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  #1  
Old 12-30-2019, 05:19 PM
Dan of SC Dan of SC is offline
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Default guitar pick-up half volume

I have a guitar that I built about 4 years ago that's my favorite and I play it often. When I built it I installed an LR Baggs Element under saddle pick-up. It worked fine until about 2-3 months ago. Seems it suddenly lost about half it's volume. I took the pick-up out and looked it over, everything looked okay. Short of replacing the pick-up I have no clue what might be going on. I thought someone here might have had the same thing happen or have some clue about what I might try?
Thanks, Danny Gray
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Old 12-30-2019, 06:54 PM
YamahaGuy YamahaGuy is offline
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Probably a loose wire or a little buildup on the contact points. Try twisting the instrument cable inside the jack a few times. Also, is the saddle fully seated in the bridge up against the pickup?
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Old 01-23-2020, 11:33 AM
Dan of SC Dan of SC is offline
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I thought someone might might benefit from this.
I replaced this pickup with a new identical pickup and still had the same half volume problem. Long story short, the problem was in the saddle. Since the saddle leans forward slightly the bottom of the saddle must be shaped on a slight angle so that it sits flat on pickup woven ribbon. I had to replace the saddle and get it shaped right and this gave the guitar full volume.
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Old 01-23-2020, 06:01 PM
L20A L20A is offline
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Why did it change?
It was good for a while and then only half the sound.
Is the saddle the original one?
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Old 01-24-2020, 07:58 AM
Dan of SC Dan of SC is offline
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Why did it change?
It was good for a while and then only half the sound.
Is the saddle the original one?
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Good question. At some point I reset the neck and replaced the saddle. I remember the guitar playing really well after, but I don't remember how long it was after that I tried playing through a PA. When I took the saddle out recently it looked like the angle on the bottom was backward. Sounds retarded I know but I am 70 and something of a scatterbrain with many interests besides building guitars and playing music. Cheers!
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Old 01-25-2020, 07:03 AM
varmonter varmonter is offline
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just to be clear..are you talking about
acoustic volume or amplified volume?
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Old 01-26-2020, 07:54 AM
Dan of SC Dan of SC is offline
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just to be clear..are you talking about
acoustic volume or amplified volume?

Amplified volume. The bottom of the saddle lying flat on the pickup element makes a big difference in amplified volume.
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Old 01-27-2020, 05:46 AM
Howard Emerson Howard Emerson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan of SC View Post
Why did it change?
It was good for a while and then only half the sound.
Is the saddle the original one?
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Good question. At some point I reset the neck and replaced the saddle. I remember the guitar playing really well after, but I don't remember how long it was after that I tried playing through a PA. When I took the saddle out recently it looked like the angle on the bottom was backward. Sounds retarded I know but I am 70 and something of a scatterbrain with many interests besides building guitars and playing music. Cheers!
Perhaps you put the saddle in backwards with the treble end on the bass end?

It may seem like it would be way past obvious, but not always. Phone rings in the midst of a string change, the wine kicks in, and next thing you know you're questioning your sanity.

Flip it.

HE
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