Hi-pass Switch turns on Rhythm Circuit!?

[timiscott]

I bought one of the new MIJ Trad 60s Jaguar a couple of months ago. Everything was ok until last week, when I flicked the hi-pass switch and the volume of the guitar went up hugely and it became outrageously woolly-sounding. This happens every time I use that switch now. I think the hi-pass is actually turning on the rhythm circuit and boosting the volume at the same time. Is this even possible? It's not my first Jaguar and I'm baffled!

[MayTheFuzzBeWithYou]

Which controls are active when you engage that switch?
Maybe someone has just exchanged the capacitor for another value...
Or switched places... my Thinline’s rhythm circuit activates on the „neck“ switch because I got a toggle in the upper horn...

[jorri]

Seems like a series switch. Only thing that can passively boost volume.
Are the rhythm pots changing the sound?

Question is why, if so, when its new and I didn't see that advertised.
Maybe take a look inside the lower switch plate.

[jorri]

...or, are you turning OFF the high pass and getting the wooly sound? Like if tone control is screwed? I think there is a few ways of wiring a hi-pass, to bypass tone or with tone down on my bass vi gets extremely narrow range and volume....so then you turn it off, you are in full volume tone control mode?

[timtam]

The lead circuit runs the hot of each pickup directly into their on-off switch first, and then the combined output of those switches (whichever hots are switched 'on') goes to the strangle switch. That switch either shorts the bright cap (off), or runs the signal through it (on). The output of that switch goes to the pots. Schematic below.

A MIJ vintage-style circuit will not be any different to any other vintage-style jag circuit. However being MIJ, it is likely that it uses shielded conductors (better) instead of the the MIA spaghetti of unshielded single conductor wiring - so it would look different on cursory inspection. But that doesn't change the electrical circuit per se.

So it's not possible for the strangle switch to activate the rhythm circuit (I take it the lead circuit pots are still working ?). However if the strangle cap has gone rogue, or maybe there is a short somewhere under the lead switches plate, maybe to ground, it's possible that it would sound like the rhythm circuit. The use of shielded conductors means that grounds can sometimes be closer to hots at the solder terminals. The volume spike is harder to explain.

I would unscrew the lead switch plate and have a look underneath (maybe post a pic). See if the switching works OK when the plate is off the guitar. If not, do the same for the main lead controls plate.

[timiscott]

Sounds like I need to take the plate off and see. It's my third Jaguar and it was fine when it arrived, so something's gone wrong for sure. It is when I turn the hi-pass off that it happens: instead of a warmer sound, it goes full on muffled and much, much louder. Totally bizarre! Thanks for all the advice too; it's very useful!