EMG's ?????

[Tele-Whacker]

I don't get on this forum a lot, so plaese excuse me if I'm dropping my hook in a old "fished out" pond.

I bought a guitar a little over a year ago, and it had EMG's (Battery type). I have them in what is fast becoming my new #1 Telecaster. They sound great...now I've noticed that on the NECK pup, my first string (Little E) is not as loud as the rest. I don't notice it with the switch in the middle position, and no problems at all while the switch is on the bridge pup. Just when I'm playing on the neck pickup. There is nothing visible going on with the nutt, or the saddles, or nothing in the way of the frets, and I don't seem to notice it ALL THE TIME.
The pickups are sealed, solid one piece type, so it is not feasable(sp?) to guess it is one of the pole pieces. I don't know what the construction is when it comes to this type of pickup. I was just wondering if someone on the forum knew something that would help me to better understand the problem, or what can be done to remedy it. Thanks in advance.

[e-merlin]

When was the last time you changed the battery? I would try that first.

[Butch Snyder]

Originally Posted by e-merlin

When was the last time you changed the battery? I would try that first.

That's a good idea. The battery life of a set of EMG's is about a year if you unplug the guitar every time you're not playing it. Keeping it plugged in will drain battery life.

[Tele-Whacker]

Yes, I appreciate the suggestion, but the battery is only two weeks old. The other thing, it is ONLY the first string. The little "E". And yes I always un-plug my Tele when I'm not playing it, even while on a 15 minute break.
Today I will be changing strings, because it's time, and it could be a "DEAD" string. What puzzles me, is the only time I can hear any difference is when I'm playing on the neck pickup only.
I'm convinced that it's actually in the neck pickup.
I have experimented quite a bit, and I can't hear a huge difference when I bend the string up into where the second string would normaly be, BUT, that doesn't change where the first string is over the pup that much. I haven't tried putting the "E" string on where the "B" goes, and I'm not going to. once I take a string off for any reason, I change the entire set. Thanks for the suggestions, and comments guys..

[Sarge]

Put a multi meter on it and see what its reading compared to the others.

[DrewB]

I wonder if this could be related to the "no 5th-fret harmonics on the neck pickup of a Tele" thing...