Squire Strat PU problems [URGENT!]

Josiahjjr · Jun 15, 2012

I have secondhand Squire Strat that I've borrowed from a friend and had for roughly 6 months.
At first everything worked fine, except for a gritty sound when I turned any knob. Then I put the guitar up and didn't play it for a couple, maybe 3 weeks. When I plugged the guitar back in, it was disaster. The low tone knob was completely disfunctional, didn't affect the sound or signal in anyway. To top it off, the guitar would not sound unless the volume was all the way up.
I've researched it as much as I can, and I believe it is a wiring situation, but there was no extreme activity to mess with it in the weeks I didn't play it.

Does anyone have any suggestions or insight?

Any feedback is appreciated!

RevWill · Jun 15, 2012

Sounds like the pots might be corroded or dirty. I'd start by spraying a few drops of contact cleaner (available at Guitar Center) -Absolutely not WD40 - down the shafts of the knobs. Work the knobs back and forth several times, then plug it in and test it.

ricdoug · Jun 16, 2012

Use lighter fluid, like http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/ronsonol-lighter-fluid/ID=prod6021241-product to clean the potentiometers. Squirt it down the shafts while turning them. Let it dry. !!!DO NOT USE AROUND FLAME, SPARKS OR SMOKERS!!! It's safe when it evaporates and is dry. If that does not fix it:

http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2012/Main/401

Save the old one for parts.

weerpool · Jun 16, 2012

make sure to check the soldering joints are still intact.

Josiahjjr · Jun 16, 2012

Thanks for the replies everyone!
I will definitlely attempt trying to put fluid down in the pots before soldering. I would prefer to avoid soldering altogether so I'm hoping the solution or fluid works.

'ili puakea · Jul 10, 2012

If all else fails...it's only a Squire.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4QghNBwyt8

;-)

Good luck!

UkeNukem · Jul 10, 2012

These might help you see what's going on.

http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/stockstrat.php
http://www.fender.com/support/articles/stratocaster-service-diagrams

I can be a good learning experience on this instead of your best guitar.

1931jim · Aug 7, 2012

ricdoug said:
Use lighter fluid, like http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/ronsonol-lighter-fluid/ID=prod6021241-product to clean the potentiometers. Squirt it down the shafts while turning them. Let it dry. !!!DO NOT USE AROUND FLAME, SPARKS OR SMOKERS!!! It's safe when it evaporates and is dry. If that does not fix it:

http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2012/Main/401

Save the old one for parts.

Thank you ricdoug for the link to grizzly. And thank you josiahjjr for this thread. I have never been to this section before. Lots of guitar players
here I see.
Regards
Jim

1931jim · Aug 8, 2012

UkeNukem said:
These might help you see what's going on.

http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/stockstrat.php
http://www.fender.com/support/articles/stratocaster-service-diagrams

I can be a good learning experience on this instead of your best guitar.

Thank you UkeNukem for the guitarnuts.com schematic.
Jim

Squire Strat PU problems [URGENT!]

Josiahjjr

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RevWill

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ricdoug

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weerpool

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Josiahjjr

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'ili puakea

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UkeNukem

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1931jim

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1931jim

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