Problem with neck pickup on new tele

I just brought home a new CS 63 tele that is absolutely fantastic playing and sounding. But, a problem has popped up....twice, in the last few days, the neck pickup stops working. The first time it happened, I thought it might be a short in the wiring so I took the control plate off and checked everything. All looked good. Sound was back. Put the control plate back on and played for another half hour or so with no problem. Same thing happened the next day; I had been playing for about 15-20 minutes and then, no sound from the neck pickup. I didn't take the control plate off this time and, instead, wiggled the selector switch back and forth several times. Still no sound. I was about ready to take the plate off again and check the wiring when the sound was back. No problem with the rest of the session. I just got done playing it with no problem today.

Any guesses from you experts (Fuzzy, especially) as to what I could check?? I'm starting to wonder if it could possibly be a bad winding in the pickup. I know I could take it back, since it's under warranty but it's a 5 hour drive, one way, from the shop where I bought it so if it's something I might be able to figure out myself, I'd like to try.

By the way, the bridge pickup has always been fine...
Thanks for any help.....

...looks like a switch problem to me. You should check the neck PU solderings and contacts there.
Could be also the PU itself, or it´s grounding contact to the Volume Pot.

But check the switch first...

...Many times the old style switches wood go tew deep inna control cavity.

...I haff hadda go in and re-solder the tab and bend it up instead of letting it go down straight like sum dew. I am knott sure watt kind of switch yew haff.

...A nutter prollem iss tew-fold. The cover for the neck P/U kin sumtimes go down tew far onna base plate and either short out the liddo wires or cause a break that wiss sumtimes re-connect fer a spell. Also bad solderin at the center tab kin cause a groundin out. It iss especially bad on Texas Specials.

...Iss won waz shorted out in three places both internal and external.
http://www.thomaskinkadechico.com/texasmess2.jpg..http://www.thomaskinkadechico.com/texasmess.jpg

...I kant beleeb Fenner dunn sew bad on this series of P/Us. I will never uze them.

...It sounds like tew me yer prollem iss at the switch from watt yew type about it. Dependin on watt kind of switch yew haff yew may haff won that ain't makin contact all the time or has a rivit loose.

...Make sure yer tabs are bent li kiss (a 5-position switch BTW).

http://www.thomaskinkadechico.com/5wayswitchfull.jpg




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Thanks johnny and Fuzzy, I'll double check the switch; for what it's worth, Fuzzy, it is a brand new tele, hopefully something small, like what you mentioned , is all it is....

Where the black wire is soldered to the pot it could be a cold joint giving an intermittant short if it's not the light wire grounding out at the switch.

If your switch has the exposed spring, it should be a CRL...and I've had a few problems w/ some of the newer ones lately being a tad wobbly...so I've been stickin w/ the Oak-Grigsby style (The other type Fender uses)...just sumptin else to check ?

That's too bad on that nice new guitar.

Well, only problem I had similar to it was on a MIJ Strat (far from new), middle pup started cutting in/out intermittently. I checked ohm values on pups--to pots--etc., all seemed OK. Played with & resoldered original switch. OK briefly, then out again. Resoldered all connections. OK briefly, then out. Replaced switch, OK very briefly, then out for good. I messed with the coil wire lead on that pup a bit, then decided I'd break it & took it off to a shop to be unwound & resoldered at that contact point. Problem finally solved.

This had me tearing my hair out & tearing the guitar apart a bunch in my basement. May have zero bearing on your problem, but if you do cart it back, make sure they check it out very thoroughly after "fixed" so it's a real fix. These intermittent things can be tough because they won't "show" unless "out".