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Tragedy strikes my Jack Casady... Any thoughts?

#42
About all I've heard about that particular bass is that it has a low impedance pickup going through an audio transformer that's tapped so its output is switchable between 50, 250, and 500 ohms.

If so it sounds like something Gibson had custom made for it.
 
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#43
If you don't feel like diving into repairing epoxy potted stuff, is there a shop around you that has a decent repair shop that's also a Gibson/Epiphone dealer? They could probably order the right part for you.

I've fixed stuff like this before. Totally doable with some patience, but certainly not fun.
 
#46
40Hz said:
About all I've heard about that particular bass is that it has a low impedance pickup going through an audio transformer that's tapped so its output is switchable between 50, 250, and 500 ohms.

If so it sounds like something Gibson had custom made for it.
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Don't know for sure, can't get info on the part yet.
 
#47
Handyman said:
If you don't feel like diving into repairing epoxy potted stuff, is there a shop around you that has a decent repair shop that's also a Gibson/Epiphone dealer? They could probably order the right part for you.

I've fixed stuff like this before. Totally doable with some patience, but certainly not fun.
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I am working with three local shops right now, they aren't having any luck so far. I like doing my own repairs, I take it to the pros when my fixes make it much worse.
 
#50
A pin is what I'd do. Stick it in the top of the broken lead, heat it with the soldering pen until solder flows down to the end of the lead (a tiny spot of flux on it might help). Trim the pin to a reasonable size and use it as a solder terminal (could sleeve some heat shrink over it after you reconnect the wire to insulate the connection). I think a sewing pin or really thin sewing needle would work best, thin so it pushes into the lead stuck in the epoxy easier.
 
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#51
upload_2020-6-19_23-18-11.jpeg


Here's a schematic with the xfrmer
specs too! You need to find a transformer with the same impedances listed on each pin. Maybe Digikey. Hope this helps!
 
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#53
Sometimes you can dig out the epoxy with a soldering iron. It melts the epoxy and won't damage the wire. I also had a Bart preamp that did the same thing. I stuck a straight pin into the hole where the wire broke off, cut it off and soldered the wire to the pin. I coated it with Goop and even covered the rest of the wires to keep them from doing the same thing. Worked fine for many years.
 
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#55
I wouldn't "drill" into the epoxy ... but I've salvaged many a similar thing by carefully scraping/picking at the epoxy around the stub of the wire with a sharp knife. If you can expose any of the copper wire - you only need a small nub of it - then take a short piece of solid core wire (like the cut off lead from a capacitor or resistor) and bend a small loop into one end and slide the loop over the exposed nub and then crimp it down on the nub and solder it. Then you can epoxy over that repair job and you're left with the sort piece of bare wire poking out of the epoxy that you can solder your broken wire to.
 
#56
Drop it off at or send it in to your nearest Gibson certified repair shop, and let them worry about how to get the part. You don't need to be under warranty to take your guitar to a Gibson authorized repair person. And as you have already discovered, you're unlikely to be able to order parts from Epi. Not all Epi dealers are Gibson certified repair facilities...and some Gibson certified repair facilities are not dealers, but just repair shops. Look up the closest one, and send it there.
 
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#58
Back in the day you could take the transformer to a radio supply store and they could match it with something that would work. But nowadays radio supply stores are few and far between. Where do people get new caps and such for rebuilding amps?
 
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#59
A good friend worked on my JC that had a bad pot. He got hung up on twice by an Epiphone "tech" trying to source a replacement. He recruited a friend who does all of the guitar buying for a large local store which is a top tier Gibson dealer. They wanted the serial # from him before they'd ship the part to him...the dealer! He gave them the s/n and they said it wasn't valid. He sent them a picture on the s/n on the bass and they eventually sent it. The only reason my friend didn't give up was because of the principle of the matter. If I had to do it over again, I'd get the replacement p/u and ditch the awkward electronics.
 
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#60
Verner said:
That's exactly what they said! "unfortunately we can't help you directly, all repair and parts questions need to be addressed with an authorized Epiphone dealer". I think this is a really bad approach to customer service, and even though I don't plan on many future epi purchases it makes me even less inclined to do so. I was surprised to say the least.
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So you can't just take the bass to an epiphone dealer and work through them?

Also, goes without saying leaving a personal instrument in the hands of H.S. kids is a really bad idea. Heck...there are grown adults that have asked to borrow my instruments and the answer is always "no". No one, and I mean no one is going to care for, or about your instrument as much as you do.
 
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