please help with low pickup output

mellowlogic · Post by **mellowlogic** » Fri Dec 03, 2010 3:17 am

I've just bought a 70's epiphone riviera off craigslist. The thing is basically mint, however, the neck pickup hardly has any output. When I say 'hardly', I mean that if I strike the strings relatively hard, a tuner will pick up the note, however, you can't really hear anything through an amp. The bridge works fine, so I don't think it's a jack problem.

So, shortscale, does anyone have any ideas on what I could check for? I'm confused because I would expect a pickup to either work or not work, not something in between.

Anyway, thanks in advance for your help

lorez · Post by **lorez** » Fri Dec 03, 2010 11:03 am

check your switch, I had a similar issue on an epiphone and i just resoldered the switch and it sorted it out. Also if you have a multimeter you could take a reading from the pickups to eliminate any issues that might be with that as well.

George · Post by **George** » Fri Dec 03, 2010 11:09 am

lorez wrote: if you have a multimeter you could take a reading from the pickups to eliminate any issues that might be with that as well.

Exactly what I was gonna say.

NickS · Post by **NickS** » Fri Dec 03, 2010 1:30 pm

Epi pickup switches are notorious. I had a similar problem with a friend-of-my-son's Epi Les Paul. I think the metal the frame is made of is too soft. I did a fix but after a few months it was back to crap - a Gibson replacement switch fixed it.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 1:43 pm

My friend had that problem on his Highway One Jazz Bass, i took a reading with the Multimeter and the pickup was about dead. The shop told him it had no warranty, Â£600 Bass, nice.
So yeah, check the switch and if that's okay get a reading of the pickup. It should read about the same as the bridge pickup, maybe a little less.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 2:58 pm

Hell, my GIBSON LP's switch started crapping out in about a year of casual playing. Chances are what's coming through your amp in the neck position is actually just bleeding from your bridge pickup....try touching the contacts of the both pickups with a screwdriver to see which is actually making the sound.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 3:08 pm

Nick wrote:Chances are what's coming through your amp in the neck position is actually just bleeding from your bridge pickup....

That's what was happening with the Jazz Bass.

mellowlogic · Post by **mellowlogic** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 6:07 pm

Thanks for all the advice guys. Since the forum was down yesterday, I didn't see any of this and replaced the pickup with a known good one. I used all the same wiring and such, because it's a hollow body, and I had the same problem. It's got to be the switch or some other wiring to the pots.

Looks like I'm gonna have to start digging around in there, this is going to be such a nightmare haha.

Billy3000 · Post by **Billy3000** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 7:24 pm

Yea everyone I know that plays an epiphone has had to replace the switch in theirs. The lead guitar player in my band bought a very rarely used Epi LP custom in august, and he's already had to replace the switch, just from a couple months of practicing and gigging.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 11:35 pm

there was a fellow in indiana a few years back that had a rather nice epi les paul with a toggle problem, at first, i cleaned and bent the toggle back to shape, but then within a few months it was back to cutting out and crackling. i just replaced it with something laying around and i haven't heard any problems since,(its been every bit of two years)