The Collings Forum

I have a not-quite-a-year-old CL with what I think is a bad switch. In the middle position it plays just the bridge pickup rather than both neck and bridge. Is this something where I should ship the guitar back to Collings to repair? It seems like such a small thing to go through all that hassle, but still....

Your thoughts?

This could also be just a loose wire. Either way it won't be an extensive repair nor take too long.

If it were mine I would call the factory and ask how they want it handled. It may be that they want it back in the shop so that they can address the repair.
Or it may be that they refer you to a nearby guitar tech/luthier that they trust to complete the repair properly under warranty.

Either way you'll have your whole guitar back and ready for many years of play. Being without it for a few days or weeks is worth it to have it in proper working order.

I share Hokiebob's opinion -- it will surely be an easy fix, but getting the official Collings opinion upfront would be beneficial.

Thanks, all. Actually, I was somehow able to fix it myself, which is pretty surprising as I can barely figure out how to put gas in my car.

I opened the back, sprayed some air on the switch innerds, flipped the switch up and down for a good 15 seconds, and … fixed!

Thanks again, all.

Good ending to a frustrating story.
All good suggestions above.

If it happens again you might want to try some electrical contact cleaner. Will clean and lubricate that switch to keep it working smoother longer.

markT wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2019 9:04 pm If it happens again you might want to try some electrical contact cleaner. Will clean and lubricate that switch to keep it working smoother longer.

It's a good idea to keep a bottle of that handy -- it probably won't be the last time you get scratchy switches or pots.

There had to have been a fairly sizable chunk in there to kill it, no?