Pickup or switch/pot possible failure?

[DoobZilla]

Okay, I bought my JP6 BFR last year, had to send it in for a new neck (absolutely perfect customer service BTW!). And now, a year or so later, it seems that my bridge pup isn't responding as well as it should (i.e. low volume, flat tone, slight crackle as though gain is ultra high and the problem seemed to happen very quickly). I am planning on calling customer service on Monday, but since they are off today and the weekend (deservedly so) I was curious if my fellow knuckleheads could lend a helping hand. In all of my years of playing various makes and models, I have never come across such a problem. It only effects the bridge pup, when I switch to the neck it seems fine, almost too fine (hard to describe but yeah). Also, the piezo sounds great too.

I'm almost thinking that perhaps a wire could be shorting internally? Or perhaps a pot has gone bad? (on this note, I do not notice any ill effects on the neck pup at all i.e. crackling when turning knobs actuating switches etc.) When I run out of the non-piezo output I have the same problem, thus eliminating the piezo (perhaps?).

Since I'm no equipment guru, perhaps someone else has run into this problem before and knows exactly what is going on? I don't want to start muxing around in the guts of this beast yet as I'm sure that I'll just fubar the whole lot without a wiring schematic. I'm sure that it is nothing major as I haven't even gigged with this monster yet (too many conflicting schedules!) and have only been practicing about eight hours a week (extremely inconsistent at that) with it.

Thanks for any and all help, and if more info/pics/sound clips are needed, just let me know.

 

[Grand Wazoo]

Have you tried a fresh battery and a new guitar cable lead (because these also deteriorate over time)

 

[Big Poppa]

customer service is open. Let them help you.

 

[DoobZilla]

Seriously?!? Thanks so very much Big Poppa. I will call them immediately.

I actually thought that they were closed on Fridays. My dumb mistake! Thanks again.

As a side note, I did try a fresh cable and battery. Thanks for the replies!

 

[Big Poppa]

wait until 730 california time you might wake them up now!

 

[DoobZilla]

I was so excited that you guys were open today that I forgot about time zones and such and called anyway. I will call back later when I regain some composure. Thanks a lot for letting me know that they will be there today. Once again, I am floored at how great your service-after-the-sale is. THANKS!

 

[DoobZilla]

As usual you guys rock! I called on Friday and Scott took great care of me, even though I didn't really know what the problem was. Fortunately I got home on Friday night and plugged in to my old Peavey Rage 158 amp (it was my first amp and nostalgia dictates that I keep it along with my old Morris Telecaster) and everything was fine! I'm not sure what I did (I know that I didn't do anything except put it away Thursday night after I noticed my problem), but the guitar performed flawlessly all weekend long. I played it for a total of about 12 hours this weekend just to make sure that I didn't have the same problem crop up again.

To those who helped me, thank you very much. I might just be a dumbass after all. Thanks again Ernie Ball for having a great product and superb customer service (even though I thought that you guys had fridays off, thanks to Big Poppa I now know different!).

 

[fbecir]

I played it for a total of about 12 hours this weekend just to make sure that I didn't have the same problem crop up again.

12 hours !!! Beware, you will become the next Petrucci if you continue like that
Nice to hear that everything is solved !