Large volume drop on CE22

[fret]

I own a CE22 that I use a fair bit. Recently I was playing for a "live" recording, 10 songs - one evening in two takes. I bought my standard setup, the ce22, axefx + controller that I've been using for years. Its been very reliable up till now. Anyway of course, 10 seconds before we launch into the first song I do my standard thwack the strings and check I have audio and.... you guessed it... nothing. Not a sound. Ok weird... I start checking the cables / settings etc. And everything seems fine. So I swap out the jack to jack between the guitar and the amp. Still nothing. Yank the wah from the signal path. Nothing. The guys are all looking at me in amusement. And I'm like "find me a hole to crawl into".

So I swap the guitar out for my Les Paul because at this point I just want some sound, and it fires up and I have sound. Lucky I had the LP, I almost didn't bring it.

Anyway, the guitar is still broken. I plugged it in later at home and there is like 15% of it's normal volume across all the pickups. All the wiring is intact so far as I can tell (I know electronics, make my own PCBs etc, built my own strat wiring harness). The circuit is completely stock from the factory. 5 point rotary switch for pickup selection. Standard two humbucker setup with coil taps etc.

What I'm wondering is there a known problem that can cause this?

 

[tfancil]

I own a CE22 that I use a fair bit. Recently I was playing for a "live" recording, 10 songs - one evening in two takes. I bought my standard setup, the ce22, axefx + controller that I've been using for years. Its been very reliable up till now. Anyway of course, 10 seconds before we launch into the first song I do my standard thwack the strings and check I have audio and.... you guessed it... nothing. Not a sound. Ok weird... I start checking the cables / settings etc. And everything seems fine. So I swap out the jack to jack between the guitar and the amp. Still nothing. Yank the wah from the signal path. Nothing. The guys are all looking at me in amusement. And I'm like "find me a hole to crawl into".

So I swap the guitar out for my Les Paul because at this point I just want some sound, and it fires up and I have sound. Lucky I had the LP, I almost didn't bring it.

Anyway, the guitar is still broken. I plugged it in later at home and there is like 15% of it's normal volume across all the pickups. All the wiring is intact so far as I can tell (I know electronics, make my own PCBs etc, built my own strat wiring harness). The circuit is completely stock from the factory. 5 point rotary switch for pickup selection. Standard two humbucker setup with coil taps etc.

What I'm wondering is there a known problem that can cause this?

I've had pickup go bad in their windings and that cause your problem. Or a bad volume pot could cause your troubles.
tfancil

 

[Bill SAS 513]

I own a CE22 that I use a fair bit. Recently I was playing for a "live" recording, 10 songs - one evening in two takes. I bought my standard setup, the ce22, axefx + controller that I've been using for years. Its been very reliable up till now. Anyway of course, 10 seconds before we launch into the first song I do my standard thwack the strings and check I have audio and.... you guessed it... nothing. Not a sound. Ok weird... I start checking the cables / settings etc. And everything seems fine. So I swap out the jack to jack between the guitar and the amp. Still nothing. Yank the wah from the signal path. Nothing. The guys are all looking at me in amusement. And I'm like "find me a hole to crawl into".

So I swap the guitar out for my Les Paul because at this point I just want some sound, and it fires up and I have sound. Lucky I had the LP, I almost didn't bring it.

Anyway, the guitar is still broken. I plugged it in later at home and there is like 15% of it's normal volume across all the pickups. All the wiring is intact so far as I can tell (I know electronics, make my own PCBs etc, built my own strat wiring harness). The circuit is completely stock from the factory. 5 point rotary switch for pickup selection. Standard two humbucker setup with coil taps etc.

What I'm wondering is there a known problem that can cause this?

You may want to check the input solder joints...I just completed a set-up on a non-PRS, and one of the solder joints had come lose, but NOT visibly.... major volume decrease...just a thought.

 

[garrettb]

If both the pickups are working the same, and the switch works, that just leaves the volume pot or the output jack. Make sure the plug is making good contact with the prong on the jack. If that's good, I'd have a go at reflowing those solder joints. Still no luck, I'd replace the volume pot.

 

[fret]

I (finally) got around to looking at this problem again. I re-soldered the wires to the jack, but that didn't seem to help much. Then I noticed a lot of grime on the contacts. So I had a go cleaning the main 1/4" socket's contacts back to clean metal with some fine sand paper. It wasn't just the signal wiper but the inside of the earth that needed serious cleaning. I've also bent the signal wiper a little more into the center for a more positive contact.

It's probably time to replace the jack altogether, but this gets me back on the road in the meantime. While I hunt down a good quality part... I'm thinking maybe switchcraft jack?

Apparently my PRS is a 1995 model. I just looked up the PRS serial number page and tried to work it out. The first digit is 5, indicating '95 or '05, and then a 7, which doesn't seem to fit anywhere, then 12xxx... the previous owner didn't mention the year it was made. So 18 years old.

 

[fret]

On 2nd inspection I still wasn't happy with the jack... if I wiggled it enough the sound would still cut out. So I've swapped it out with a cheap jack I had lying around for the moment and I'll get a better quality jack later... :-|

 

[garrettb]

The "7" in the serial number is what designates that it's a CE. They used to use different leading digits for the different bolt-on models.

Sounds like a new Switchcraft jack will set you straight. Glad it was a pretty easy fix.