Bad Pickup? Help please!

[Cameron Parsons]

I have Bill Lawrence 710s on my EMCI, and during a gig this weekend, my E9th neck started intermittently cutting out. The C6th neck was operating fine. I have re-soldered the hot and ground wires on both pickups, and I have replaced the neck-selector switches to no avail. I don't suspect it is the output jack, or both pickups would have the same problem. My point is that I have eliminated every possibility but the pickup. Is it possible for a pickup to go bad? ELECTRONICS ARE NOT MY FORTE!<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Cameron Parsons on 05 May 2002 at 10:26 PM.]</p></FONT>

[Jim Phelps]

Assuming your replacement switches and re-connections are all in proper order, I can't think of much else it could be but the pickup. Why don't you plug the steel into an amp, strike the strings and lightly tap on or wiggle the pickup and the pickup leads and see if it cuts out? That might give you a clue to where the problem is.

[jerry wallace]

Cameron,yes it is possible to get a bad connection inside the pickup..It is rare and usually occurs when taking the pickups in or out and thus putting a "strain" on the internal connections..

It sounds like you have checked out everything else..I agree with the slight wiggling of the wires either with the amp on or with a ohm meter attached to the jack..

One other thing you might look for, is the rubbing of a rod or bell crank on the white{lead} wire..If a rub goes threw the insulation, it could short the lead wire to ground..I have also seen a rub threw the insulation occur where the pickup lead wires pass through or around the sharp edges of the aluminum pickup mounting plate..

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Jerry Wallace-2001 Zum: D-10,8+6, "98 Zum: D-10,8+8,Nashville 1000,Session 500 ,Session 400 head only amp,Tubefex,ProfexII, Artesia, New Mexico
http://communities.msn.com/jerrywallacemusic http://www.jerrywallacemusic.com

[Cameron Parsons]

Thanks for your help, guys. I will call Mr. Lawrence. I really like the pickups, so hopefully I can get this problem solved and get back to picking.