JAGUAR HH PICK-UP ISSUE

SPECTRUM001

Hi there, and Happy Friday !!

Am hoping someone will be able to offer some help on a pick-up issue.

I have a Fender Classic Player Jaguar HH, with the variable coil split (ie you can dial up as much humbucker or single coil as desired). It is an excellent guitar with great pickup dexterity.

I bought it last year from a Denmark Street shop that provides set up/servicing as part of the purchase - all good. 

I recently got it back from a set-up, and noticed the neck pick-up had gone very dark and muddy. I think the bridge is ok, although if I had to call, I would suggest it too is darker. 

I popped it back for them to look at, and they said it seemed fine (though when I demoed it, the technician said you need to keep it off the humbucker if you want it brighter - and I had it fully dialled into the single coil at the time !!).

Sorry - I am such a rambler ! Here's my question - aside from pick-up height and balance, is there anything that could have happened during a set-up to affect the actual sound ? If this was my hi-fi, I would think that the treble had been damaged or partially disconnected. It may appear finicky, but honestly, I knew exactly the sound and biting response my Jag used to have.

Any advice would be appreciated...

Thanks - J

Funkfingers

First thought, dry solder joint somewhere.

It is possible that screening materials are making unwanted physical contact with the switch contacts.

Also, check the Bass Cut (AKA “strangle”) slider switch.

ICBM

Muddy/dull/dark tone is a symptom of a partial short circuit not a poor contact or an open circuit, so check for contacts with any of the parts to the shielding rather than loose connections. This can also happen if a shielded cable gets overheated during soldering, but I wouldn't expect that to have been something they would do in a set-up - tightening a loose jack or switch might be, and if it turned round slightly it could be touching the shielding. If it's just on one pickup then the switch is most likely as Funkfingers said.

SPECTRUM001

Thanks for these suggestions - I will run them by the tech.

I wouldn’t have expected them to have been tinkering with any switching or soldering during the set up, though they did remove the neck for some fret work.

But, of course funny things can happen...

Thanks again.

grayn

It must be totally depressing, sending your beloved guitar in for a spruce up and it comes back, tonally ruined.
The fact that the tech thought you were playing it on HB mode, when you were on S/C, kinda spells out the problem.
They should sort this out, not you.
But they'll probably squirm out of it.

SPECTRUM001

grayn said:

It must be totally depressing, sending your beloved guitar in for a spruce up and it comes back, tonally ruined.
The fact that the tech thought you were playing it on HB mode, when you were on S/C, kinda spells out the problem.
They should sort this out, not you.
But they'll probably squirm out of it.

There does seem to be a risk with leaving your guitar for its set up.

I have had them returned with dings, faulty pots, work not finished, etc etc. Don’t know if I am unlucky, picky or just too observant for my own good (probably the latter) !!!

Discussion from people on this forum who know about these things suggests it is pretty straightforward stuff (if it is your trade) - though I would imagine volume and pressure of workload in a confined space/workshop can easily lead to errors.

For sure, I will take it in and request they give it another look.