P Bass cutting out when moved

[schwagner]

Hi all,

I have a weird problem. I bought a MIM P-bass three years ago, and I've had problems with it since I bought it. Of course, now, it's out of warranty. The problem is: the thing works and sounds great at home, but when I throw it in the car to take to practice, when I get there, it cuts out. The bass sounds thin and distorted. Until, that is, I really wail on the strings. If I simply strum all four strings hard, it cleans up, and works perfectly for the rest of the night. Then, when I get home and plug back in, it repeats. I've removed the pickguard, and the problem persists. I'm starting to worry that it's a bad pickup, but I'm hoping it's just a pot or solder joint. Any ideas?

Thanks,
schwagner

 

[Warpeg]

Troubleshoot by isolating and testing each potential issue.

 

[Crater]

I believe Fender often uses the shielding foil under the pickguard as the ground conductor on some basses. This means the connection to ground is mechanical, and not via a soldered wire. If the nuts holding the output jack and/or pots come loose, it will cause a poor and intermittent ground connection which could cause these symptoms.