Just worked on another semihollow...

[edward]

HATED it! So much trouble, so much finessing, only my third time doing it (first on this particular guit) and really hated it just as I had before. But love the results!!

I had to clean scratchy pots and also did the 50s mod on my CS336. I like the 50s mod on my Standard and LPC, but man does it "work" even better on my 336 (with classic 57s)! Did I mention I hate pulling pots on a semihollow! But the clean tone and crisper highs when rolling down the vols really made it worth the effort now that all is said and done.

...thanks for letting me vent

Edward

 

[Dean_E]

Have you ever used the trick that I use when swapping out pots, switches and p/u's? Wrap different colored wire around the pot post and/or switches before taking them out. Thread the guide wire into the now empty hole as you're pulling out the pot by the wires soldered to it through the body cavity. Now you can rewire / swap out pots, switches and p/u's outside the guitar cavity. Make sure every thing is working properly before reassembling. Wrap the correct colored wire to the pot, and with a little finessing the pot is back into the hole rather easily. I used this trick on my Hamer Monaco Superpro a couple of times till I found the p/u's I liked.

Dean

 

[kirkw]

Get some aquarium type tubing. That stuff rocks.

It's a lot easier to go thru a F hole than it is to pull everything thru a pickup hole!

That tubing pops right on the pots shaft. Dirt cheap too.

 

[edward]

I did tie to the pots and op jack ...used dental floss which is strong and thin. First two times was on an Ibanez ES175-like guitar whose F-holes were large. A headache, but not too bad. This Gibby CS336 has smaller F-holes so the pickup cavity was the only route. Seemed like more finessing was req'd with this guitar. All told, it works, but I doubt there really is an "easy" way around the obvious ...and if there is, someone share, would ya! Still, it's done and I'm glad I did it and am gratified at the results. But believe me, if it didn't work when I plugged it in, I'd have hire a tech to re-do it

Edward

 

[kirkw]

the issue I've found on about 20 semi and full hollows is that string allows the pot to spin around. and that lets the lugs get tangled up in other wires. the tube ( sold on the TV Jones website) seems to be the best.
I got mine from petsmart. still not much fun, but its the best I have seen and Mr. Jones thinks its the best way too. I'd say he is the most knowledgeable about this sort of thing.

 

[edward]

Hi Kirk,

I think you're right about the "spinning" thing. Even though the pots etc are on string, all of them moving around as you work the assembly in then out changes their relative orientation to one another, complicating getting it all back in the right place. I hope to not ever have to "go in" again, but if I have to I'll defintely try the petsmart tubing thing. Thanks for the tip!

Edward