each wire solid.
Then stick the wires back in to the connector.

If the ends are all tinned, it might make better contact.

But yeah we have problems with solderless connectors and solderless patch cords, etc.
Click to expand...
That's exactly what I did, what a pain in the......
 
guitarweasel said:
That's exactly what I did, what a pain in the......
Click to expand...
The more reliable ones: use little screws to lock the wires down.
1647635414004.png
I would disconnect the whole thing and send it back to mojo.
I would tell them solderless connectors are too unreliable.
I would just build it with soldered wires.

I mean honestly I have used a lot of push-in connectors and they don't keep working very long.
Maybe they work at first, then they fail later on.
 
Amp Mad Scientist said:
The more reliable ones: use little screws to lock the wires down.
View attachment 81693
I would disconnect the whole thing and send it back to mojo.
I would tell them solderless connectors are too unreliable.
I would just build it with soldered wires.

I mean honestly I have used a lot of push-in connectors and they don't keep working very long.
Maybe they work at first, then they fail later on.
Click to expand...
That's what mine are.

Mojo Back.jpg
 
guitarweasel said:
All.
Click to expand...
Did you test all the switch positions?
They all do the same thing?
If yes:

Pull out the jack plate and look at the jack. Is it making solid contact with the plug inserted?
Test the guitar with the jack plate removed, find anything?
Bad contact?
Bad solder connection?
Touching shield foil inside guitar?

1647638048209.png Take out the 2 screws and pull the jack plate out of the guitar.
 
I doubt this is your issue John. But on my Strat I also replaced the three pups. Soldering method. Got it all back together and it wasn’t right. No volume. Poked and prodded and found the neck tone pot was basically busted. If I pushed down on it….. volume. If I picked up on it…. Volume. And contact cleaner was not working. Replaced all three pots with quality CTS pots and between the aftermarket pups and pots. Guitar sounds like I expect a Strat to sound like.
 
iblive said:
I doubt this is your issue John. But on my Strat I also replaced the three pups. Soldering method. Got it all back together and it wasn’t right. No volume. Poked and prodded and found the neck tone pot was basically busted. If I pushed down on it….. volume. If I picked up on it…. Volume. And contact cleaner was not working. Replaced all three pots with quality CTS pots and between the aftermarket pups and pots. Guitar sounds like I expect a Strat to sound like.
Click to expand...
It could be a lot of things...
I started at the jack because it's a trouble prone location.
 
One idea is that you may have just a whisker of a wire that is just barely shorting your signal out. As temperature changes or with vibrations the short goes away or makes slight contact. I'd examine the wires at the Phoenix connector (that green connector) to see if there are any wayward conductors. I've seen this type of thing happen before.
 
iblive said:
I doubt this is your issue John. But on my Strat I also replaced the three pups. Soldering method. Got it all back together and it wasn’t right. No volume. Poked and prodded and found the neck tone pot was basically busted. If I pushed down on it….. volume. If I picked up on it…. Volume. And contact cleaner was not working. Replaced all three pots with quality CTS pots and between the aftermarket pups and pots. Guitar sounds like I expect a Strat to sound like.
Click to expand...
Mine are CTS too. 500K
 
Brand new pots are unlikely to be the problem (though it's not impossible either).

Checking the jack for solid physical contact was good advice.

Like others, I suspect the push-in-&-screw-down connector. I'd solder all ground leads to the back of the volume pot (or to the bus wire that ties all three pots together, since there isn't much free space on the pot housing) and solder the jack hot lead directly to the center lug of the volume pot.

That should take care of it.
If it doesn't, the problem is most likely with the switch or pots and the whole shebang should be exchanged IMO.
 
I have a pick up question.

When I do slow chug chug in percussive style, i get unwanted noise. I have to use noise gate to clamp down unwanted noise but problem is more I use noise gate more it sucks tone out of my guitar.
 
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