I need some help .... fast!

[Punch Drunk]

Hey everyone,

Obviously don't post here often, but this might be the best place to get the advice I need. I have my first gig in a long time tomorrow, and I started to notice an issue with my 110 ce a few days ago. It started to cut out when plugged through my amp. I figured it was the battery, because that's what it's been in the past. So I found a battery around the house, change it and kept playing. A little while later, the same thing. So I got a new battery, and started playing again. Again, a little while later, the same thing ... so now I know there is a problem. I can only surmise it's the connection from the battery to the equipment inside. It keeps shorting out and coming back.

I don't really have time to get it fixed before tomorrow, so is there something I can do in the meantime? Anyone have an problems like this, and if so, what did you do? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Christhee68]

Maybe it's your cable. Or maybe the contacts in your amp jack are dirty. Or the jack in your guitar is dirty.

Get some electrical contact cleaner and spray it in the jacks then plug and unplug the cable a bunch of times. That might help. It won't hurt. it wouldn't hurt to spray it on the battery contacts in your guitar also. Maybe there's gunk in there that keeps the battery from making good contact.

[Earl]

This is good advice.  ^^
Before it's too late and they close for the weekend, call Customer Service at Taylor.  Or take it to your local music store for a quick look and some advice.

[Punch Drunk]

Well, I guess disaster averted for now. I went and swapped the inputs for the mic and guitar and that seemed to do the trick. I didn't even swap out the cables. The guitar sounded fine, and the mic wasn't going in and out. So I guess I'm still not sure what happened, or if anything needs to be mended, but it should help me get through tomorrow unscathed. Thank you for your advice!

[Christhee68]

Well, I guess disaster averted for now. I went and swapped the inputs for the mic and guitar and that seemed to do the trick. I didn't even swap out the cables. The guitar sounded fine, and the mic wasn't going in and out. So I guess I'm still not sure what happened, or if anything needs to be mended, but it should help me get through tomorrow unscathed. Thank you for your advice!

After I posted my advice earlier in this thread, I was getting ready to go play an acoustic gig. I hooked up my mic and guitar and was getting the worst static/humming noise you could imagine. I followed my own advice (contact cleaner, etc.) and still nothing helped.

Then I did what you did and put the mic in the jack where the guitar usually goes and the guitar in the jack where the mic goes. Presto! It worked perfectly--no hum, no buzz or anything. Worked as good as new.

[Earl]

A microphone input and its pre-amp are designed for 50 mV peak, or 1/20th of a volt.  Line input is 1.0 volt peak, roughly 20 times hotter than the mic signal.  This has nothing to do with the type of connectors used, but is in the internal electronics.  If you plug a line source (a DI box or pre-amp output for example) into a mic input, there will be trouble.  Or vice versa gives you almost no signal volume.  And with 1/4" jacks, it is easy to do.
Glad you found a workable solution for your gig.

[Christhee68]

The jacks I am talking about (like on my Crate acoustic amp) can accept an XLR or a 1/4 inch. I just swapped where I usually plug each at it worked.