# Guitar gurus: Help needed!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-gurus-help-needed/618723>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [April 14, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-gurus-help-needed/618723 "2012-04-14T00:48:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![feppytweed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/feppytweed/32/4280_2.png) [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-gurus-help-needed/618723/1 "2012-04-14T00:48:54Z")

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I have a Gibson Les Paul, and the neck pickup isn’t working properly. When i strum, no sound comes out. But if I push on the pickup, making lean toward the neck or toward the bridge (either way), the pickup engages and works.

I’ve tried adjusting the tension springs on either side, but that only works for how close the pickup is to the strings. Is there a way to raise the neck end of the pickup? Or some other simple solution that might help me out?

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**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-gurus-help-needed/618723/2 "2012-04-14T01:18:18Z")

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A shop is my best advice. They’ll fix what’s wrong, adjust your action and you’ll be good to go.

Visit the “Great Ongoing Guitar Thread” as well. Those guys are much smarter than me.

Q

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**Author:** ![Kim\_o\_the\_Concrete\_Jungle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ee7513/32.png) [@Kim\_o\_the\_Concrete\_Jungle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kim_o_the_Concrete_Jungle)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-gurus-help-needed/618723/3 "2012-04-14T01:55:25Z")

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It’s probably more likely to be dodgy switch or some wiring gone wrong than the pickup itself. But yeah, like Quasimodem says, probably best to take it to the shop. If it’s something simple, like a switch or a jackplate, they might be able to fix it while you wait.

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**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2012, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-gurus-help-needed/618723/4 "2012-04-14T03:20:47Z")

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Yeah, spend a few bucks, let a pro fix it.

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**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-gurus-help-needed/618723/5 "2012-04-16T12:03:33Z")

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Sounds like wobbling the pickup around is “fixing” either an open circuit or a short. It could be that some wiring is exposed that shouldn’t be. If you’re confident with a screwdriver, slacken off the strings and unscrew the pickup mounting. There should be enough slack in the wiring to ease the pickup out, do you see anything dodgy?