Ok. So! I've had this baby since March or so. Gibson made, 96 model, classic, premium plus top.
This morning, I go to play it. And the bridge pick up works fine. Now, for those of you who are unfamiliar. The middle posistion of the pup selector is controlled by both volume knobs. The bridge is controled by the bridge knob, and the neck by the neck.
Well! I switch to the neck, and the same hum is there as with the bridge pup, just as loud, but when I actually play, its like the volume knob is set to 1. Then, I turn up the bridge pick up knob, and it gets slighty louder, (barely) and a bit more distorted. (im on distortion channel)
When I go to clean channell, I can barely hear it even with the bridge pick up knob up.
bottom line though, the bridge pup shouldn't even affect the neck one. IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!
Thanks for your help in advance!.
Maybe the problem lies elsewhere. Could your lead be damaged, a loose connection in the jack plug, for example.
Your lead could be damaged somewhere along the length - so try another lead if you have one.
There may also be a problem in the switch - check that and also make sure that the contacts are clean.
Whats a lead?
And how do I check out the connection, I took off that little back circle, but I'm scared to touch anything back there. I'm very inexperienced, and vey broke, and it was very expensive!haha
Thanks again for the help.
Volume and tone control, even the selector switch can break down from time to time. It's not uncommon for these parts. Even a wire or two could have come loose. If your mechanically take a look to see if something doesn't look right. Without testing it with a meter these would just be common starting points. Maybe the switch isn't making good contact.
Joe
The lead is the "cable/cord" connecting the guitar to the amp.
I would first check that and the jack on the guitar where the cord plugs in.
If it is not grounded well or a wire is loose there, you can get strange results ; )...
This might help http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/stockgibson.php
Hmm. It all looks right on the inside. Can't see any loose conenctions, or broken connections..
It could be the lead, but I don't have another to check it with.. Anyother way to check if its ___ to rule it out?
You should own more than one cable, for just this occassion. Even a foot long effects cable would let you check it out.
You could also try running your cable to your tuner and switch between your pickups and see if the tuner is "hearing" anything.
You could also try a little compressed air around the switch. It sounds like it isn't switching all the way, maybe. If both volume knobs are affecting the volume, that sounds like it is stuck in the middle position.
Just a guess...
thats exactly what I think it is... I wasn't sure, but when I flicked the switch with the back open, it didn't seem like it was moving. I figured that thats how it always looks , cause what the heck do I know. But since you mentioned it, amybe thats it. Any idea how to fix it? (I own 3 cables, one is with a friend, the other is also broken, cheap colorful peice of you know what).
What did you mean by compressed air around the switch?
thanks again for your help.
Sometimes a little grit can get in the pots and switches and cause noise or prevent smooth operation. The first, because it's the easiest, treatment is to buy a can of compressed air, sometimes called something like electronics contact cleaner (though some of these have lubricant of some kind, so don't spray that all over your finish) or some such, you can get it at the hardware store, or Radio Shack or a computer store, and spray it into the switch.
If you are lucky it will dislodge a piece of grit and everything will work like new.
Maybe a very small amount of WD40 or Silicone lube into the underside of the switch.
You may just need a new switch.
If you get a wiring diagram and a multimeter, you could test to see if the switch is doing what it is supposed to. You might want to do this before you start spraying lubricant everywhere.
Unless you have the compressed air already, a new switch is probably just as cheap, isn't it?
Yeah, and you could put in a better switch for a few bucks, you just have to install it.
I'm gonna borrow a friends lead tomorrow and see if thats the case, might as well rule that out before I try all this otherstuff, I'll get back to you all.
Yup, its not the lead! Damnit! lol.
I'll get a bottle of that compressed air.. (keyboard cleaner works right?) and try that I guess.
Maybe a very small amount of WD40 or Silicone lube into the underside of the switch.
You may just need a new switch.
This has probably come up in the GN forums somewhere before, as it is the topic of endless debate/discussion elsewhere: WD40 is primarily a solvent, whose purpose is to free stuck parts. It should not be used on electrical parts unless one intends to clean it away completely and immediately. It's better not to use it at all. The correct thing to use is electrical contact cleaner. A relay burnishing tool (sort of a very fine, tiny file) for the Gibson-type leaf switches is even better, but requires a bit of skill.
As far as the whole lead issue goes, one should look for common points of failure: if one pups/switch position works correctly and another doesn't, it is NOT the lead, or the jack, but something that changed when you flicked the switch: that is something in the neck pup circuit that is not in the bridge circuit as well. The only place this gets tricky is that the switch has essentially independent electrical sides, and can fail in one position, and not the other.
As Sloth and Paul have indicated, it's probably the switch. Gibson usually uses good quality (Switchcraft) leaf switches, so it should be cleanable -- just use the right stuff.
Good luck -- Greg
-=tension & release=-
well alright, finally got that can of compressed air, took long enough eh? And no, didn't do the trick...I'm going to start guitar lessons soon, and I'll have my guitar teacher look at it, before I try all these other suggestions.
