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Need Help - No sound

twinrockerz

twinrockerz

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Jan 11, 2016
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#1
My son has a Fender Jaguar Bass that is a year and a half old that he uses for middle school band. He went back to school on Monday and his bass won't play when it is plugged into the amp. At first, he thought the cord was bad but now we know it's the guitar.

Does this bass have a battery? Is there a reason after sitting this summer in it's case it wouldn't work?

Please help as he needs this for school tomorrow.
Thank you for your help!
J
 
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#2
Some Jaguars have a battery, but I think there should be a switch position to run it passive (w/o the battery).

Do the controls look like this?

256547d1203579816-ot-looking-for-a-pdf-of-the-jaguar-bass-manual-jag.jpg
 
#7
That bass is definitely passive (no battery needed) so it's got to be a wiring problem (pot wires, jack wires etc) I wouldn't expect it to be the pickup wires as it'd be pretty unlucky for both of them to lose a connection at the same time but stranger things have happened.

I have to ask how you "know" it's the bass that is the problem. Have you been able to try the amp and lead with a different bass or guitar?
 
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#8
If the cord and amp are both confirmed ok, and you've got the plug fully inserted into the jack and no scratches or noise when wiggling the plug or turning the knobs then you definitely have something broken inside.

Unscrew the control plate, gently flip it over and take a look at the wires underneath. Post a pic of it here if you can.
 
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#9
BAG said:
That bass is definitely passive (no battery needed) so it's got to be a wiring problem (pot wires, jack wires etc) I wouldn't expect it to be the pickup wires as it'd be pretty unlucky for both of them to lose a connection at the same time but stranger things have happened.

I have to ask how you "know" it's the bass that is the problem. Have you been able to try the amp and lead with a different bass or guitar?
Click to expand...

Yes we've tried two diff amps and two diff cords. Even when you tap the cord you can hear both are working. My son normally plays the electric guitar so we've tried other guitars and all work fine.
 
#10
Nev375 said:
If the cord and amp are both confirmed ok, and you've got the plug fully inserted into the jack and no scratches or noise when wiggling the plug or turning the knobs then you definitely have something broken inside.

Unscrew the control plate, gently flip it over and take a look at the wires underneath. Post a pic of it here if you can.
Click to expand...


I don't know where the control plate is...we were going to take it to guitar center tomorrow. How much should I pay to have it repaired.
 
#12
Could be something as simple as the instrument connector jack on the bass not making full contact internally. That is an easy peezy fix.

And I hate to say this and not trying to be smarta**...but he did try turning the volume button up on the bass right?

That bass you show is fairly simple wiring inside and it's easy to get to.

Sometimes the instrument jack can work loose on those. I had it happen on my Jag SS which is basically the same bass.

You shouldn't be paying very much at all to get it fixed.

That chrome plate just unscrews ...and there's all the wiring (of which there isn't much at all).
 
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#13
ZenG said:
And I hate to say this and not trying to be smarta**...but he did try turning the volume button up on the bass right?
Click to expand...

This also came to mind. No offense meant by it at all-- Oftentimes the right answer to something is the one that requires the fewest assumptions, and in my few years of playing my ratio of "thought I had a problem but actually just forgot to turn something on/up" to "actually had a problem at all" is... well, pretty much a whole lot to nothing.

--^@
 
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#14
ZenG said:
Could be something as simple as the instrument connector jack on the bass not making full contact internally. That is an easy peezy fix.

And I hate to say this and not trying to be smarta**...but he did try turning the volume button up on the bass right?

That bass you show is fairly simple wiring inside and it's easy to get to.

Sometimes the instrument jack can work loose on those. I had it happen on my Jag SS which is basically the same bass.

You shouldn't be paying very much at all to get it fixed.

That chrome plate just unscrews ...and there's all the wiring (of which there isn't much at all).
Click to expand...


The wire is broken...
 

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#17
twinrockerz said:
The wire is broken...
Click to expand...

Yay. You didn't have to spend any money at the shop. :hyper:

twinrockerz said:
My son's school does and his friend might but we don't. Can we fix it by soldering it back together?
Click to expand...
Yep. Just solder it back on and you're good to go.
If you don't have time to borrow the soldering iron just strip away enough wire to wrap it around (if there's enough slack) and tape it to get through the show. That's just the dodgy "get it going for now" fix and then solder it properly when you can.
 
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#18
BAG said:
Yay. You didn't have to spend any money at the shop. :hyper:


Yep. Just solder it back on and you're good to go.
If you don't have time to borrow the soldering iron just strip away enough wire to wrap it around (if there's enough slack) and tape it to get through the show. That's just the dodgy "get it going for now" fix and then solder it properly when you can.
Click to expand...

I used electric tape and it's working. We will get it fixed when his friend returns from his trip or his robotics teacher can help solder it for us. Thanks so much for all your help!
 
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#20
BAG said:
:thumbsup:;):hyper::bassist:

You wouldn't believe some of the things i did as a roadie back in the 80's just to get through a show. :laugh:
Click to expand...

Good man! I hear you. :thumbsup:

Same for half the people in working bands back in the 60s and 70s. Talk about waltzing in half clueless with soldering iron, Swiss Army knife, and rolls of electricians and gaffers tape where angels (along with people who actually knew what they were doing) feared to tread.

It's amazing we didn't electrocute ourselves - or fry more stuff than we did. :laugh:
 

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