volume drop, LOUD crackling when i touch the controls (stingray)

**thunderaxe** · 03-09-2011, 01:38 PM

hey guys,

i used to have a problem with my stingray's output jack, where if i put the patch cord's plug in the wrong place, it would make an extremely loud PEEEOOOWWW! sound. i took it to my local guitar shop, and they took a long time (and no small amount of money) to fix it. when i got it back it worked fine, for about a week.

since then, the volume output is a lot lower than it used to be, and i can't touch the controls or plate without it making a very loud crackling sound (much louder than any notes i play).

it's probably just a loose wire somewhere, but i opened up the control plate and i can't see anything obviously wrong. does anyone have any experience with this problem, or know what it could be and how i could fix it?

thanks in advance!

**adouglas** · 03-09-2011, 01:41 PM

Call Customer Service ASAP.....

EBMM service is really, really good.

**thunderaxe** · 03-09-2011, 01:51 PM

well, i bought it used, so it's not under warranty or anything...

**thunderaxe** · 03-09-2011, 03:36 PM

okay, i contacted customer service. they wrote me back promptly but basically said without looking at it themselves they wouldn't be able to do anything about it, and suggested i send my bass to them. which i'm not going to do because i live in canada.

what i want to know is if anyone here has experienced anything similar, or is relatively certain they know what the problem is.

**MrChedda** · 03-09-2011, 03:47 PM

I realize this isn't the answer you're looking to hear, but if you already spent some money to have it looked at, it's probably worth sending it to the folks who actually build these things. Trying to diagnose and recommend fixes over the Internet just isn't productive.

**thunderaxe** · 03-09-2011, 03:50 PM

i know, but shipping it out to ernie ball would be really expensive, and i think it's probably just a really small problem.
i'll probably just take it to a local tech shop, i just thought maybe this was something that's happened to someone else here and they could tell me what's wrong...

**LawDaddy** · 03-09-2011, 07:18 PM

It sounds like a ground problem, if you just had it worked on, is there any reason you can't take it back to that tech to see if they can't make it better?

**2ndBassGuitar** · 03-09-2011, 08:11 PM

1) Shipping to EBMM will be $70-$80 through Canada Post;

2) How old is your bass?

3) Betcha there is a loose ground wire - I believe I had a EBMM once that has a loose ground wire under the bridge...... but then again. what do I know - send it to EBMM

**bovinehost** · 03-09-2011, 08:15 PM

Originally Posted by thunderaxe

i know, but shipping it out to ernie ball would be really expensive, and i think it's probably just a really small problem.
i'll probably just take it to a local tech shop, i just thought maybe this was something that's happened to someone else here and they could tell me what's wrong...

While I understand your reticence to ship the bass from Canada, anything anyone tells you here (or anywhere else on the intertubez) will be nothing but a Scientific Wild Ass Guess. I also understand you wanting to find an easy answer, and there may well be one, but ain't nobody here mind-freaky enough to diagnose it without seeing it and getting their hands on it.

In all likelihood, it probably IS something easy to fix, but guess what? I'm just guessing.

Either take it to a trusted tech or send it to EBMM.

Jack