The Hub

Hey all, wondering if any electronics wizards out there might have any insights on an '88 Gibson Chet Atkins. I do not have the guitar in my shop, but the owner has described the problem thusly...

"it sounds like it's over driven or the battery is worn out when I plug it in to a board directly and play it with very little output.. and also.. it will not work through a direct box."

He has already had it looked at by another reputable shop more than once. Apparently some caps and resistors were swapped, but almost no improvement was made. He did say there that there had been some intermittent popping sounds (possibly static discharge?) that did resolve.

Would appreciate any thoughts, comments, or tips, or a referral to someone who is well versed in active electronics in the northeast or anywhere in the US. The guitar is quite special to the customer and he does not want to give up on it.

Thanks for taking a look. I've attached some pics.