How to troubleshoot neck pickup -need to fix so I can sell this killer Strat

[Artie]

That should be the pup reading. What pickup is that? It seems a little high.

Edit: Wait. If that's an STK-S7, that's about normal. That's good. That means the pup itself is probably ok. Those two positions should show a dead short. Without having it in front of me, I can only assume a faulty 5-way. Highly unusual, but I've seen it happen. Can you examine the contacts themselves, and see if anything looks awry?

 

[Mincer]

While you sort this out, I wanna say that that is one cool looking Strat!

 

[RickD]

Its the Seymour Duncan STK-S7, which I believe is a stacked pickup?

 

[RickD]

While you sort this out, I wanna say that that is one cool looking Strat!

Yes thank you! I hate to sell it but the wife is on my arse so I am downsizing to just one SG! The SG I have weighs 5.5 pounds, its a freak of nature and I love it!!

 

[Artie]

While you sort this out, I wanna say that that is one cool looking Strat!

Yes, it is. We gotta get this working. A shame he's going to sell it.

Its the Seymour Duncan STK-S7, which I believe is a stacked pickup?

Yup. I caught that. Edited my post.

 

[RickD]

Well if we cant figure it out I still have the original setup w/the 3 single coils. Think they are called v-mods noiseless pickups?

 

[RickD]

Also selling a Tele w/ the Seymour Duncan Lil '59 set

 

[Artie]

Usually, having a pickup upgrade doesn't add much to the value. I'd put it back to stock, then sell the pups and/or pickguard separate. YMMV.

 

[RickD]

Usually, having a pickup upgrade doesn't add much to the value. I'd put it back to stock, then sell the pups and/or pickguard separate. YMMV.

But how can I sell the pickguard w/this issue?

 

[Artie]

But how can I sell the pickguard w/this issue?

Cheap.

Just kidding man. Yes, you do need to find the issue. We'll get it. You have a meter. The issue is discoverable. Put one lead on ground, then start hitting each point beyond. The first point will be where the pickup connects to the 5-way. You should read the pup DCR. (Which you have.) Next point is the common contact on the 5-way, (with the switch in the far forward position.) If that doesn't read the same thing, there's your problem. If it does, the next point is the input to the volume pot. That's not likely, however, because the other pups work. And this one works, when you pull the push-pull. Right?

 

[RickD]

Ok so where is the 'common contact ' on the 5-way?

 

[RickD]

Ok so when I test here (see pic) I get zero but when I pull up the tone pot I get 11 -does this help?

 

[Artie]

Ok so where is the 'common contact ' on the 5-way?

Send me the pickguard. I'll fix it for free. You pay shipping. Both ways. That's the best I can do.

 

[beaubrummels]

Ok so where is the 'common contact ' on the 5-way?

 

[RickD]

Send me the pickguard. I'll fix it for free. You pay shipping. Both ways. That's the best I can do.

You know what I may take you up on that offer! My brother is going to be in town in about 10 days and he claims that he might be able to figure it out so gonna try that 1st.

 

[RickD]

So I have a new push/pull tone pot -is their any chance that replacing it could fix it? I had a brainstorm this morning that the pot was the problem and drove to another city to buy one but now I think that the pot cant be the problem?

 

[RickD]

Ok so my son in law came over for a visit and saw the guitar in pieces on my kitchen table. He asked what was wrong and I told him. He is an electrician and said he would look at it, less than a minute later he saw that one of the contacts had rotated just enough so that it no longer made a connection w/the blade on the 5-way (see pics), I was able to take my fingernail and rotate it back and bingo I now get the correct readings on the meter!!

 

[Artie]

Ok so my son in law came over for a visit and saw the guitar in pieces on my kitchen table. He asked what was wrong and I told him. He is an electrician and said he would look at it, less than a minute later he saw that one of the contacts had rotated just enough so that it no longer made a connection w/the blade on the 5-way (see pics), I was able to take my fingernail and rotate it back and bingo I now get the correct readings on the meter!!

Sweet. That's an unusual problem. Perhaps a drop of superglue or epoxy might help to prevent it from happening again.

 

[RickD]

It was very tough rotating back to where it should be so I think it will stay put. I measured the depth of the control cavity and there was plenty of clearance so I have no clue how this happened?

 

[playas]

Maybe the lead connected to it snagged when installing the pickguard and it tugged the contact out of position.