Hi comrades,

Please don't shoot for asking Yet Another Switch Question. (I did due dilligence and searched the archives but couldn't find what I'm after.)

Anway, I'm a recent G & L convert. The switches and knobs make sense to me, but something strikes me as odd. When I try to solo the bridge p/u, I seem to have a conflict with the series/parallel switch.

Seems like when soloing the bridge, and the parallel switch is engaged, the bridge basically cuts off. Maybe I'm dislexic and it's series instead, but in one of the two positions the output of the bridge p/u goes to almost nothing.

Is this supposed to happen, or are my switches or electronics hosed? I hate the idea of boxing this thing up and sending it back. The seller's tech guy is going to talk to me tomorrow, but you guys might tell me if this is normal or not.

BTW, I'm new to TalkBass. I come by way of listening to the podcast. I have devoured a lot of the historical wisdom here before buying my new Tribute and appreciate your patience if you can help me out on this.

Thanks much

Pete Johnson
Atlanta

Take a look in the control cavity. It sounds like a loose or shorted pickup wire. My L2500 Trib doesn't do this. The bridge pickup solo in parallel mode sounds AWESOME, as does series

Thanks for the sanity check, bro.

I got a schematic and in the cavity there's nothing outwardly wrong. The connections at the p/u are OK as well.

In the past, I've had pickups go bad because those tiny wires linking coils get messed up. That's my strongest sense here also, because when I gently tap with a screwdriver on the row of magnets nearest the physical bridge, there's a loud CLICK. The upper row sounds anemic when I tap it.

Frustrating, because otherwise, this instrument puts out some fantastic sound! I put it through its paces last night and it's impressive. But argh. If the tech tomorrow sheds any light, I'll be sure to follow up.

Thanks again,

Pete

I just sounds like a loose wire or something. If you haven't moved or taken apart the pickups, it would be quite hard for them to go bad. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I suspect an electronic problem. Some of these basses had problems with the control pots, and your switch might also be bad, too.

I hope you get it going again, because these are some o the best basses I have ever played.

I too have a Tribute 4-stringer, and just last night I was playing on the bridge pickup and parallel for the first half of "Devil With the Blue Dress...", switiching to Series for the bridge part, and encountered nothing like you described. It's an awesome bass, and maybe a thorough check of the electronics would set it right, a there is a lot going on there. Hope it works out, please let us know!

Seems like when soloing the bridge, and the parallel switch is engaged, the bridge basically cuts off. Maybe I'm dislexic and it's series instead, but in one of the two positions the output of the bridge p/u goes to almost nothing.


Pete you are doing the right thing with the pole piece pop test. Both pickups should act the same on that. I have seen a bass where the pickups were in opposites due to wiring on the switch. Meaning the bridge would be in series while that same position the neck was parallel and vise versa.

Use the neck alone and make sure it is in series, aka bass boost, then flip to the bridge.

What could cause what you are hearing is the bridge pickup is only running a single coil. Could be a pickup, switch, wires, etc. but if one coil is out you will get a weaker output in parallel and nothing in series.

Jim

Thanks to all for the sanity check. The excellent people at Bass NW are making the return completely painless. Chad, tech wizard, spoke with me at length and is baffled, but they're swapping it for a new sunburst L-2000.

I was in real pain at the thought of not playing one of these G & Ls. An hour noodling with my albeit limping model convinced me these are great, and in the bargain I got intimately familiar with the innards, which is always a good thing.

With that problem solved, now if we could just do something about drummers and guitar players :-)

Thanks again to all at TalkBass and at Bass NW.

Pete
Atlanta