I have the "Guitar Mike" - essentially the same D'Armond monkey stick as the Rhythm Chief but about $300 less on the used market. Both are simply single-coil magnetic pickups with a volume/tone circuit (no active preamp).
If you are plugging into a low impedance input that could cause a huge volume drop...but if you get nothing at all have the pickup checked out. I've found it very common for one wire to break loose inside the control module (the hot wire from the pickup) because that wire can move around.
It's a 10 minute repair if that's the issue.
Have you tested it straight into an amp? If that test still gives zero volume then likely issues are the wire I mentioned, a bad rhythm switch (standard electronics store part), bad pot or wire broken off a pot tab, a winding lead that's popped off and is not connected (hard to see, easy to fix) or (worst case scenario) a broken pickup winding. If it needs a rewind I'd contact Jason Lollar first - he understands vintage and oddball pickups and is the only one I have do my vintage console steel pickups.
It sounds like you have no electronics experience - if so, don't try to open/repair it yourself. But if you do check the direct sound first; if that doesn't work take a look inside the control box - you may be able to save yourself $50-100 or so!
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