No output... Hmm where to start looking?

Boromedic

Hi all, just after some top tips before I start dismantling things for a look.

I've just bought a high end Strat style guitar, it's basically a vintage relic although it's HSS. Seller assures me that it was working fine through a modeller prior to shipping and I have zero reason to doubt them having done many trades and stuff with them before.

On arrival I've played it unplugged for a check and then restrung it last night and floated the trem. Plugged into a valve amp using two different cables I have zero output from the guitar into the amp, I've since checked them cables with my Les Paul and they're working perfectly so it must be the guitar.

Therefore my only reasonable assumption is that it's took a bump in shipping and something has worked loose or similar. Where should I start looking please so I can find the issue?!!

Thanks

SteveRobinson

The first place to look is the jack. Check that a wire has not come loose (it'll be the white one) or that the jack isn't shorting on any shielding.

Boromedic

SteveRobinson said:

The first place to look is the jack. Check that a wire has not come loose (it'll be the white one) or that the jack isn't shorting on any shielding.

Cool, thanks I'll have a butchers once my 3 year old princess allows me 5 minutes....

FelineGuitars

if it is absolutely silent , then either the hot wire is off the jack or volume pot, or short circuited against the earth

ICBM

It’s it absolutely silent? ie no hum or noise at all. If so it’s a short, probably in the jack but possibly at the volume control or switch.

If there is hum or noise but no signal, a wire has come off or the jack, pot or switch is broken.

Shipping damage is a possibility, someone here got a Tele with the switch pushed through the plate and broken recently, even in a well-packed case.

Boromedic

FelineGuitars said:

if it is absolutely silent , then either the hot wire is off the jack or volume pot, or short circuited against the earth

Thanks Jon, yeah there is absolutely nothing although when turning the volume pot there is a change in the nothing if that makes sense? It's not a hum or anything.

Boromedic

ICBM said:

It’s it absolutely silent? ie no hum or noise at all. If so it’s a short, probably in the jack but possibly at the volume control or switch.

If there is hum or noise but no signal, a wire has come off or the jack, pot or switch is broken.

Shipping damage is a possibility, someone here got a Tele with the switch pushed through the plate and broken recently, even in a well-packed case.

Yeah, completely silent with no hum. I was hoping short due to a loose jack or even volume or tone pot. I'll be having a look when I get chance and I'll update everyone, thanks for the pointers which is what I was after. Fingers crossed it's something simple, the box and case we're undamaged so it can't be anything too serious surely?

Boromedic

Sooooo, fixed it (I think!).

I noticed when playing around with pots and the switch, that by tilting the bridge humbucker I got signal back before it went away again. I was praying for a cable shorting out rather than something more fiddly like a dry joint or something.



The silver ground braided wire from the humbucker was resting on the lug of the volume pot with the yellow cable, I guess when the pickup was tilted it was releasing it for a short while before resting back on it. So I've moved it over the cloth cable now where it can't interfere with anything or short again and lo and behold I now have signal into my tuner!

I'm holding out high hopes into my amp tomorrow night now, thanks for the help guys. Aside from taking off the scratch plate, I'm glad it was an easy fix. 

Ta

ICBM

Yes, that would do it - you beat me to it after you said "when turning the volume pot there is a change in the nothing", I would have said "short at the volume control input or switch"... it was the first, the shield wire from the humbucker, wrapped around the black wire, was touching the volume pot input terminal.

Who wired that? Poor job. The outer sheath, black wire and shield should be cut back short and soldered to the *volume* pot casing, not the tone, leaving only the red, white and green wires the right length to reach the switch. The blue tape does not belong in a guitar...

Boromedic

ICBM said:

Yes, that would do it - you beat me to it after you said "when turning the volume pot there is a change in the nothing", I would have said "short at the volume control input or switch"... it was the first, the shield wire from the humbucker, wrapped around the black wire, was touching the volume pot input terminal.

Who wired that? Poor job. The outer sheath, black wire and shield should be cut back short and soldered to the *volume* pot casing, not the tone, leaving only the red, white and green wires the right length to reach the switch. The blue tape does not belong in a guitar...

Cheers John, I don't want to say in public but it is a high end guitar, I was quite surprised at that tbh myself but hopefully it's gonna work now! 

boogieman

Is that the original humbucker though or has a previous owner swapped it out ? It looks like someone has just slung that in, definitely a very amateur job if it’s a high end guitar. 

Boromedic

Tis the original.....