Weird Strat Earth Issue- Help?

Gassage

Right, the preCBS sunburst.

When I am playing solo type stuff, I tend to have a heavy right hand but I use my pad of hand behind my thumb to mute the bass side of the strings.

A weird thing is happening- occasionally, if I press the bottom E string against the pole piece of the neck or bridge pup accidentally, the whole guitar earths out and goes silent- well actually it crackles a bit too. I can't reach the middle pup pole pieces as I set the middle pup lower.

It is not specific to the active pick up either- it'll cut out whichever pickup I'm using and whichever one I press it against.

I took it apart, spray the various things worth spraying with Servisol I got blue tac and cleaned any errant wire wool filings out of the pickups, but it still happens.

I also check the jack polarity- it's correct.

The earth is also on the trem claw. All wiring seemed correct.

What is happening?

martinw

Corrosion on the pickup wiring allowing the pole pieces to come in contact with the live side of the wiring. String then grounds the circuit, acting as a mute.

Gassage

martinw said:

Corrosion on the pickup wiring allowing the pole pieces to come in contact with the live side of the wiring. String then grounds the circuit, acting as a mute.

Martin, yup I thought this may be the case- a question- when I wire wolled the board, I didn't do a decent job of taping the pups- could a fragment of the wire wool be causing the short?

I've just used bluetac to get as much off as I could. I really don't want to rewind the neck pup- it's stunning.

martinw

Gassage said:

martinw said:

Corrosion on the pickup wiring allowing the pole pieces to come in contact with the live side of the wiring. String then grounds the circuit, acting as a mute.

Martin, yup I thought this may be the case- a question- when I wire wolled the board, I didn't do a decent job of taping the pups- could a fragment of the wire wool be causing the short?

I've just used bluetac to get as much off as I could. I really don't want to rewind the neck pup- it's stunning.

Only if some of the insulating enamel has come off the pickup wire anyway, so no, that's doubtful. On a guitar that age, more likely just general wear and tear, sweat and beer.

No doubt Ash will be along shortly to advise!

Gassage

martinw said:

Gassage said:

martinw said:

Corrosion on the pickup wiring allowing the pole pieces to come in contact with the live side of the wiring. String then grounds the circuit, acting as a mute.

Martin, yup I thought this may be the case- a question- when I wire wolled the board, I didn't do a decent job of taping the pups- could a fragment of the wire wool be causing the short?

I've just used bluetac to get as much off as I could. I really don't want to rewind the neck pup- it's stunning.

Only if some of the insulating enamel has come off the pickup wire anyway, so no, that's doubtful. On a guitar that age, more likely just general wear and tear, sweat and beer.

No doubt Ash will be along shortly to advise!

The bugger is on holiday.

martinw

Lazy git.

I'd suggest it's bridge pickup that needs a rewind, as that's the one that is causing the muting. I would also guess it's the one that's most likely to have suffered corrosion, given it's the one nearest the players sweaty hands, normally.

Gassage

martinw said:

Lazy git.

I'd suggest it's bridge pickup that needs a rewind, as that's the one that is causing the muting. I would also guess it's the one that's most likely to have suffered corrosion, given it's the one nearest the players sweaty hands, normally.

No, I'm sure it's the neck. The bridge currently has a SD SSL1C DG Custom Shop in it- I have the original safely stored and in fact am going to put it back in.

normula1

As a temporary work-around, could you stretch a bit of cling film or a fragment of clear tape over the polepieces so the string doesn't touch the polepiece?

Gassage

normula1 said:

As a temporary work-around, could you stretch a bit of cling film or a fragment of clear tape over the polepieces so the string doesn't touch the polepiece?

Clear nail varnish

Sassafras

Why clear nail varnish?
Jazz it up with something sparkly, it's only an old guitar.

Gassage

Sassafras said:

Why clear nail varnish?
Jazz it up with something sparkly, it's only an old guitar.

Because it might clash with my nails.

Sassafras

Gassage said:

Sassafras said:

Why clear nail varnish?
Jazz it up with something sparkly, it's only an old guitar.

Because it might clash with my nails.

That's why I was surprised you even had clear varnish.