Starfire II PUP Switch not working

[BigAndyA]

I have a Starfire II - the Newark Street made in Korea edition - that I've had for 2 years. Yesterday I took it to rehearsal and the pick-up switch is not working in the center position. It works fine in the bridge or the neck position but the center position is dead. It's never given me any problem before. Outside of replacing the switch, any ideas on getting this working again?

Thanks for the help.

 

[SFIV1967]

Welcome to LTG! Now there could be a few things...

The harness in the Newark St. Starfire looks like this. So you see the switch has 3 wires plus ground.

EDIT: BigAndyA is talking a Starfire II bass, not the guitar! So the below is not for the bass but for the guitar! My bad!



Our forum owner GAD shows a drawing of the wiring (here a Starfire III from 2016), so you see where the white, red and green wires go to.



Since you say neck and bridge pup work independently, just not together, the wiring on the switch seems to be fine, so it looks more like a mechanical issue of the switch in the middle position. Means one of the contacts does not touch the other in the middle position anymore. That happens, especially as those are unbranded Korean switches used in the Newark St. versions.

Since the Starfire II is hollow, it is not to difficult to remove the switch and check it. Especially as the switch is not far from the neck pickup hole:
EDIT: That's the guitar not the bass! My bad!



Maybe it is best buying a good quality "Switchcraft" brand switch from StewMac or some shop like that (the angled version as visible above) and repace the switch alltogether. Mind that the current switch might have a metric thread for a metric switch tip, so when you buy an imperial threaded one you need a new plastic switch tip as well.

Ralf

 

[fronobulax]

Welcome. Everything Ralf says applies but he probably didn't notice you posted in Bass and so your instrument is a Starfire II bass. I expect the wiring diagram applies, at least as it supports the problem analysis, but the switch being in the treble horn and having a master volume might make extracting it a different process.

 

[Minnesota Flats]

 

[SFIV1967]

but he probably didn't notice you posted in Bass and so your instrument is a Starfire II bass. I expect the wiring diagram applies, at least as it supports the problem analysis, but the switch being in the treble horn and having a master volume might make extracting it a different process.

Oh! You are very right, I thought we are talking a Starfire II 6 string guitar and not a bass! Didn't see bass mentioned...And didn't check which forum it was in...,my bad.
Well Minnesota Flats covered that part! Thanks!

But I don't know which switch the bass is using , the straight or the angled version... And the bass has a center block I believe, so the switch and I guess the mastervolume pot have to come out of the f-hole! You need acquarium tube and dental floss for that operation...



Ralf

 

[BigAndyA]

I'm a little surprised that if the pickup selector switch is like the one shown in the top photograph that it would fail. That looks like a pretty robust, mechanically simple switch. In any case, looks like I need to get some vinyl tubing, dental floss and start taking things apart. Thanks for the help.

 

[lungimsam]

Aquarium airline tubing is all you need.
If the hole for the neck pup wires is big enough maybe can pull switch outta there and bend the switch tabs back to functioning position then put back.

 

[SFIV1967]

I'm a little surprised that if the pickup selector switch is like the one shown in the top photograph that it would fail. That looks like a pretty robust, mechanically simple switch.

It's a no name switch used so the metal might be not so great of the switch tabs (means might bend and get kinks). Hence if you do the trouble of removing the switch I would replace it with a better quality Switchcraft switch just to be sure it happens never again.

Ralf

 

[BigAndyA]

It's a no name switch used so the metal might be not so great of the switch tabs (means might bend and get kinks). Hence if you do the trouble of removing the switch I would replace it with a better quality Switchcraft switch just to be sure it happens never again.

Ralf

I agree, I’ll order a Switchcraft switch from StewMac later today. Thanks for the help.

 

[SFIV1967]

I agree, I’ll order a Switchcraft switch from StewMac later today. Thanks for the help.

But check first what type of switch is used in the bass! (Straight, long short) or angled.

Ralf

 

[BigAndyA]

But check first what type of switch is used in the bass! (Straight, long short) or angled.

Ralf

Will do.

 

[BigAndyA]

Call off the dogs! For some reason - and I don't try to stress over this too much - the switch worked fine at rehearsal today. I don't know why it didn't work the other day and why it's working now. Voodoo?

 

[bassman10096]

Call off the dogs! For some reason - and I don't try to stress over this too much - the switch worked fine at rehearsal today. I don't know why it didn't work the other day and why it's working now. Voodoo?

I hate to jinx your good luck but my toggle stopped working in the middle (both on) position and intermediately “recovers”, then fails again. Time for a new switch…

 

[bassman10096]

Update: I had my local shop replace the toggle and upgrade all the pots - great improvement over the original parts! New toggle is solid (not “squishy” like the failed original) and quiet.