Do these readings mean my HB1 neck pickup is dead?

[lumgimfong]

Measuring with volume and tone at 10, with bass plugged in and taking measurements from the other end of the cable with multimeter set to ohms.
This is a 2 hum bucker, one volume, one tone, one selector harness on a 4003 bass.

selector switch on bridge pup - 15.12
on middle - 15.12
on neck pup - .503

Since I am still getting a reading on the neck pup (though very low) I am assuming this means the switch is fine and pup wires to switch joints are fine. But that something is wrong with the pickup coils.
Is this right? The neck pup used to work fine.
I am getting no volume from the neck pu but the bridge pup is fine.

[Isaac]

Sounds like a short circuit somewhere between the switch and the pickup. Could be in the pickup, but that wouldn't be my first guess. Instead, I'd look for a loose wire in the vicinity of the switch, such that the neck pickup is no longer connected in the bridge and middle position, and is shorted out in the neck position.

Here's why. 15.12K seems normal for one HB1. That's what you're getting in the bridge position. In the middle position, you'd get that same reading if the neck pickup were open, but then you'd get infinite resistance in the neck position. Similarly, if the neck pickup were shorted out, you'd get zero or near enough in the middle position. That's not what you're getting, so I'd check the wiring.

[lumgimfong]

Ok. Hopefully that’s all it is and a wire just came loose.
Cus Ric is charging $25.99 shipping to me.
So if the pup is bad, since I only use the neck pup .01% of the time anyway, my old Hi again will go back in.
But I am hoping the HB1 is fine and just an easily fixed loose wire somewhere.

[espidog]

Before you go buying a replacement switch, let's check whether you need one.



To establish whether it's the switch or the pup/wiring that's showing a short, you'll need to open up the control cavity and do this:

As before, keep your volume and tone controls wide open and leave an empty jack plug or jack cable in the socket (this is just in case the jack socket is one of those that shorts itself when the plug is removed - I can't remember!)

De-solder the hot (red) lead of the neck pup from the selector switch and put your test meter across the loose hot wire and the casing of the switch, where the negative wire is attached. If the reading is still zero (or near as dammit - see below*), the short circuit is in the pup or its wires.

However, at this point we still don't know for sure that the switch is healthy, and in diagnostics it's best not to assume anything, so now you should double-check the switch, as follows:

With the neck pup hot wire still disconnected from the switch (and maybe a bit of tape over it so it can't touch anything) put the switch toggle into the "neck" position and attach your test meter between the terminal the neck pup was soldered to and the metal case of the switch. If all is well, it should read infinity. If the toggle is in the centre or the "bridge" position, it will be loaded down by the resistance of the bridge pup and pots, so you'll most likely see that 15.12k (or very close to).


*the .503 (half an Ohm) reading you got was basically the resistance of the jack cable.

ADDED LATER - of course, I'm assuming that by .503 you do mean half an Ohm, and not 503 Ohms. If it's the latter, that speaks of a dud pickup with shorted turns.

[lumgimfong]

Right, half an ohm.
I will try this out and report back.
Thanks so much for the troubleshooting know-how!

[lumgimfong]

Cannot wait to test out the electronics but I don't wanna screw anything up just yet cuz I need the bass tomorrow night and Sunday. But Sunday I hope to test away and report back.

[lumgimfong]

TEST RESULTS:

On both the switch and the pick up testing as you suggested I’m getting various numbers. They won’t settle down. Sometimes in the 14.0 range sometimes in the 300s range sometimes in the .02 range sometimes it just has "0.L"

It reads different every time I try to retest.
This is for both the switch and the pick up even with the switch in any of the three positions.

I also desoldered the pup ground wire from the switch and removed the pick up entirely from the switch and tested it independent of the switch between the ground and a hot on the multi meter and it reads .6., sometimes 10.00, sometimes in the 12 range. It varies. When I attach the pickup leads to a plugged in cable and tap the pickup with a screwdriver I can hear the tapping in the speakers. So it is working at some level. Maybe I just need to restrip all the wire ends and start over with clean leads. I just cannot get a stable read from the neck pup. Numbers are different each time and they won’t settle down.

