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How do you test electric guitar electronics?

Hi everyone, My electric guitar was working several weeks ago but since I opened it and removed the pickguard and touched the toggle switch and jack it's completely dead. I get no sound from the guitar now. I didn't solder anything or remove anything or change anything at all. I bought myself a multimeter from radio shack. How do I go about troubleshooting or testing the electronics of the guitar to find out what's wrong or if any of the parts (jack, 3-way toggle switch, volume and tone pots) need to be replaced? I checked the wiring and there doesn't seem to be any loose connections or shorts.

Any help will be greatly appreciated, Thank-You, Mark

Reply to
mark
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I've never done any electronics before so I don't know how to use a multimeter. I bought one today from radio shack: This one:

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However, I have no clue how to operate it. I put a battery in it. I took the pickguard off the guitar . To test the electric guitar do I need to plug the guitar to an amp? (I plug my guitar into my computer subwoofer/speakers and effects box) What range do I set the multimeter to ? I don't even know what the numbers mean on the multimeter? Which terminals of which components do I have to touch? Does it matter if I use the red or black needles of the multimeter when testing ? What do I look for? I tried touching some of the terminals but I get nothing on the multimeter I tried several ranges on the multimeter and tried touching several different combinations of terminals and I get nothing on the multimeter. I know it works cause I tested a new battery: I put the multimeter range on battery test and it says the batteries good.

Thanks, Mark

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Reply to
mark

Don't plug the guitar into anything to test it.

Set the meter to test continuity, or resistance. Touch one probe (either colour) to one end of the output jack. Folloe the wire to see where it connects to. Touch the other probe there. If the meter beeps, or if the resistance shows close to 0, then the connection is OK. Keep following the wires and testing at various points to ensure continuity.

That should get you started. You should Google for how to use a multimeter or buy the book that RS sells to help you out too, so you know how to use the meter.

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the

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Reply to
tempus fugit

Unfortunately, this is not a good buy. You can get modern digital multimeters for even lower prices than that. If you cannot change that buy you will be restricted in what measurements you can do.

If you had bought a modern multimeter I would have said that you can put the multimeter in AC mode, voltage range 2 Volt or 200mV, and you should see the response of plucking a string on the multimeter.

Now, with this old type voltmeter you will probably not see any response from the pickups.

But you can put a patch cord in the guitar and measure for resistance between the two contacts on the free plug. It should show half a million ohms or less. If it shows infinite resistance you have broken a wire to the output jack or somewhere around it.

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Roger J.
Reply to
Roger Johansson

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