Help!!! 650 pup not working!

mark_revel · Post by **mark_revel** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 3:59 am

Last night my 650 neck HB freaked...it now only has about 1/10th normal output & is VERY weak, thin, & way too trebly...barely audible...
My bridge pup is affected too...it has normal full output but is really trebly...

Any ideas on where to start troubleshooting??

Mark

admin · Post by **admin** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 4:59 am

It sounds as if you have lost a ground Mark. I would consider the output jack. Can you try another patch cord?

mark_revel · Post by **mark_revel** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 6:28 am

I'll let you know tonight.

admin · Post by **admin** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 6:45 am

The switch is another possibility. Were you doing a Pete Townshend impersonation?

mark_revel · Post by **mark_revel** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 8:42 am

Ha! No Petey impersonations...I played it 2 nights ago & all was fine...

Do you have instructions for checking the resistance at the output jack? Specifically, where to place my meter leads?

Mark

mark_revel · Post by **mark_revel** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 3:47 pm

OK here's what I got:

When I ohm-checked the output from the output jack with everything wide-open the neck HB is at 110K while the bridge is at 13K.

Furthermore, when I roll the neck vol down, nothing happens...the resistance stays at 110K.
When I roll the bridge vol down, the resistance increases as it should until it reaches 110K then it stops.

How do I eliminate the pick-up or narrow this down to a bad pot or switch? All the solder joints look good and all the grounds are solid. The bridge ground is good too.

Thanks for your help guys.

Mark

admin · Post by **admin** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 12:56 am

Mark: Short of some electrical surge, unless you noticed a gradual change over time, scratchiness for example, I do not think it is pot related.

The jack has allowed some information through it that seems appropriate, that is the 13K reading from the bridge. But still a thin sound, is that correct?

I am suspecting a shorting out at the switch. Have you tried some contact cleaner in the switch. Also have you tried moving the switch back and forth repeatedly to see if you can notice a change in sound, if only briefly?

mark_revel · Post by **mark_revel** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 10:37 am

Well, here is what I tried today:

I cleaned the switch & pots with some Deoxit electronics cleaner.
Jiggling the switch or any wiring does NOT cause the problem to go away, not even for an instant.

I pulled the pup out & started shooting wires.

Since I don't know what the 4 colored wires in the pup cable are for, I just shot from the main wire solder point on the pup...

1. Pup to switch-- 110K with vol wide open...variable as I move the vol knob. This appears to be a problem as the bridge pup is 13K in the same configuration. I don't think I should be reading 110K here.

2. Pup to red wire input tab on vol knob (goes through switch)110K and it is variable with the vol knob

3. Pup to black ground wire coming off tab on vol pot...110K & NOT variable...from this point all the way to the output jack (black wire) it is the same 110K & it WILL NOT vary with the vol knob.

All wiring shows perfect continuity point to point except from the pup wire to the switch where it is 110K but variable.

Upon plugging in, I see I am at about 1/4 volume, not 1/10th like I thought earlier, but it sounds like a weak ****** single-coil...no punch, fatness or tone...it sounds tinny & very trebly.

All This leads me to believe that I have a defective pup or pup wiring...perhaps one of the coils isn't working...I don't know how to check pup wiring...

OR...the pot is bad somehow between the 2 tabs...since that is where another change occurs, in that the 110K is unvariable after leaving the pot WITH THE PUP IN THE LOOP. I believe shooting from vol pot tab to output jack was 110K wide open & variable so this makes me think pup or pup wiring again.

Anyone know how to check the wiring in a Ric HB? There is the main wire plus 4 small colored conductors.

I have a custom made '59 Champ clone coming this week & boy O boy do I want my Ric ready for that baby!

Thanks for any help. If I can't figure this out, I'll call Ric on Monday.

Mark

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 12:22 pm

You need to remove the pickup (at least one end) or any other component from the circuit to get an accurate resistance reading. With the tone pot always connected this will effect your reading. The vol pot is only in the circuit when that (or both) pickup is selected.

admin · Post by **admin** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 3:00 pm

Mark: Come back. What is happening?

beatlefreak · Post by **beatlefreak** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 4:50 pm

I've been working with Mark on the RIC website forum (he posted there, too). He ohmed out the circuitry of his 650, and compared to to readings from my 650S. The more we got into it, the more it looked like an open or flaky coil in the neck humbucker (110k ohms).

He called RIC Customer Service, and Kenny also thought an open coil is the culprit. Mark has just shipped his guitar off to Santa Ana.

admin · Post by **admin** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 11:58 pm

Thanks Kris. I feel better.

mark_revel · Post by **mark_revel** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 8:54 am

Sorry I took so long to get back...Kris has been a HUGE help & so was Kenny. My Dakota should hit Santa Ana today or tomorrow & get this: they'll turn it in one (1) day. Is that fantastic service or what??

The pup wiring was not really accessible to me even when removed...I would have liked to have ohmed out the coils to make sure...

Thanks everyone for your help.

Mark

mark_revel · Post by **mark_revel** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 5:56 am

Got my Dakota back yesterday! The neck pup was changed & now she sounds great again.

Mark

jdogric12 · Post by **jdogric12** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 6:31 am

Gotta love warranties! Glad to hear the happy ending, Mark.