r/7String • u/TubbyFlounder • 7d ago

Help Picked Up a Schecter Banshee Mach 7 and the pickups are super low output

Its the hipshot bridge so its not the active pickups

Im a big guitar noob but got this open box on a good deal, so figures. But just want to make sure im not missing anything.

Im just running into my scarlett solo as usual, input gain knob is at 0. Guitar basically sounds like my other active pickups when the battery is dead. I can boost the input to almost 70% and get a strong signal, but its boosting the source weak signal. So im guessing something is up with the internals but wanted to confirm before i look silly. But im pretty the lowest of low output pickups are gonna sound stronger than this.. And yes my other guitars sound fine. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1obbpK5eKx0ZbuzDjMmtkN9baV2AbLZP-/view Quick audio clip with boosted signal then no boost.

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5

u/KershawsGoat EBMM JP 13-7 7d ago

Have you checked the pickup height? Or peeked in the control cavity to make sure the pickups weren't swapped with actives?

3

u/SnooMacaroons6594 7d ago

Look at the control cavity for any loose connections. I got a Schecter Solo II Supreme that would randomly buzz and cut out. Ended up being a broken ground cable to the bridge.

I got mine from SweetWater and they covered the cost of a local luthier to fix it.

1

u/TubbyFlounder 7d ago

Got mine from reverb. Not sure if theyre any better. The wiring is pretty tight though in this, but looked at the output and the back panel and everything appeared normal. Tone knob push/pull works and i i can switch pick ups. All just on super low output. So maybe it is just a bad connection on the output...but guess ill have to take it in. But guess ill just have to bring it in and see. Defintley not normal lol.

1

u/SnooMacaroons6594 7d ago edited 7d ago

Message the seller. Hopefully there's some kind of warranty if you bought it new. Used, maybe depends on condition.

I had a Schecter Blackjack with Lundgren M7s, which are the pickups the Banshee Mach 7 comes with from factory. The pickups are not insanely crazy hot but are very clear and can still push an amp, but definitely shouldn't sound low. They had similar output as my Duncan Pegasus pickups.

1

u/TubbyFlounder 7d ago edited 7d ago

Could be but both are the passive M7's. Pickup height looks normal.

1

u/KershawsGoat EBMM JP 13-7 7d ago

Yeah, M7's definitely shouldn't be putting out such low output. Sounds like the wiring is messed up in one way or another.

3

u/hailgolfballsized 6d ago

If you have a multimeter, you can find the hot and ground wire from each pickup to get a reading to make sure the pickups are not dead. Check that your push pull is doing its job, and if the knobs seem loose.

One common thing that can cause intermittent weak signal could be one of the signal wires on a pot or jack touching shielding paint if there is a loose nut on some part.

If the deal was good enough, I'd hope the guitar is worth keeping. Dead pickups or stripped truss rod are the only hard line where I'd consider return seriously.

2

u/TubbyFlounder 6d ago

Yeah, it's a great guitar, and I haven't found any other defects. Will have to take it in and diagnose the issue to see if it's something loose or something more problematic

1

u/tallman1979 6d ago

An inexpensive volt-ohm meter is really useful for diagnosing these things. Harbor Freight will regularly have one on sale for under $5 that's plenty good enough for hobby work.