Pickup Problems?

Hi,

So I am only just picking up guitar again and I was hoping someone with a bit more knowledge than myself about guitars might be able to help, I'm not quite sure if it really is a problem with the pickups but I have a 1986 Westone Spectrum SX that has been gathering dust for a long long time, to be perfectly honest It was actually a gift and at the time I never really plugged it into an amp so I don't know if this is a new problem or something that existed a long time.

When plugging into an amp its very difficult to actually get anything come out of the guitar, the centre pickup does not work at all and the others are very temperamental, the strange thing is if I wiggle the cable a little I can persuade the other pickups to work until the cable moves again, the middle pickup is completely dead though. 

Is this a fault with the wiring to the jack on the guitar? All the other kit (cables, amp etc) are working fine on my other guitar so I think the Westone needs a bit of attention, preferably not at the expense a local guitar shop would charge. 

Any help would be appreciated.

Sounds like oxidation on the toggle switch and the jack contact. If the jack pin is also "wobbling" in the the entire assembly might also be loose. That's easily fixed by snugging up the hex nut on the outside.

You should liberally spray all the electronics including the jack with electrical contact cleaner. That means removing the cover on the back of the guitar to gain access to the wiring and controls. Spray into the inside of the pots and switch then work the knob & switch vigorously.

Check the tension on the jack input contact and make sure it's tight against the pin on the cord when inserted. If it looks very dull try wiping gently with some #0000 steel wool to remove the oxide then spray with the contact cleaner.

That should restore the sound in most cases. You might need to do it a couple of times if it's been sitting a long time.

Hi,

Thank you for taking the time to respond, I'll probably have to do a bit of online shopping to make sure I've got all the right tools then will see if I can get the back off the guitar. Taking a look at the back panel it looks like someone has already had a go at pulling it apart before, the screws are all rounded and there are scratch marks around the edge of the plate like someone's tried to prize it off in the past. 

This guitars had a pretty brutal past before I got it, all scratched and dented I might make it a bit of a restoration project. Its got a really nice bodywork design, just a shame about the cuts and bruises its picked up.

Are you going to show us what you've got, or keep it a secret?!

Is this a trans blue, trans red or black guitar?