TBX or pick-up problem

[rafe]

  The bridge p-u on my 89 american tele has lost some volume lately(very noticable). I'm not convinced it is the pickup. But it might be. It has the TBX set-up with the center detent.
I usually leave the tone knob in the center position (Detent) and I noticed a while back that when I would roll it out of there it would pop like the cap discharged... after a while I started to notice the voulme drop on the bridge pick-up. Now the tone control seems ok on the neck pick-up ....but it really effects the volume on the bridge. if I roll off all the treble it is very low volume, in the detent it is louder and bright,  with the treble rolled on all the way and it gains more volume ...but loses the brittleness but it is sill weaker than the neck p-u but not so much ...after writing this and putting it through its paces I think it must be that cap....any ideas would be greatly appreciated .....and I promise I won't comment on the Gibson fiasco again

[G._Hoffman]

Unsolder the pickup, and measure it's DC resistance.  Should be about 4k, give or take about 25-50%.  If it is wildly off, it may have a broken winding.  But look around carefully for a solder bridge or something like that - they will frequently cause a problem.


Gabriel

[jojokeo]

Rather than open up the guitar's controls - especially on a strat, I'll simply set the control to whatever p-up plug in a guitar chord and measure the end of the chord. Works good enough for something like this.