what keeps dropping out my pickup

[WhiteRabbitz]

Hey everyone thanks for checking out my thread

so i keep loosing my neck picku.....I noticed that when I tip my guitar upsidedown it cuts out
its a lp-1
So I first checked out the control cavity....my braided wire from hot pickup selector to jack was touching the volume pot I moved it and it worked again...so I replace that with a normal coted wire

but still having the issue
I noticed that when I touch 2 wires together in the control cavity it cuts out and buzzes.....even when these wires are inly touching plastic to plastic not metal to metal


antone have any idea as to how coated wire can still short or interfear with each other....

[pablopepper]

I'd say the plastic isn't quite thick enough to insulate the wires completely. Maybe try isolating the culprit wires with some heat shrink or tape them down where they can't move around and short out against each other.

[wokkaboy]

Hey WhiteRabbitz (you must have been to Jrod's spelling school !),
as Pabs said you will have to trouble shoot which wires are causing the short and replace them or tape them so they don't make contact. Where did you get the braided wire from ?

[WhiteRabbitz]

Thanks guys I though it was something like em shorting.....all the wires are from pitbul diy guitar kits.....the braid is from pitbull aswell......it might not havr been the braid ...maybe more the coated wires touching......ill have ago at fixing soon
thanks for your info guys

[kenfu]

For work when I have to go on site I keep a can of paint on electric tape in my toolkit. It is great for insulating very small connections or repairing insulation that gets pinched or cut. A complete bear to remove if you have to though. But might be just the huckleberry for doubling up some insulation on the small wires. And you wouldn't have to unsolder any connections or muck around with trying to tape the wires while still connected. Just a thought.

[DrNomis_44]

There's at least a few things that might be causing the pickup dropout, possible dry solder-joints, possible breaks in the pickup wiring, a bad pot, a bad pickup selector switch, a dry solder-joint in the pickup, or, a hairline fracture of the enamelled wire inside the malfunctioning pickup.

[Rabbitz]

I have to say that I am very dubious about the insulation on the wires breaking down at such infinitesimally small voltages. We are talking 100 mV to 1V (RMS) which in peak value terms is still 160 mV 1.6 mV (or there abouts).

It would be more likely that you have High Resistance / Dry / Faulty solder joints. When you move the wires to touch the insulated parts you are stressing the solder joints and revealing the issue.

Have you checked really carefully that there are no stray conductors hanging off the joins that may move and short on another wire or connection?

Is the braided wire you are using insulated? I'm having difficulty picturing it in my mind. If it is uninsulated I can't see anything but trouble with it shorting any number of things.

[stan]

it might help to show us a picture of the control cavity and wiring, and some closer pics of any joints