Coil Cut Mod - Bridge Pickup Cutting Out

[j mascis]

Hey all,

I did a coil cut mod with humbuckers. Everything is great, except the bridge pickup cuts out sometimes.
I checked the grounds on the multi meter, and everything is reading 0 ohms. The only thing that isn't is the bridge ground, which ticks all the way down and then stops on 1 ohm. Would this be the cause? I can't figure this out.

Also, the guitar isn't sealed back up yet, and I noticed when I press down on the pickguard as if the pickguard screws were all in, it doesn't happen.

Thanks!

[j mascis]

That was super strange. I couldn't figure it out, so I just put the screws back on the pickguard, and now it's all fine.

If anyone has a clue let me know just for the knowledge aspect of this.

[Embenny]

Is your cavity shielded?

Sometimes when reattached the pickguard, something like a switch terminal could end up touching the shielding and shorting out. For it to be cutting out and then fixed with nothing but a pickguard removal and reattached suggests to me that something was touching something, and you fixed it just by incidentally shifting things a small amount during your troubleshooting.

[j mascis]

Is your cavity shielded?

Sometimes when reattached the pickguard, something like a switch terminal could end up touching the shielding and shorting out. For it to be cutting out and then fixed with nothing but a pickguard removal and reattached suggests to me that something was touching something, and you fixed it just by incidentally shifting things a small amount during your troubleshooting.

Thanks.

Yes there is copper tape on the pickguard and the cavity.
What would cause this - a ground wire hitting the copper tape?

[Embenny]

Thanks.

Yes there is copper tape on the pickguard and the cavity.
What would cause this - a ground wire hitting the copper tape?

No, the shielding should be grounded already, so a ground wire touching it would do nothing to the signal.

What would make the bridge pickup cut out is for something in the signal path of the bridge pickup "hot" lead touching a grounded surface or wire somewhere.

[j mascis]

Thanks.

Yes there is copper tape on the pickguard and the cavity.
What would cause this - a ground wire hitting the copper tape?

No, the shielding should be grounded already, so a ground wire touching it would do nothing to the signal.

What would make the bridge pickup cut out is for something in the signal path of the bridge pickup "hot" lead touching a grounded surface or wire somewhere.

Excellent.
Thank you. I know how to follow a wiring diagram, but I don't understand it...lol.

[badform]

I've had this happen a few times, and it's always something (like a strat pickup switch) touching the shielding. I usually just put down a piece of electrical tape (or whatever non-conductive tape I have handy) between the shielding and whatever's touching it inappropriately. Problem solved.