Guitar Synyster custom s issue

[MaybeBaby]

What's up fam?
I got this beauty and the beast back in January, super happy with the guitar.

Last couple of weeks I noticed this issue that happen sometimes when I switch pickup.

It sound...dead like with no sound.
Flicking the switch back and forth sometimes fix it.

Does anyone know what's seems to be the problem, and should I take the guitar to the shop, or is it something that I can fix at home.

Thanks to everyone in advance!

 

[Rad Synner]

I've had something similar with my Schecter E1 FRS (so ver similar specs). If I go according to my experience, the issue isn't the battery but actually the contact within the pickup selector. Sometimes dust or whatever other crap can get stuck and it may affect the contact.

Mind you that I had problems with my volume pot as well at that time and so I opened the guitar and put some deoxit D5 into the voume pot and a bit in the pickup switch.

I haven't really had issues since but then again, depending on your experience with fixing guitars, it might be better to go see a tech. Though don't worry, your guitar is not damaged or anything!

If anyone has other input, please chime in!

 

[Eric Kane]

I'm very confident in saying your switch is probably bad. I have 5 Schecter guitars. 4 of them are Syn models, the other one is an E-1 FRS. I have replaced the switch in 3 of the 5. The switches they use are absolute junk. No problems anywhere else on the guitars - I love Schecters, but the switches - come on Schecter, they need to be better. Using some contact cleaner may help for a while, but if I were you, I would just get a new Switchcraft brand short 3-way switch and change it out. Or if you aren't comfortable soldering, take it to a tech to have it done.

 

[MaybeBaby]

I've had something similar with my Schecter E1 FRS (so ver similar specs). If I go according to my experience, the issue isn't the battery but actually the contact within the pickup selector. Sometimes dust or whatever other crap can get stuck and it may affect the contact.

Mind you that I had problems with my volume pot as well at that time and so I opened the guitar and put some deoxit D5 into the voume pot and a bit in the pickup switch.

I haven't really had issues since but then again, depending on your experience with fixing guitars, it might be better to go see a tech. Though don't worry, your guitar is not damaged or anything!

If anyone has other input, please chime in!

Thanks for the information!
I'll be sure to check it out

 

[MaybeBaby]

I'm very confident in saying your switch is probably bad. I have 5 Schecter guitars. 4 of them are Syn models, the other one is an E-1 FRS. I have replaced the switch in 3 of the 5. The switches they use are absolute junk. No problems anywhere else on the guitars - I love Schecters, but the switches - come on Schecter, they need to be better. Using some contact cleaner may help for a while, but if I were you, I would just get a new Switchcraft brand short 3-way switch and change it out. Or if you aren't comfortable soldering, take it to a tech to have it done.

Wow I didn't knew that.
Thanks for the info!

It did look strange to me because it only been 3 months since I've bought it and I treat it bery carefully.

 

[Eric Kane]

Yeah, it doesn't matter how new or old they are. My brand new limited edition $3400 or whatever Dark Night Syn guitar came with a junk switch that I had to replace immediately. Every time I buy a new Schecter, I buy a new Switchcraft switch to either install immediately, or have ready, because most likely it will be needed! Sometimes when I'm replacing the switches, I think about Syn and Zacky's poor guitar techs. Guys probably have to have a whole drawer of good switches at the ready.

 

[Muz Malek]

What's up fam?
I got this beauty and the beast back in January, super happy with the guitar.

Last couple of weeks I noticed this issue that happen sometimes when I switch pickup.

It sound...dead like with no sound.
Flicking the switch back and forth sometimes fix it.

Does anyone know what's seems to be the problem, and should I take the guitar to the shop, or is it something that I can fix at home.

Thanks to everyone in advance!

If you don't wish to switch out the switch yet(pun intended), you can try spraying in some contact spray into the gaps. It may work and last a while.

I've also owned, and still do, a wide range of Syn models as well, thankfully mine lasted a good 4 to 5 years before the electronics required some touch-ups. Even with that, I sprayed some contact spray or just touched up the soldering and it still goes on well for another 3 years since then and counting. Haven't had to change the parts yet and I'm still good.

Cheers!

 

[CharredremainZ]

Check your ground to your bridge, 100 percent of the time the manufacturers don't clean to bare metal before soldering.

 

[Formynsane]

What's up fam?
I got this beauty and the beast back in January, super happy with the guitar.

Last couple of weeks I noticed this issue that happen sometimes when I switch pickup.

It sound...dead like with no sound.
Flicking the switch back and forth sometimes fix it.

