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Post new topic Weird Problem on Emmons
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Author Topic:  Weird Problem on Emmons
Henry Matthews


From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
Post  Posted 29 Mar 2004 7:37 am    
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I Have a 1994 LLegrand double 10 that after a while of playing just starts slowley loosing its volume. If you keep playing it, you will have the pedal to the floor and will barely be able to hear it. I've already ruled out amp, volume pedal and cords. As far as I can tell, the c6th neck is ok. Could a pickup be breaking down or maybe a switch breaking down. If any of you have had this problem, any help would be greatly appreciated.--Henry
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Erv Niehaus


From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
Post  Posted 29 Mar 2004 8:58 am    
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I had that same problem a few years ago. I discovered that my "hot" licks were heating up and melting the pickup. I started playing slower and that took care of the problem. Kind of the same reason my wife had to give up jogging. Her thighs were rubbing together sooooo hard that her panty-hose were catching on fire!
Uff=Da!
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CrowBear Schmitt


From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
Post  Posted 29 Mar 2004 9:22 am    
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and that"s why Erv is up there in Minnesota
cause he can stand the cold !
Hot licks meltin' down a PU - wow !
it don't happen to PF
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Jerry Roller


From:
Van Buren, Arkansas USA
Post  Posted 29 Mar 2004 9:40 am    
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Henry, I think you will need to blame that problem on the amp.
Jerry
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Henry Matthews


From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
Post  Posted 29 Mar 2004 10:51 am    
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Hey Erv, I don't have any hot licks so that can't be the problem and Jerry, it's not the amp. I swapped over Sat night to my push pull and never had the problem again but when I go back to the LLegrand it'll start again in about 30 minutes. --Henry

[This message was edited by Henry Matthews on 29 March 2004 at 10:52 AM.]

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richard burton


From:
Britain
Post  Posted 29 Mar 2004 10:54 am    
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I seem to remember Roger Rettig reporting on a similar problem with a Legrande. If I remember correctly, he hit the pickup and it came back to life.
R B
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Ray Montee


From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
Post  Posted 29 Mar 2004 11:14 am    
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Might you be using a battery powered foot pedal? Sometimes they fade out and leave you with problems without one realizing there even involved.
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Jackie Anderson

 

From:
Scarborough, ME
Post  Posted 29 Mar 2004 12:12 pm    
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One pickup on my Fender 2000 does this sometimes, too. It is not a loose wire aywhere outside of the pickup, and tapping on the pickup doesn't do anything. Later it comes back on its own. It's maddening!
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Jerry Roller


From:
Van Buren, Arkansas USA
Post  Posted 29 Mar 2004 1:17 pm    
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Wow, that is a strange one. If it were a intermittant problem it might not be such a tough one but if it is always OK for about 30 minutes then starts fading, that is tough.
Do both pickups act up? Do you have an ohm meter so you might pull a cord out of the amp while it is acting up and check the pickup ohms at the end of the guitar cord? And is the tone control bypass switch on when it happens?
Jerry

[This message was edited by Jerry Roller on 29 March 2004 at 01:19 PM.]

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Jackie Anderson

 

From:
Scarborough, ME
Post  Posted 29 Mar 2004 2:04 pm    
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It is very intermittent, just every once in a while, and only one pickup -- never the other one. The ohmmeter sounds like a good idea -- I will take a reading next time it happens.
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Jon Light


From:
Saugerties, NY
Post  Posted 29 Mar 2004 2:13 pm    
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I just got through a few weeks of intermittent performance that I just couldn't trace. The symptoms were a lot like you describe. I finally was pretty sure it was in the pickup leads----I have done some modifications involving adding a mini jack/plug between p.u. and output jack for easier no-solder p.u. changes. Therefore there are a few more solder joints in the wiring system. I resoldered every one of them and the problem seems to have been eliminated. So I could suggest checking all your solder points for cold joints/bad grounds.

[This message was edited by Jon Light on 29 March 2004 at 02:14 PM.]

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Roger Rettig


From:
Naples, FL
Post  Posted 29 Mar 2004 2:21 pm    
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Right, Richard!

....and it still happens, 'though not so often.

In my case, the C6 p/u gets a strangled, distorted sound. Then I thump it with the heel of my hand and it comes back to life. It's not gradual like this problem seems to be - it either happens or it doesn't.

I can't figure out why it's happening less, when I've done nothing to fix it! Maybe it just doesn't like getting thumped!

RR

[This message was edited by Roger Rettig on 29 March 2004 at 02:23 PM.]

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Donny Hinson

 

From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 29 Mar 2004 2:44 pm    
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Jon's suggestion is a good one, Henry. Also, I'd spray the neck switch with a control cleaner while working it back and forth, in case a dirty contact might be the culprit.
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Jerry Roller


From:
Van Buren, Arkansas USA
Post  Posted 29 Mar 2004 5:25 pm    
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It's gonna be a process of elimations. Another thing to look for is make sure the pickup lead where it is soldered on the bottom of the pickup is making intermittant contact with the pickup mounting plate. Sometimes there is a piece of eletricians tape insulating the leadwire from the plate.
While playing it could be moving ever so slightly and making contact. Another place to look is make sure the wiring at the neck switch has good solder joints and not maybe a single loose wire strand floating around touching where it shouldn't. If all the wiring is good then it is probably a shorted pickup and that is most likely with Roger's problem but of course he could have a loose wire as well that moves when he taps on the pickup. Lastly, I would check the neck switch for dirty contacts or broken bakelite. Sorry Donny, I didn't notice your mention of cleaning the neck switch. I think that is a very likely source of the problem.

[This message was edited by Jerry Roller on 29 March 2004 at 05:29 PM.]

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Paul King

 

From:
Gainesville, Texas, USA
Post  Posted 29 Mar 2004 7:15 pm    
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I had a Mullen steel that was doing something similar. I thought it was in the select switch that goes from E9th to C6th. It turned out to be a bad pickup. I went to Mesquite, Texas and Bud Carter diagnosed it as a bad pickup and had me going in less than an hour. I never had any more problems with the steel after the pickup replacement.
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Paul Carie

 

From:
Washington, IN USA
Post  Posted 30 Mar 2004 4:40 am    
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YOU MIGHT REMOVE THE PICKUP AND CHECK TO
SEE IF ITS SHORTING TO GROUND. A PIECE OF
ELECTRICAL TAPE WILL FIX THAT. THIS HAPPENED
TO ME ON MY TOP NECK OF A LAGRAND III
AND THIS IS WHAT RONNIE TOLD ME TO DO.
IT WORKED.

PC
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Chris Schlotzhauer


From:
Colleyville, Tx. USA
Post  Posted 30 Mar 2004 5:39 am    
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Also check the pickup to see if a broken string segment with the ball has not fallen down there. When you crank it it becomes more magnetic and short out the pickup.
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Henry Matthews


From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
Post  Posted 30 Mar 2004 6:11 am    
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Thanks Guys, I'll try some of things and see what happens. I do have an ohm meter so will check the pickup when it starts the problem. I do believe a bad pickup may be the problem. I have a pentab pickup that came off another Emmons that I had and may change that out to the pentab if I can figure out which leads to hook up on the pentab. It was one of those five positon jobs that I had on my first Emmons and has about five or six wires on it. If anyone knows which leads to hook up, let me know. It's a good sounding pickup and as I remember, I only used one position on it.--Henry
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