low gain from pickups

[archie84]

hi everyone. im rather new to the bass guitar world. iv got a squire jazz bass with duncan designed pickups. iv found recently im having to play allot harder to get the same gain i was a couple of months back. im using ernie ball flatwounds and i havent moved the pickups. i was wondering if the pickups were dodgy or broken.

[Norris]

Some pickups are louder than others. However you might want to try adjusting the pickup height to raise them closer to the strings

Edit: If both pickups have become quieter over time then it's more likely to be the tone and volume pots or output jack socket. Give your knobs a good workout (oo-er!) and try plugging your lead in and out a few times in case you have any mucky contacts. If so, a squirt of switch cleaner such as Servisol can help

Edited June 26, 2016 by Norris

[PlungerModerno]

Could be the bass - could be the cable /wireless.

Could be a pedal it's plugged into, or the amp or cab (or combo) it's plugged into.

Also could be the pickups moved by themselves! Truth is most pickup mounting solutions can shift, but the foam and screw that Jazz style pickups typically have can compress over time - causing the pickup to sit lower in the cavity - with a noticeable drop in output. Check if loosening the pickup height adjustment screws causes the pickup to rise up. If it doesn't the foam needs replacing.

[MoonBassAlpha]

Maybe you're getting a build up of wax in your ears!

[PlungerModerno]

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1467112826' post='3081226']
Maybe you're getting a build up of wax in your ears!
[/quote]

+1 - a perfect excuse to book a hearing test. All joking aside musicians need to guard their hearing like a photographer guards their sight, or a chef their sense of taste.