Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I was making some noise with my 480 and decided to switch to my 360... I switch to the 360's bridge pick-up and all goes silent... I switch to middle position and it sounds like just the neck pick-up position. I do some checks and it's true: only the neck pick-up's working. I'm like... what's this, it worked fine up until today?

I check which jack I plugged in - mono jack. Then I had this weird idea that maybe the cable's not properly connected, so I switch to bridge pick-up again, pull the cable... and voila sound! I played some tunes, switched pick-up settings and it's all working fine!

I'm even more confused now, though. How can a mono cable turn off a pick-up?

I suspect it's due to the fact that the mono jack isn't a regular, simple mono jack. It has a switch built into it. When you plug into it, the plug operates the switch and tells your guitar that you're in mono mode and are choosing to run both pickups through that jack, cable, channel, etc. The hole bored in the sidewall for the jack is just barely big enough for the switch to fit in. If the jack gets loose or twisted slightly, the wood may prevent the switch from having enough room to operate properly and open. It's worth taking a peek in there to see and understand how this all works when you plug a cord into the jack. Usually rotating the jack just a bit on the jackplate and tightening it back down will give the switch enough room to work properly and you're back in business.

Thanks for the suggestion, Todd.

The only jacks I've taken apart are mono-only ones - so far I've been reluctant to mess in any way with the 360

The RIC schematic shows how the mono and stereo jacks are wired:
http://www.rickenbacker.com/pdfs/19502.pdf