think my pickups are shot

mothmonsterman · #1 03-17-2009, 01:59 PM

How do you tell if your pickups are shot?
I've got a warwick corvette and all of a sudden my bass started sounding a little distorted mainly in the lows.
I put a new battery in to no avail.
new strings still nothing.
and the whole thing just plain sounds a little dead.
it's happening with both pickups.

how do you tell if your pickups are going bad, I can;t seem to find much on google about it.

Jo6Pak · #2 03-17-2009, 02:09 PM

how does it sound in passive mode?

Jim Carr · #3 03-17-2009, 02:12 PM

Sorry to hear you are having a problem.

Very unlikely both would go at once. Usually, a pickup will drop in output due to shorting along the windings. Time, physical trauma, or extremes of moisture are usually the cause of output drop.

Has the instrument been submerged in water, or exposed to a corrosive environment like numerous cruise ship or seaside gigs?

Have you considered a poor connection in the output jack/wiring?

mothmonsterman · #4 03-17-2009, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jo6Pak

how does it sound in passive mode?

the same
also been getting alot of noise I didn't used to.

mothmonsterman · #5 03-17-2009, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

Sorry to hear you are having a problem.

Very unlikely both would go at once. Usually, a pickup will drop in output due to shorting along the windings. Time, physical trauma, or extremes of moisture are usually the cause of output drop.

Has the instrument been submerged in water, or exposed to a corrosive environment like numerous cruise ship or seaside gigs?

Have you considered a poor connection in the output jack/wiring?

No I don't go boogie boarding with this bass I use my carrera for that.
It's usually stored on a stand in the basement, not that this basement is particularly damp but average.

I have considered the bad output jack but if I jiggle it the sound doesn't change normally I would think I'd be able to hear a bad connection on that end.

Jo6Pak · #6 03-17-2009, 02:34 PM

what about the amp? have another bass or amp to compare?

Craig_S · #7 03-17-2009, 02:41 PM

Did you try a new cable?

mothmonsterman · #8 03-17-2009, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jo6Pak

what about the amp? have another bass or amp to compare?

aye, my MB CMD 102p, and little practice amp and my zoom pedal with headphones.

mothmonsterman · #9 03-17-2009, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig_S

Did you try a new cable?

miles of them
I'll make it easy on us all, anyone know a good tech in the suburban detroit area I can have look at it?

Ric5 · #10 03-17-2009, 03:09 PM

replace the battery

mothmonsterman · #11 03-17-2009, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ric5

replace the battery

3 times with a crappy CVS battery, energizer and duracell.

mothmonsterman · #12 03-17-2009, 04:05 PM

eureka!
Well and that kids is how we find out about warwick's locking 2 piece bridge, aparently when I took it in to get setup a few months later the saddle and bridge locks came loose and that's what was causing the distorted crappy sound.

tighten them down made a few adjustments and it's now all gravy.
I feel stupid yet accomplished thanks for the help fellas.