Pickup Problem or somthing else?

[Flounder102Bass]

i have a Fender USA P Bass and im having a problem with the G string its not giving volume as the rest of them are . i did put the pickup higher to it but still sounds the same . so could it be the Pickups or somthing else

[60bass]

Originally Posted by Flounder102Bass

i have a Fender USA P Bass and im having a problem with the G string its not giving volume as the rest of them are . i did put the pickup higher to it but still sounds the same . so could it be the Pickups or somthing else

Let's check it one step at a time OK.

Have you recently changed strings? If so did it do it before?

Does the string sound dead unplugged? If so, possible dead string. Or possible binding up at the nut or bridge. Try stringing that G through the bridge instead of the body and see if it helps.

When amped, does it sound dead "open" or fretted? If open, again suspect a possible dead string or binding somewhere. If fretted, is it around the fourth through sixth frets? If so you could have the dreaded Fender "dead spot" somewhat common on Fenders and very hard to correct.

Try lowering the PU, you can actually kill the tone on a P by having the PU too close. Start low and see how it sounds moving the height up till it sounds good.

Make sure the string passes between the pole pieces on the PU. If it's a little off it's ok but you dont want it too far to one side or the other.

Try these things and let us know what shakes out.

[Flounder102Bass]

cmon guys i need a anser

[HeavyDuty]

You already have an answer. Remember, the FSM helps those that help themselves.

Go through what 60bass suggested and get back to us if it's still not right.

[pbd]

Yup, 60bass has you going in a good direction, check everything out and you may find that it is something that won't cost you money to fix. Those are my favorite fixes. I hate putting out some cash only to find out I had something bound up in the nut or a bugger on the bridge and that would have fixed my problem.

Todd

[60bass]

Originally Posted by Flounder102Bass

cmon guys i need a anser

Hi again.

I just thought of something else. Your OP doesn't say what year your USA P is? If it's the older model with the S1 switch, you might have a wiring problem. If you tried the above things I mentioned and you still have a problem, then the PU's are going to need to be checked with an OHM meter to see if the treble side is weak.

Basically, the PU reading on a set of "good" P bass PU's should be around 10K OHMS. I've seen them as low as 8.1 and as high as 11. Anywhere around 10k and the PU's are probably OK. If they read lower than let's say, 6K then you probably have a problem. You need to unsolder the PU's from the circuit to get a good reading. You can try the "poor mans" PU test. Tap each pole piece with a small screwdriver with the bass plugged in and tone full treble at a volume where you can clearly hear it. They should all have roughly the same volume when you tap them if not the PU "MAY" be bad. I say may because the only way to know for sure is to check the OHM reading. If the bass is an S1 model, do it with the switch in both positions.

I don't know your level of knowledge so I hope this makes sense. If you feel you can't attempt this, just have a local shop do a check for you.

Really the things I mentioned before and / or bad PU's are about all that could cause your problem. Unless somebody got in there and messed with the PU or wiring, I would suspect something other than the PU. Sweat can work it's way into the PU windings and cause a weak or shorted output, but usually only on an older bass with years of playing. A cold solder joint on the PU wiring can cause a drop in volume, but usually affects all strings.

Try all this stuff and let us know what you find.