Sound Cuts Out When String Touches Bottom G-String magnet on P-Bass Pickup

[MovingPitchers]

Let me preface by saying, there were other threads with similar issues on this forum and on Reddit but they're fairly old posts and I didn't really get definite possible answers from reading the comments.

PICKUP: Fender Pure Vintage '63 Precision Bass Pickup

ISSUE: I was doing some TLC on my Player Precision Bass, such as cleaning out the internal cavity, making sure wires weren't frayed or loose, etc. When I put it all back together and went to change strings, I noticed the issue.

The bottom G-string magnet, when it makes contact with the G-string, the sound cuts out completely. This is during string change and obviously I don't play THAT hard that I need to worry about this issue during performances.

I'm not sure what the issue is. I didn't touch the solder connections on the pickups at all. I've never encountered this at all!

Thoughts?

 

[sunbeast]

Alnico is conductive, so somewhere that magnet now has a path to the "hot" output that is being grounded through the bridge via the string. I suspect either there is something conductive touching both the polepiece and the white/hot wire where it is exposed on the bottom of the pickup or the insulation in the pickup coil deep inside the pickup is missing and so the coil wire itself is in contact where it wraps around the poles. If its a problem that just started I'd suspect the first option. You didn't flip the foam upside down so that the metal shielding plate rested against the pickup did you?

 

[-Stingray]

ISSUE: I was doing some TLC on my Player Precision Bass, such as cleaning out the internal cavity, making sure wires weren't frayed or loose, etc.

Wait........is this a thing?

 

[MovingPitchers]

Alnico is conductive, so somewhere that magnet now has a path to the "hot" output that is being grounded through the bridge via the string. I suspect either there is something conductive touching both the polepiece and the white/hot wire where it is exposed on the bottom of the pickup or the insulation in the pickup coil deep inside the pickup is missing and so the coil wire itself is in contact where it wraps around the poles. If it's a problem that just started I'd suspect the first option. You didn't flip the foam upside down so that the metal shielding plate rested against the pickup did you?

I don't think I flipped the foam or anything.

I may have to reopen the bass and look at all the wirings and connections. I don't think I did a very good job at the soldering so it's worth taking another look I suppose.

 

[YeahDoIt]

This might be cool, kind of like a kill switch effect.