Ric 325C58 pick up problem

[1OUfan]

The bridge pick up in my 325C58 has developed a weird problem:
It will be working fine and then for no reason, its volume drops and the tone seems to drop off from treble to less treble. It doesn't go completely off, just loses volume/tone. If I tap on the center top of the pick up, the sound returns to the correct way it should be. There is no rhyme or reason as to when it drops off, it just does it and it's driving me nuts.
Could it have a cold-solder joint or something like that?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks---

[jingle_jangle]

Sounds like one of three things--

1. Wire short coming out of the pickup, at the bottom. The center wire is usually the culprit here.

2. Pickup selector switch. A bit of contact corrosion. Fix it with a small strip of #600 sandpaper folded over and slid between the contacts while they're closed

3. Output jack or cord. Are you using a good cord? Chinese cords are .010" too small.

[kennyhowes]

3. Output jack or cord. Are you using a good cord? Chinese cords are .010" too small.

+1 to that. I sold guitars and amps I shouldn't have thinking that something was terribly worng, only to find that the cable was bad. I've had this exact same problem...

[1OUfan]

Paul/Kenny:
Thanks for the replies.
The cables I use are not made in China (Switchcraft and Neutrik connectors) to my knowledge anyway. They' work fine with my other instruments.
Bob

[jingle_jangle]

Bob, there's a good chance that a visual inspection will reveal the problem. Look for pinched and/or broken wires and the aforementioned corroded switch. You can also check the pots and jack, as I mentioned.


It's pretty rare that a pickup goes intermittent--when a winding breaks, that's usually it. Pfffft.

[johnallg]

I think it is the shield (ground wire) touching the center wire probably at the pickup back.

[ocduff]

I think these are all great options, Bob. It could be a bunch of different things. I would remove the pickguard and the pickup and move wires around and see what happens. If it's the pickup itself, it will have to be repaired. An internal short could be intermittent, or this could be a sign of a magnet or baseplate or wire touching something that it shouldn't.

Please report back with your findings. If you think it's the pickup, send it along to me and in the sake of fellow Rick camraderie I'll fix it for free. I fix and make pickups for a living.