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Strange tone problem...
- Thread starter MoeTown1986
- Start date
Its probably just a cold solder joint (check your output jack too when testing), but instead of chasing down ghosts in the electronics, you can take this opportunity to install an Aguilar preamp, Bart pickup, ramp from pickup to bridge, shield your pickup and control cavities, ground your pickup cover, change strings, complete setup, and then put it back on the wall for another 6 months. 
I'll fix it for you for free. Send it to me, I'll fix it, and, return it. Of course, part of my standard service is I make sure it's working before I send it back. A decade or two of gigs, just to be certain. I wouldn't want to return it if it isn't gig worthy.
I do! Just not very often. I really gets pulled out when my singer wants me to join him at an acoustic gig here and there. My jazz 5's go to our full band gigs.
HAHA! Yeah, "hey honey, don't mind the credit card charges... Just giving Gramps (that's it's name) an overhaul to hang him back up!"Its probably just a cold solder joint (check your output jack too when testing), but instead of chasing down ghosts in the electronics, you can take this opportunity to install an Aguilar preamp, Bart pickup, ramp from pickup to bridge, shield your pickup and control cavities, ground your pickup cover, change strings, complete setup, and then put it back on the wall for another 6 months.
Another thing to check is if everything has enough space in the control cavity. If something touched something it's not supposed to when everything gets screwed back into place, you get pots links in ways they shouldn't be.
When metering out the grounds don't forget the ground connection between the pot cans and the control plate. Sometimes corrosion can encroach where they meet.
Spritzing the pots with control cleaner and working the knobs back and forth some might be a good idea.
Spritzing the pots with control cleaner and working the knobs back and forth some might be a good idea.
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Well. Hit all the solder joints on the jack, both pots, the capacitor, the pickup, and checked the ground under the bridge again. Nothing has changed. I guess I'll send it to the PRS Factory. They endorse our singer and guitarist, so they typically will work on my stuff for free too.
Before you start ripping wiring harnesses apart, go to Radio Shack and get a can of DeOxit spray. Point the nozzle into an opening in each of the pots and give it a good spray. Rotate the control 20 or 30 times. Let it dry overnight and try the bass. I work on a lot of old stereo equipment and virtually all of the pots don't work right because they have been sitting unused for long periods of time. Your bass looks relatively new but if you live in a moist environment you could be getting oxidation at an earlier stage than is typical.
Rick B.
Rick B.
devnulljp
Supporting Member
I pulled the tone cap out of the loop just to see if the bass sounded normal with out it. But it was still the same.
Have you tried in in a different outlet/amp/room? I know that the wiring in my house is finicky and with the christmas lights I got a buzz that wasnt typically there. It was much much worse on single coils. When I took it downstairs to the practice amp, much better.
My guess is the pole grounded to the case on the volume pot is loose or disconnected. look at post # 9 the loop of wire you see going between the cap and the arrow ( which represents ground ) on the volume pot has come loose or was never soldered right in the first place. It may not be a wire, just the pole bent and soldered to the case.
devnulljp
Supporting Member
Does that mean you removed it? Can you replace it? Pref with a known good one.