My bridge pick up is a stable read of 15 point something. So the bridge pick up is good.

So I removed the switch and neck pup and just wired the working bridge pup direct so I can still play the bass for now.

Just gotta get a new switch and I think I will just put my original neck higain back in.
What kinda switch should I get?
I don't know what the enclosed box type switch I have now is and I'd rather get something open so easy to clean/maintenance if I need to.

[espidog]

Re. your variable readings: Having completely disconnected the neck pup from the switch, I'm guessing that you had to hold your meter probes onto the ends of the wires? The variable readings you were getting are very likely the result of imperfect contact. It's also possible that your own skin resistance across the meter probes could have been compromising your readings.

Re-stripping the wire ends is a good idea. Old solder can make unreliable contact with test probes. To avoid the skin resistance issue, ideally you need test probes with alligator clips on the ends. If you haven't got any, you could get hold of a small terminal block, shove the pup wires in and screw them in tight, then stuff the test probes in the other end and tighten the screws on them too. That way you'll get the best chance of a good, stable contact.

Finally, when you short your test probes to each other, are you getting a stable near-zero reading from the meter? If it's a bit flaky, it would be a good idea to give the probe ends, the plugs and the meter's sockets a good seeing-to with a cotton bud and some contact cleaner.

[lumgimfong]

I will strip the wires and try again, with alligator clips if necessary.
I'll double check the meter before retesting.

I think I will get a 3 way, switchraft toggle like the 4003 use.

BTW, I took apart the boxy/enclosed defective selector switch and the neck side spring metal tabs were not making contact when in middle or neck position. So I think that is what was wrong with it. I had to pry it apart to get inside.

[jps]

BTW, I took apart the boxy/enclosed defective selector switch and the neck side spring metal tabs were not making contact when in middle or neck position. So I think that is what was wrong with it. I had to pry it apart to get inside.

One of the advantages of the open-frame Switchcraft is just this.

[lumgimfong]

So after stripping all the wire ends and separating them (and the meter set to ohms and reading 0.0 when probe tips touched together):
Leads laying on wood table and probes pressing against them onto wood table.
Ric HB1 humbucker is:

South coil (red and black wires test) = "0.L"
North coil clear and blue) = "0.L"

With black and clear wrapped and blue and shield wrapped, per Ric diagram:

Red to black/clear = 0.L
Red to blue/shield = 0.L

With using gator clips:
Red to black/clear = 0.L
Red to blue/shield = 0.L

Testing any of these while using my fingers to hold probes to leads yields various numbers around 1-3 and cannot get solid readings.

Just to be sure the multi meter works right I tested my Ric Hi Gain pickup ( black lead and shield wire) and got : 12.14.

[espidog]

Well that's mightily bizarre, I must say. I'd understand one coil of a humbucker going open-circuit ...but both? Not totally impossible, of course, but extremely unlikely.

I must confess, I'm stumped.

[lumgimfong]

I know. Both coils. Strange. I will try to take it apart before tossing it and see if I can see anything amiss inside.

Is it possible that when the switch went bad it caused a short that zapped both coils? Otherwise I cannot imagine how this happened.

I have another working Ric HB1 on my Guild Starfire bass. I will put it on the 4003 as a neck pup replacement and put my working extra HiGain on the Starfire.

Thanks for your help with this, y'all. I have learned alot!

[espidog]

In order for even one coil to get 'zapped' would have meant plugging the bass into some madly faulty piece of kit that allowed a significant amount of current to pass through the pup, and I just can't conjure up such a likelihood. Coil wires do get brittle with age, but for both coils to go bad is just spookily uncommon.

Not one of those people who gets repeatedly struck by lightning, are you?

Is it financially worthwhile to have the pup repaired?

[lumgimfong]

I don’t think so as it is $95 for a new one. Unless I can get a rewind/relead
done for cheap.
The leads have continuity from the lead ends to the lead solder joints on the pup.
Tried to open pup but it is sealed with a black shrink plastic under the removable cover.
Only way to open would be break off the plastic but might destroy pup that way. Hard to remove.
I tested continuity of each coil.
No continuity for north (clear/blue) or south (red/black) windings. So that confirms they are both shot.