Switch problem on my son's Pacifica

[Arthur Fowler]

My son's 2 year old Yamaha Pacifica has been suffering from problems on the pickup selector switch (excuse me if the terminology is wrong, not a guitarist myself) for months.

Wherever he puts the 5 way selector, it just cuts out frequently. He has to fiddle with it to get the sounds coming out again.

I've tried squirting some switch cleaner in, but that doesn't seem to make much difference.

Any ideas as to what else I could try?

Thanks.

[Jon]

Is the problem definitely the switch, not the output jack?

Possibly loose connections on the switch, or it might just be the switch needs replacing.

Take the strings off & whip off the scratchplate & you should be able to see if the connections to the switch are all intact. If you're handy with a (small) soldering iron, you should be able to re-solder any dry joints easily enough.

The Pacifica's basically a Strat copy, so a standard Strat-type 5-way switch should be a direct replacement if necessary. These are inexpensive (AxesRus (http://www.axesrus.com/) do one for £5 delivered) and fitting is simple enough if you make a note of how the original is wired first.

If you're not confident enough with your soldering skills, a guitar shop/guitar tech would likely only charge £20 or so to sort it out for you - it's not a major job. :)

[Arthur Fowler]

Cheers Jon, that's helpful. Will follow your advice. I pretty sure it is the switch, but I'll check the jack socket too. :thumbs: