Squire P Bass randomly gets zero to extremely low output

[DuckWithBoots]

I recently bought my first bass, which is a Squier P Bass, after learning guitar. The problem with the bass is that it will quite often randomly have zero or extremely low output when I plug it in after letting it sit for a while. Only once did it drop to zero while I was playing. I believe the problem lies in the pickups after troubleshooting with different cables and amps, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

So far, the ways I’ve managed to get the bass working again include:

Waiting a bit until the output fixes itself.

Pressing on the pickups until it works.

Flipping it upside down.

[Hellzero]

Check the solders, one (or more) is certainly dry.

 

It could also be a hot (this is how the "positive" is called) wire touching the ground intermittently.

[Jackroadkill]

51 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

Check the solders, one (or more) is certainly dry.

 

It could also be a hot (this is how the "positive" is called) wire touching the ground intermittently.

 

Another vote for this; there's very little to actually go wrong, and barring something truly bizarre the solder joints or a short would be my suspicion.

[tauzero]

Have you tried twiddling the volume knob when it goes quiet?

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Could be the output socket. The ones on squiers are never the best, and I have had them fail with the signal intermittently cutting out. Now I always solder in a switchcraft or pure tone before that happens.

[Norris]

Pickups tend to either work or not. There's not usually any middle ground.

 

The first thing to check is the jack socket. Give it a squirt of electrical contact cleaner and then insert/remove a jack plug several times. Similarly rotate each knob fully both ways many times. Those are places where you can get a dodgy contact, especially if the bass hasn't been used for a while 

 

The circuitry is very simple

[PaulThePlug]

...and foil backed scratch plates being the only ground...

[Hellzero]

And the OP has vanished since he asked the question everywhere on the internet and can't remember where he did...

[Doctor J]

Now you know how the AI farms get data for answers 🤣

 

 

 

Edited 12 hours ago by Doctor J