Pickups become muffled sounding

Eamonn

Eamonn

New member
Both pickups in my tele suddenly go from loud to muffled. I have trouble shooted my cables, stomp-boxes, etc, and have narrowed it down to the guitar which is Squier CV 50's tele. At first I suspected cheap components but when I opened it up I found neat wiring, cavity shielding, and alpha pots and switch. Before I swap out the components I thought I would see if I'm missing something obvious that someone else might see.

Thanks,E
 
Re: Pickups become muffled sounding

how high do you have your pickups
they may be experiencing "string pull" as you move up the neck
 
Re: Pickups become muffled sounding

Eamonn said:
Both pickups in my tele suddenly go from loud to muffled. Before I swap out the components I thought I would see if I'm missing something obvious that someone else might see.

Thanks,E
Click to expand...

Under what exact circumstances does the muffled sound occur? When you adjust the control knobs? After using the selector switch? It is possible that there is an intermittent physical short between the signal carrying wiring and the screening. Strategically placed insulation tape would cure this.

Personally, I do not rate Alpha pots very highly. IMO, the most likely cause of your signal dropping in level and losing high frequencies is the dogbreath cheapo PCB pickup selector switch.

The consensus about Squier CV instruments is that they are excellent value for money, look great, play nicely but that the electronics blow chunks.

The short term, inexpensive solution is a new CRL-type selector switch. My inclination would be to perform this change as part of an overall pickups and electronics upgrade.
 
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Re: Pickups become muffled sounding

definitely replace the electronics.. all of it.. best upgrade you can do for the money.. and as soon as you can.. replace the pups too

I almost always rip all that crap outta my imports.. its very unreliable
 
Re: Pickups become muffled sounding

I think alpha pots are fine. They have the benefit of actually fitting in import guitars with no modifications! I've replaced alphas with CTS a good few times and find that the difference isn't huge. Pot values, cap values, switch quality, and wiring scheme make much more of a difference to me.

Make sure the wire coming from the tone control pot is going to the middle lug of the volume control. Modern wiring usually has it going to the input lug (the one with the wire going to the switch). This mod is often called "'50s Wiring" and it makes the whole guitar sound just a lil brighter but you lose less highs as the volume is rolled back, and the sweep of the tone control seems a lil less dramatic to me this way.

I'd leave the pots the way they are, do the 50's wiring, and get good pickups, and call it a day.
 
Re: Pickups become muffled sounding

FuseG4 said:
Make sure the wire coming from the tone control pot is going to the middle lug of the volume control. Modern wiring usually has it going to the input lug (the one with the wire going to the switch). This mod is often called "'50s Wiring" and it makes the whole guitar sound just a lil brighter but you lose less highs as the volume is rolled back, and the sweep of the tone control seems a lil less dramatic to me this way.
Click to expand...

Excellent point. I started doing this last year, and I agree it improves the usability of your controls.
 
Re: Pickups become muffled sounding

With those cheap components along with the way it wired ,soon as you roll the volume down you loose high end
Id try to rewire it with some better pots
ALPHA pots are good & should improve your problem ,the CTS pots are better
 
Re: Pickups become muffled sounding

I took the control plate off again and examined everything. I put it back and everything seems fine now. It is a back up guitar but i still don't want it to let me down again. I'll probably get a new switch and pots. I'll eventually swap out pu's for some noiseless ones also. Looking at the electronics though the switch certainly looks flimsy. A have a strat super switch sitting in a box that I was thinking of putting in there but I can't find a schematic..or I might just wait and get an easier to deal with 3 position switch. Also, does anyone have a recommendation for good used pu's to look out for on ebay? I'm not necessarily looking for a trad Tele sound but more of a 'stouter' rock n roll sound but not too overwound like a quarter pounder. Thx, E.
 
Re: Pickups become muffled sounding

works, then not works, then works again

all the ear marks of a loose connection somewhere

touch the solder joints with an iron till the solder "flows"
 
Re: Pickups become muffled sounding

SD Vintage Stacks for Telecaster. STK-T3b and STK-T1n.
 
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