Keeping wiring neat in F-Hole guitars...

[kingsxman]

I did my first work on a 335 copy the other night replacing all the pots and switches. I wound up with some wires showing. I'll have to lenthen some wires so I can get them "around" the F holes and out of view. What do you use to hold wires in place and maybe "stick" them to the body somehow so they dont wiggle around and end up showing through the F-Holes?

 

[John Phillips]

I bundle them with cable ties, if it's not a Gibson-style guitar with braided wire throughout, which you can solder to the back of each pot to make a 'frame' around the f-hole. A good way to do it is to use a piece of semi-rigid solid tinned wire to join the pots together first and make the ground connection, then you can cable-tie the wiring to that as well... makes a neat and strong job, although it can make getting the whole thing back into the guitar a bit more tricky!

It helps to assemble the whole thing first on a piece of cardboard with holes punched to match the guitar body (just hold it on the body, and poke a pencil through).

 

[veldt666]

Hey John, I knew you were a major Amp buff, but do you work on guitars as well?.

On reading this post, it's possible you could help me with a problem on one of my Instruments.

For no apparent reason, the varitone on my ES345 now only works on positions 1 & 2. I suspect a grounding problem, & I've checked using an inspection mirror, but cant find a problem.

I wouldnt dare pull the loom, for fear of not being skilled enough to replace it....Can you help, please?

 

[John Phillips]

Oh hell... Varitone.



If there's one thing that makes life really, really difficult, it's one of those!

It does sound like a broken connection of some sort, and you're right, it's going to be impossible to get at it to fix without removing the whole lot.

If it makes you feel any better I've got a 345 to do where someone has pulled the wiring, and when they couldn't get it back right, epoxy-glued the Varitone box to the back of the guitar . I am not looking forward to having to sort out this mess... I've been putting the owner off for months .

 

[veldt666]

Oh well, I feel better that Im not alone in my fear of loom pulling from semi's.

When you finally tackle the one you speak of, you could perhaps advise me of any pitfalls or tips that makes the job easier.

Do you still repair / mod amps?

 

[John Phillips]

Yes, I still repair amps. I don't really do mods, unless it's something that's both completely proven and non-destructive... partly because a lot of my repair work these days is putting classic amps back the way they were supposed to be!

Where abouts are you? I'm near Edinburgh.

 

[veldt666]

Im in Aberdeen.
I do all the basic stuff myself, & I have a tech who covers most things I cant.
Problem is, he doesn't do "guitar speak". Not being a musician, he approaches everything on a purely technical level, (Nothing wrong with that), but when trying to explain something in "extreme detail", or how something reacts, I often get a blank look as if I'm delving into alchemy.

From reading your posts & replies to queries, it seems we may lean in a similar sonic direction. I too love Rivera's Fenders, (Super champ, Champ II, Concert, & Twin II).
I occaisionally use Boogie, although mostly Fuchs now.
I'm also a fan of Roland JC Amps, (JC77 & 120).

It would be nice to meet you sometime. Do you ever gig near Aberdeen?

 

[John Phillips]

We were going to be playing there next week - not sure of the venue, something that was being arranged via a band we know - but our bass player has developed some sort of nerve problem in her hands and can't play... which is frustrating (and very worrying, for all of us but her especially).

A pity, as I was really looking forward to it - we haven't done anything in Aberdeen yet and it would be nice to get up there! I'll let you know if we are at any point in the future though.

 

[veldt666]

Please do.

 

[kingsxman]

So..anyone got any more ideas on keeping wires out of site on F-Holes?