Does anyone know what's seems to be the problem, and should I take the guitar to the shop, or is it something that I can fix at home.

Thanks to everyone in advance!

Hi MaybeBaybe, I know exactly what you are talking about.

I spent a lot of money to fix this, and sometimes (really often) I still got the problem.
I replaced two times the switch with an high quality one: not solved
I replaced the female jack input: not solved
I ordered from Maniac Music a brand new board that control the sustainiac and pickups (you can see the board opening the back of the guitar), spend 150 bucks for the board + shipping in italy: not solved

The thing that solved the most was rewiring everything from zero.
Me, and the technician who done this, are pretty confident that some cable inserted into that white flat "plug" you can see plugged on the board are not done well or something is loose.

Remember, this is not a mechanical problem, it is the board that (with his circuit) sometimes doesn't recognize the position or the signal, and drop down everything.

A lot of Syn Customs S comes with this bad problem, I spent over 400€ in total trying to find the problem, the guitar was in guarantee but when I started to search for the problem we thought it was a cheap and easy solution, trying to avoid to send the guitar back in germany for assistance.
It ended with 400€ of wasting money.

If you want to solve, give the guitar back in guarantee or say to the technician that the problem are the wiring (also if touching them the guitar is not workin, I told you this is not a mechanical problem, this happen in the moment you switch, the board doesn't recognize the signal and drop everything down, so if you touch the cables during the signal drop you won't solve because the board has already went in fault).

Hope this help.

 

[MaybeBaby]

Yeah, it doesn't matter how new or old they are. My brand new limited edition $3400 or whatever Dark Night Syn guitar came with a junk switch that I had to replace immediately. Every time I buy a new Schecter, I buy a new Switchcraft switch to either install immediately, or have ready, because most likely it will be needed! Sometimes when I'm replacing the switches, I think about Syn and Zacky's poor guitar techs. Guys probably have to have a whole drawer of good switches at the ready.

Hey Eric what's up?
I Thought it would be interesting to update

I took the guitar to the shop from which I bought it from, and turns out that the sustaniac battery was drained.
The guy found out by hearing that there's kind of a distortion sound on the clean channel and these problems indicate that I should change the battery

 

[Csgozzo91]

Hello everyone, I want to thank all of you for sharing your experiences.

I've been playing my Schecter Synyster Gates Custom S Satin Gold Burst for about a year, and recently the switch has started to fail, here's my experience:

First of all, if the case is a new guitar and it's under warranty, it's better to take advantage of the warranty period.

Otherwise, the solution is easy, although it's true that the switch is not the best, but a temporary solution can be given, while a new one is acquired, which consists of testing the electrical continuity of the circuit using a multimeter, the failure is surely due to mechanical fatigue of the swith due to its use, so adjusting its contacts very carefully, the failure is corrected. I attach a reference image below which details the place where fatigue occurs. It may be due to the design itself or the quality of the materials.

I also recommend in these cases to carry out periodic maintenance of the guitar in general, including keeping the electrical elements clean and away from dust.

Again I suggest, if you don't have electrical experience, take your guitar under warranty or to a trusted luthier and carry out this procedure as minimally invasive as possible to detect where the problem is.

And as @Erik kane has written, eventually the switch must be changed for a new one, change 3 switch of 5 guitars, it tells us something in that sense, and it's precisely the quality of that element.

For now I've solved the problem, if I have news I will update the comment. I hope my experience has been of great help and a cordial greeting to all.

 

[Formynsane]

Hey Eric what's up?
I Thought it would be interesting to update

I took the guitar to the shop from which I bought it from, and turns out that the sustaniac battery was drained.
The guy found out by hearing that there's kind of a distortion sound on the clean channel and these problems indicate that I should change the battery

When the battery is drained the neck pickup will not work. There is no reason that the bridge pickup is not working like in your video.

 

[Eric Kane]

Hey Eric what's up?
I Thought it would be interesting to update

I took the guitar to the shop from which I bought it from, and turns out that the sustaniac battery was drained.
The guy found out by hearing that there's kind of a distortion sound on the clean channel and these problems indicate that I should change the battery

They may have sprayed some contact cleaner in the switch or something while they were looking at it. I'm confident it was not the battery, and is switch related. It might be OK for a while but if the switch wasn't replaced, it will do it again eventually.

 

[Dustin Charette]

Check the solder connections on the potentiometers(the knobs and switches guts inside the back plates)

 

[Dustin Charette]

Schecters selector switches are junk and sometimes, its just the soldering job on the connection points. Did you check there?