how to replace a switch

[Lonewolf]

on a hollowbody such as an artcore, how would one get to the tone and volumes swicthes, if you need to replace one. There is no back plate, just a glued body. What is the trick I am missing?

[suttree]

dentist's tools and patience. generally, you'll undo all the pots and switches, and fish the entire affair out one of the f-holes.... do your work, and fish it all back into place. you could tie string around the pots to make the return trip easier.

[Lonewolf]

I was hoping for an easier way than that. Like maybe a secret door or something like that. I can see why everything would have to come out though because of soldering the short wires, etc.

[greco]

You can go through the "f" holes or through the bridge pickup cavity. Tie a string on the pot shafts & switch BEFEORE taking them out. Leave the strings attached and don't let them go through the holes of the pots & switch , pull the string when you are donme and it will guide the pots & switch back to their correct places.

There is more to this...do you need more details...or are you just curious as to how it is done?.

Getting an input jack back in (if it comes loose and "falls" inside the guitar or if you need to take it out to solder) can be even more fun. I made a special tool for this.

Cheers

Dave

Looks like suttree and I were typing at the same time.

[mhammer]

That's roughly how I did it when I had to. The challenge is to keep whatever you have attached to the threaded collet of the pots/jacks/switches attached and still fit through the hole. I used some small gauge solid-core wire that I cannibalized from a bit of cast-off telephone cable (you know the ones with about 20 pairs of colour-coded pairs). The wire was strong enough to resist pulling, and narrow enough that it could a) fit neatly along the thread, and b) be secured without taking up too much space around the collet.

The wire itself had to be long enough that I could unscrew the hex nuts and pull the pots out through the pickup holes without running out of "pullback wire". Once the wiring changes were made, you pull the guide wires and jiggle the pot, etc back into place, severing the guide wire once you have a grip on the little sucker.

[greco]

That's roughly how I did it when I had to. The challenge is to keep whatever you have attached to the threaded collet of the pots/jacks/switches attached and still fit through the hole. I used some small gauge solid-core wire that I cannibalized from a bit of cast-off telephone cable (you know the ones with about 20 pairs of colour-coded pairs). The wire was strong enough to resist pulling, and narrow enough that it could a) fit neatly along the thread, and b) be secured without taking up too much space around the collet.

The wire itself had to be long enough that I could unscrew the hex nuts and pull the pots out through the pickup holes without running out of "pullback wire". Once the wiring changes were made, you pull the guide wires and jiggle the pot, etc back into place, severing the guide wire once you have a grip on the little sucker.


I actually prefer to use wire after having done quite a few of these now....I suugested the string (dental floss is another option) as most folks have some string in the house. Another cool approach is to use 3/16 " or 1/4" (not sure which....you need a "snug" fit though) internal diameter rubber surgical tubing (some hardware stores carry this). Slip the tubing over the pot shaft/switch knob and use it like you wouild the wire/string.

Nobody curious about the handy tool I made for replacing jacks in semi -hollowbody and hollowbody style guitars. My friend is a guitar tech and I made him one ....saved him many frustrating minutes (hours would be pushing it a bit) of extra work.

Cheers

Dave

[Paul]

Nobody curious about the handy tool I made for replacing jacks in semi -hollowbody and hollowbody style guitars. My friend is a guitar tech and I made him one ....saved him many frustrating minutes (hours would be pushing it a bit) of extra work.

Cheers

Dave

I've replaced the output jack in a hollowbody with a piece of string and a toothpick. The toothpick is cross-wise in the jack so you can use the string to pull. The nut goes over the string and you can tighten up the jack.

Removal is remarkably akin to getting a dropped pick out of the F holes.

[greco]

Paul...the tool I built was a piece of 14 gauge copper wire (used in wiring houses) about 18" long and soldered to the inside of the shaft and tip only of a 1/4" plug (broken off of a cheap patch cord).

Very easy to use and very handy for the jacks that come loose and get lost inside the guitar.

Just insert the tool into the guitar via the hole for the jack....push the jack towards the "f" hole with the tool...hold the jack down (with a finger or forceps, etc) and insert the plug into the jack and pull it back into place.

Cheers

Dave

[dobsont]

That's an ingenious tool Greco!

The f holes on my Artcore were wide enough that I was easily able to pop the switch back into place by hand.

I tried the string thing on the pots but found that a couple of pointy wooden skewers worked best - one to reach in through the f holes and push stuff around, the other to poke down through the pot holes and into the split shaft of the pot. Jab and lift.

Watch out for the ground wire that goes to the tailpiece.

The jack was by far the hardest part - being the furthest away.

[Paul]

Paul...the tool I built was a piece of 14 gauge copper wire (used in wiring houses) about 18" long and soldered to the inside of the shaft and tip only of a 1/4" plug (broken off of a cheap patch cord).

Very easy to use and very handy for the jacks that come loose and get lost inside the guitar.

Just insert the tool into the guitar via the hole for the jack....push the jack towards the "f" hole with the tool...hold the jack down (with a finger or forceps, etc) and insert the plug into the jack and pull it back into place.

Cheers

Dave

I've seen homemade tools like that; I'm too lazy to make one for myself. But who doesn't have toothpicks and string???

[dwagar]

I use 1/4" (or whatever size fits the pot) heat shrink tube to pull the pots back through. Just push it over the spline, hit it with a bit of heat, pull it through, drop the washer and nut over, then slice it and it comes off.

[greco]

I use 1/4" (or whatever size fits the pot) heat shrink tube to pull the pots back through. Just push it over the spline, hit it with a bit of heat, pull it through, drop the washer and nut over, then slice it and it comes off.

Now this I like...congrats!!

Dave