Semi-hollow installation help
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BigAlTheBird
Guest
Re: Semi-hollow installation help
Well you have to do everything through the F-holes. It's a pain. You have to take it all out, wire it all up outside, and then put it back in. If you really want help doing this, then there are a few people who will weigh in who are great at the subject.
Well you have to do everything through the F-holes. It's a pain. You have to take it all out, wire it all up outside, and then put it back in. If you really want help doing this, then there are a few people who will weigh in who are great at the subject.
Zhangliqun
Questionologist
Re: Semi-hollow installation help
Some folks use the f-holes but I recommend pulling everything out through the bridge pu cavity.
There's also a trick recommended by somebody a while back over at the LPF that I haven't tried yet but it sounds like a winner: If your pots are split-shaft, put a paper clip in the gap, squeeze the two sides of the shaft together with pliers, then tie string or fishing line or something to the paperclip.
This is because pulling the harness out is the easy part -- putting it all back in and getting the pots/switch/jack back in position when you're done can be hell on earth, but I think this idea would solve the problem.
Some folks use the f-holes but I recommend pulling everything out through the bridge pu cavity.
There's also a trick recommended by somebody a while back over at the LPF that I haven't tried yet but it sounds like a winner: If your pots are split-shaft, put a paper clip in the gap, squeeze the two sides of the shaft together with pliers, then tie string or fishing line or something to the paperclip.
This is because pulling the harness out is the easy part -- putting it all back in and getting the pots/switch/jack back in position when you're done can be hell on earth, but I think this idea would solve the problem.
Benjy_26
25's Nemesis
Re: Semi-hollow installation help
I use the "fishing" method on my Sheraton. It works well, but I also recommend making a carboard templateof your control layout. This way, you can wire everything the way you need to, and then you just pull everything back in with your line.
I use the "fishing" method on my Sheraton. It works well, but I also recommend making a carboard templateof your control layout. This way, you can wire everything the way you need to, and then you just pull everything back in with your line.
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Semi-hollow installation help
I've re-wired dozens of F hole guitars, and its easy. I usually put in 1" pots and/or push-pull pots (like the 21-sound Jimmy Page system) & have no problems. You wouldn't believe the electronics I've shoved through an F hole.
The best tools are the cheapest. I have a stiff plastic-coated wire (the kind they use to hold lawn hoses together-I save these!), which I invariably need for the neck tone pot, as its so far out. I put the wire through the empty neck tone hole, feed it through to the F hole, and then wedge it in the top of the pot stem, and gently pull it through. When it's up in place, I use a pair of tweezers or hemostats to hold the stem while I put the washer & nut on, and then screw them tight. I have a set of 3 Stew Mac nut drivers, so tightening them is easy & doesn't scratch the finish (you should have these for working on solid bodies too).
I can usually do the other 3 pots by hand, sometimes with the use of a long pair of hemostats to push the pots up into place while I tighten the nut with the other hand. Make sure you have extra wire between connections, as you'll need a little slack to get things into place. I've never had a problem with the extra wire length vibrating inside, but you can tape them together afterwards if you want.
With these two things, I can re-install the pots in a few minutes on any hollow or semi-hollow body. Works just as easy for an input jack if you have to replace that. An otherwise intelligent guy told me he spent an hour trying to get the pots back in place on a 335. He didn't use a wire or hemostats. No wonder.
Its no big deal if you do it like I do & certainly nothing to dread. Most of the guitars I've re-wired have F holes (I love 335's) so I accept that as the norm, and look at solid bodies as being ridiculously easy. No one showed me any of this, it just seemed like a logical way to do it. You may come up with an easier way.
I've re-wired dozens of F hole guitars, and its easy. I usually put in 1" pots and/or push-pull pots (like the 21-sound Jimmy Page system) & have no problems. You wouldn't believe the electronics I've shoved through an F hole.
The best tools are the cheapest. I have a stiff plastic-coated wire (the kind they use to hold lawn hoses together-I save these!), which I invariably need for the neck tone pot, as its so far out. I put the wire through the empty neck tone hole, feed it through to the F hole, and then wedge it in the top of the pot stem, and gently pull it through. When it's up in place, I use a pair of tweezers or hemostats to hold the stem while I put the washer & nut on, and then screw them tight. I have a set of 3 Stew Mac nut drivers, so tightening them is easy & doesn't scratch the finish (you should have these for working on solid bodies too).
I can usually do the other 3 pots by hand, sometimes with the use of a long pair of hemostats to push the pots up into place while I tighten the nut with the other hand. Make sure you have extra wire between connections, as you'll need a little slack to get things into place. I've never had a problem with the extra wire length vibrating inside, but you can tape them together afterwards if you want.
With these two things, I can re-install the pots in a few minutes on any hollow or semi-hollow body. Works just as easy for an input jack if you have to replace that. An otherwise intelligent guy told me he spent an hour trying to get the pots back in place on a 335. He didn't use a wire or hemostats. No wonder.
Its no big deal if you do it like I do & certainly nothing to dread. Most of the guitars I've re-wired have F holes (I love 335's) so I accept that as the norm, and look at solid bodies as being ridiculously easy. No one showed me any of this, it just seemed like a logical way to do it. You may come up with an easier way.
Re: Semi-hollow installation help
Thanks guys....I am getting a pretty good idea of how this needs to be done. my common sense told me it probably would be like this....I guess I was hoping for that real easy trick..hahaha my stupidity. oh well its a@#holes and elbows now...wish me luck. thanks again guys
Thanks guys....I am getting a pretty good idea of how this needs to be done. my common sense told me it probably would be like this....I guess I was hoping for that real easy trick..hahaha my stupidity. oh well its a@#holes and elbows now...wish me luck. thanks again guys
MojoMonster
Active member
Re: Semi-hollow installation help
(Thanks Artie, the problem was, in fact, a dead pot and bad wire)
If all you're doing is switching pickups you might not even need to pull the pots.
