Les Paul recent low end loss

So I've been playing my 17' Les Paul Standard in it's current state for the last 6 months or so without any issues. It has Lindy Fralin Pure PAF pickups, with the complete RS Guitarworks electronic kit (Pre-Wired Premium Vintage Electronics Upgrade Kit to be exact) - so pots, caps and everything else was changed. The chords are full and rich, and sounds great into an overdriving amp.

Recently it lost its low end, so the chords are no longer sound full and rich, but thin now. Instead of sounding great with overdrive, it sounds fizzy and harsh. Another thing that happened and I’m not sure if it’s related or not, I was playing for a good 5-10 minutes with a pretty heavy and modulated tone and I noticed when I stopped playing there was this weird buzzing nose in the amp. I changed back to the clean channel and back again to the overdrive channel and it stopped. Only happened the one time.

None of my other guitars are not having any issues, they all sound exactly the same as they did before. I've tested this with multiple amps as well, always plugging straight in getting the same results. The LP has lost something. Already been to one guitar tech who said it was fine don't worry about it, which is a common thing with techs around where I live, they love their apathy. Any ideas on what it could be is much appreciated.

Bad cable from the guitar to amp? Bad input jack on guitar? Tube issue with the amp?

Have you tried other cables, amps, guitars? Letting us know what troubleshooting you have already done will help to narrow it down.

Do both pickups exhibit the same behavior?

Did one of the wires (Hot, Ground) come loose inside the cavity? I've had pickups turn really thin sounding and when I opened up the back the ground wire had come loose.

I have tried changing cables, tried multiple amps with same results so likely not a tube thing, different speaker cabinets, the only common denominator is the LP sadly. I did check the wires and everything seemed to be good from the solder job.

Typically pickups won't go bad will they? I'm guessing a cap or a pot would go bad first? My memory is failing me in my older age, can't remember if I tried the neck pickup last time I tested everything. I'll give that a go and report back.

Loose or intermittent ground

Pickups dont "go bad"
Caps CAN but generally a tone cap isnt gonna.
Pots CAN but easy enough to measure.

Back to the tech time.

Measure the output and make sure it’s up to snuff.

Dopethrone":17p5jkoj said:

Loose or intermittent ground

Pickups dont "go bad"
Caps CAN but generally a tone cap isnt gonna.
Pots CAN but easy enough to measure.

Back to the tech time.

Click to expand...

Pickups indeed can go bad. I once bought a vintage Super Distortion and when I put it in it had hardly any output. Measured at like 2.2 ohms. I was told by a local tech that if extreme heat is applied the wind can break, causing this. But I've also heard that it couldn't happen that way...all I know is the pup I had was toast. Something happened to it.

Racerxrated":2m9k5mbg said:

Dopethrone":2m9k5mbg said:

Loose or intermittent ground

Pickups dont "go bad"
Caps CAN but generally a tone cap isnt gonna.
Pots CAN but easy enough to measure.

Back to the tech time.

Click to expand...

Pickups indeed can go bad. I once bought a vintage Super Distortion and when I put it in it had hardly any output. Measured at like 2.2 ohms. I was told by a local tech that if extreme heat is applied the wind can break, causing this. But I've also heard that it couldn't happen that way...all I know is the pup I had was toast. Something happened to it.

Click to expand...

Not "canned good" expiration date/goes bad is all. If anything, some would say pickups get better with age as the magnets weaken. Outside forces and ham-handing aside of course

Racerxrated":2m9k5mbg said:

Did one of the wires (Hot, Ground) come loose inside the cavity? I've had pickups turn really thin sounding and when I opened up the back the ground wire had come loose.

Click to expand...

I think this is the likely culprit as well. Cold solder jernt maybe.

Try to clean the selector.

Open the cavity and test everything with an ohmeter. especially pickup resistance and paths from one pot to the next. Spay Caig Deoxit in the pickup selector and inside jack socket.

One of the coils may have shorted. Check output

Are you having the issue on both neck and bridge pickup? I would still measure resistance from both pickups. You'll need to desolder at least a hot or ground lead from each pickup to measure the resistance.

You can measure the output by simply plugging a cable into the output jack. Then set your multimeter to ohms and touch the positive lead to the tip of the unconnected end of the cable and negative lead to the sleave of the cable. Make sure the guitar volume knob is maxed.

Did you, or someone lower the pickup height? If they are too low you will lose balls.