Sterling Pickup Question

[cicatrice]

Hey all,

I recently acquired a used MM Sterling H, and I'm a little concerned about the pickup being wonky. There's a huge drop in volume in the single coil position (2) from the series or parallel modes (1)/(3)-- is that at all normal? That hasn't been a characteristic of other MM Sterlings I've played or heard.

I did an idiot check and changed the battery and looked for loose cables in the electronics cavity, but didn't see anything glaring. Any other recommendations on what could be happening?

Cheers,

John

 

[depalm]

A slight drop on low end is expected when in SG but not a huge drop in volume. Did you check if both coils are working?
Maybe it is time to take it to a good repairman.

But if you don't feel the bass is in good shape then you should return it to the previous owner.

 

[cicatrice]

I pulled the pickup out and looked at it again today. Turns out the black wire leading from the phantom coil out to the preamp cavity was badly bent and frayed, probably from getting crushed against the side of the pickup route.

Took a section of that wire out and replaced it with a new section of 24-gauge hookup wire, which worked like a charm.

 

[Stealth]

You're right, no other Sterling should have that problem, as there are compensating resistors that keep the pickup output consistent regardless of the mode you're in. Good to hear your fix worked.