(Don't forget which direction the bridge goes on, as it'll fall off without the strings. ha)
Just unscrew the pickups and pull what wire slack you can through the pickup cavities.
Then snip the wire as close to the old pickups as you can/dare(you weren't gonna reuse those were you? lol) and simply solder the new pickups to those wires...(I used a small 2-way crimping connector from Radio Shack to make sure I had a good physical connection... it has a yellow coating on it) you can maybe push/pull those wires through the f-holes to get more slack to the pickups or to get rid of the extra wire in the pickup cavity.
The f-holes were big enough to get my fingers inside.
Or, you can simply pull the knobs, unscrew everything and squeeze everything carefully thru the f-holes.
If you're going to all *that* trouble, frankly, I'd just go ahead and change out the pots, caps, switch and wiring as that stuff is cr*p anyway.
Just make sure the diameter of the new pot shaft is the same as the old pots.
Getting the jack back into place was the hardest thing and that was pretty easy, actually.
Just tied it to some thick wire and used a dental pick-type tool to pull it through.
Good luck, don't force anything and be patient.
MM
I just did this on an AS83.
(Thanks Artie, the problem was, in fact, a dead pot and bad wire)
If all you're doing is switching pickups you might not even need to pull the pots.
(Don't forget which direction the bridge goes on, as it'll fall off without the strings. ha)
Just unscrew the pickups and pull what wire slack you can through the pickup cavities.
Then snip the wire as close to the old pickups as you can/dare(you weren't gonna reuse those were you? lol) and simply solder the new pickups to those wires...(I used a small 2-way crimping connector from Radio Shack to make sure I had a good physical connection... it has a yellow coating on it) you can maybe push/pull those wires through the f-holes to get more slack to the pickups or to get rid of the extra wire in the pickup cavity.
The f-holes were big enough to get my fingers inside.
Or, you can simply pull the knobs, unscrew everything and squeeze everything carefully thru the f-holes.
If you're going to all *that* trouble, frankly, I'd just go ahead and change out the pots, caps, switch and wiring as that stuff is cr*p anyway.
Just make sure the diameter of the new pot shaft is the same as the old pots.
Getting the jack back into place was the hardest thing and that was pretty easy, actually.
Just tied it to some thick wire and used a dental pick-type tool to pull it through.
Good luck, don't force anything and be patient.
MM
Last edited:
MojoMonster
Active member
Re: Semi-hollow installation help
Saved me a lot of headache.
MM
+1 the cardboard template.
Saved me a lot of headache.
MM
Re: Semi-hollow installation help
'There's also a trick recommended by somebody a while back over at the LPF that I haven't tried yet but it sounds like a winner: If your pots are split-shaft, put a paper clip in the gap, squeeze the two sides of the shaft together with pliers, then tie string or fishing line or something to the paperclip'
Kiss some of those splined shaft sections goodbye---that pot metal breaks pretty easy...
'There's also a trick recommended by somebody a while back over at the LPF that I haven't tried yet but it sounds like a winner: If your pots are split-shaft, put a paper clip in the gap, squeeze the two sides of the shaft together with pliers, then tie string or fishing line or something to the paperclip'
Kiss some of those splined shaft sections goodbye---that pot metal breaks pretty easy...
Re: Semi-hollow installation help
>>>>I have a stiff plastic-coated wire (the kind they use to hold lawn hoses together-I save these!),
I agree that something stiffer than string helps out in a big way when attempting to fish the parts around the inside of the guitar.
I've found the perfect material to be that wire that is used to fasten kids' toys to the back of cardboard packaging. If you have children, then you surely must have come across this stuff already.
A couple of good pieces of that and you're set for life. You can coil it with ease around or through any part that you're installing, and its stiff enough that its easy to steer to exact hole that you want.
I use shorter lengths of the same stuff in order to wrap up all of my cables and power chords before I shove them in my gear bag. They're basically steriod-strength twist ties.
>>>>I have a stiff plastic-coated wire (the kind they use to hold lawn hoses together-I save these!),
I agree that something stiffer than string helps out in a big way when attempting to fish the parts around the inside of the guitar.
I've found the perfect material to be that wire that is used to fasten kids' toys to the back of cardboard packaging. If you have children, then you surely must have come across this stuff already.
A couple of good pieces of that and you're set for life. You can coil it with ease around or through any part that you're installing, and its stiff enough that its easy to steer to exact hole that you want.
I use shorter lengths of the same stuff in order to wrap up all of my cables and power chords before I shove them in my gear bag. They're basically steriod-strength twist ties.
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Semi-hollow installation help
Not if you're careful. I do it all the time without incident. You have to bend them only slightly inwards from the top, which I do with a needlenose pliers & then separate them back to normal with a small flathead screwdriver. If you have the hands of a blacksmith, you'll bust them off, but then you shouldn't be doing anything on a guitar if you're that rough.
Not if you're careful. I do it all the time without incident. You have to bend them only slightly inwards from the top, which I do with a needlenose pliers & then separate them back to normal with a small flathead screwdriver. If you have the hands of a blacksmith, you'll bust them off, but then you shouldn't be doing anything on a guitar if you're that rough.
Zhangliqun
Questionologist
Re: Semi-hollow installation help
You don't have to squeeze them all the way shut, just enough to hold the clip.
You don't have to squeeze them all the way shut, just enough to hold the clip.
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