ShortScale.org

Before I take my '65 Mustang to a luthier who knows vintage, can someone help me be a better-educated consumer?

Just over the past few days I was experimenting with a percussive technique, finishing some tunes with sustain while using my right-hand knuckles to tap on the body just behind the bridge. Not sayin this has caused a problem; could be pure coincidence.

But last night I notice the bridge pickup is about half the volume of the neck pup. Tested it through two different amps. Bridge half the guts of the neck...

These are the original pups and have never needed any repairs (as best as I know, and I do trust the vintage dealer who sold it to me). I'm guessing one possibility might be a break somewhere in the 46-year-old winding.

What else should I be considering before I take it to an expert?

Thanks,

a loose 46 year old solder joint?

kypdurron wrote:a loose 46 year old solder joint?

Thanks, kyp, and that would be an easier fix. Anyone else have thoughts?

Cheers,

Obviously you've checked the pickup heights. Raise the bridge pickup if you've not tried this already.

I'm not sure about a solder joint being the issue - that'd likely kill the signal from that pickup. Perhaps there's a break in the winding. You can test this by checking the DC resistance of each pickup. They oughtta be pretty close.

May be coincidence, unless something was already loose and hanging. It wouldn't hurt to have a peek under the guard to see if anything looks amiss.

I had a broken solder joint that did exactly what the op says - the pup was still pushing down on the joint, but it was a very poor connection and it made it about half as loud. If I pushed down on the pickup it went back to normal volume.

Old switches can be really temperamental in these. I have original switches in mine but I really need to change them out. Sometimes I can use them fine, other times the slightest touch messes with the volume/connection.

Try tapping on the top of the switches and see if the sound changes.

Thanks, Dgnr8, Nick, and Thomas. Good suggestions. Tim, not sure I see how your suggestion connects to what I described...can you elaborate?

Cheers,

he means put a multimeter on each pickup and check the resistance. if they're wildly different then you possibly have a damaged winding.

timhulio wrote:Obviously you've checked the pickup heights. Raise the bridge pickup if you've not tried this already.

Can you explain this a bit more, Tim?

Thanks,

i wouldn't think that pickup height makes a massive difference. I have this problem on my Jazzmaster from time to time; once it was dirt on the switch that had that effect.

kypdurron wrote:i wouldn't think that pickup height makes a massive difference. I have this problem on my Jazzmaster from time to time; once it was dirt on the switch that had that effect.

Thanks, kyp. I was thinkin "How could pup height all of a sudden cause a diminished volume...?" All possibilities are welcome, though, cuz ya just never know (so thanks, Tim).

Cheers,

Yes, obviously if the pickup heights haven't changed and the volume of one decreases that's not the issue, but if you do have one higher than the other (particularly the neck) that can account for volume differences.

Did you open 'er up and have a look what's wrong?