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mojo shinn

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Joined
Oct 22, 2016
Messages
3
I have a 2016 Cutlass SSS with a slight buzz in pickup positions 1 and 2 (bridge and bridge/middle). Because the bridge/middle position has buzz too (and in-between pickup settings normally have no hum), I assumed it was a grounding issue associated with the bridge pickup. The ground wire for the bridge pickup terminates at a ground clip connection (a flat-shaped, gold connection on the circuit board marked "G"). Upon inspection, the solder joint looks good, but it's the clip itself that seems to be disconnected on one side. If you look at the attached photo, the ground clip (the second connection from the end) looks like its attached on the outside edge of the board only, with the inboard side sticking up. Although I've done lots of general soldering on guitars over the years, and even worked on PCBs for craft projects, this is a little unusual. If the circuit board is actually damaged here, I'm not sure re-soldering will actually fix the problem. Although the guitar is outside the warranty period, I have, nevertheless, sent an email in to customer service, but in the meantime, will consult the collective wisdom here on this forum. Anything I might try before attempting to reattach the connector with a soldering pen?

Thanks!
John
cutlass_closeup.jpg
 

beej

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Aug 16, 2004
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11,994
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Toronto, Canada
It's hard to tell exactly from that pic. But if you didn't have a ground connection to the bridge pickup you wouldn't have any signal from it.

Best bet is to call or email the customer service team (link in my sig). They can help you out.
 
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