Removing control knobs

[wntbtw]

Hi--I have a 'Flying V' and i want to swap pickups which means the 3 control knobs etc have to be removed. I know of the tool that 'Stew Mac' sells, but am wondering of there`s another way to remove/pull off the 3 control knobs that will work. I tried to pull them myself but they`re on there pretty tight! Thank you for any help you can offer.

 

[andrekp]

Assuming they're press fit on there like other Gibsons (and I don't have one in sight, so I don't know for a fact) then take a t-shirt, slip some of the fabric under the knob, then wrap the shirt around the knob a bit and pull it off. It will give you better leverage.

 

[OlAndrew]

If the knobs are plastic, warm 'em up a bit with a hairdrier...just warm to the touch, not real hot. You can use something like a spoon, with a rag underneath to protect the finish, to lever them up (I use an old brake adjustment tool). Pry a bit on one side, then a bit on the other. Patience furthers.

 

[RvChevron]

Just use a piece of leather or shoe lace and wiggle it up.

 

[Bob V]

Are you sure that you have to remove the pots just to solder new pickups? It would seem to be harder to do with the pots loose and you have to be near the guitar body anyway because the pickup leads are fished thorough the body to the control cavity anyway. It's only on a semihollowbody that you'd remove the pots to solder the pickups, unless I'm missing something.

 

[jefesq]

watch the 335 video at mojotone.com.

http://www.mojomusicalsupply.com/video-335.asp

 

[wntbtw]

watch the 335 video at mojotone.com.

http://www.mojomusicalsupply.com/video-335.asp

That is AWESOME! Thank you. I emailed Gibson w/ this question and they referred me to a tool that 'Stew Mac' sells for $40 but I felt there had to be a simpler way to remove them as they just 'pop off' my SG! Thanks again for your help--can`t wait to try it! BTW here`s the link to the 'Stew Mac' tool for anyone interested in that. Thanks for saving me $40!!

http://www.stewmac.com/shopby/product/3515

 

[wntbtw]

Are you sure that you have to remove the pots just to solder new pickups? It would seem to be harder to do with the pots loose and you have to be near the guitar body anyway because the pickup leads are fished thorough the body to the control cavity anyway. It's only on a semihollowbody that you'd remove the pots to solder the pickups, unless I'm missing something.

Hi--thanks for your help. Unless I have this figured wrong, I have to remove the pickguard and everything else to change the bridge pickup. It will be the first time i`ve ever changed a pickup so please let me know if I`ve got it wrong with this. Here`s a link to the exact same guitar as mine and the way i`m looking at it, the pickguard, control knobs and everything else has to be removed to get to the electronics of the guitar. Thanks again for your help.

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Flying-V/Gibson-USA/Flying-V/Features.aspx

 

[wntbtw]

Assuming they're press fit on there like other Gibsons (and I don't have one in sight, so I don't know for a fact) then take a t-shirt, slip some of the fabric under the knob, then wrap the shirt around the knob a bit and pull it off. It will give you better leverage.

Thanks! That sounds like the same way that the guy did it in the 'Mojo' clip that 'jefesq' shared

http://www.mojomusicalsupply.com/video-335.asp

Thanks very much for your help.

 

[John Coloccia]

Hi--thanks for your help. Unless I have this figured wrong, I have to remove the pickguard and everything else to change the bridge pickup. It will be the first time i`ve ever changed a pickup so please let me know if I`ve got it wrong with this. Here`s a link to the exact same guitar as mine and the way i`m looking at it, the pickguard, control knobs and everything else has to be removed to get to the electronics of the guitar. Thanks again for your help.

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Flying-V/Gibson-USA/Flying-V/Features.aspx

One of the few guitars I've never been in (although I've been inside the Epiphone Flying V). Anyhow once you unscrew the pick guard, the pickups, knobs, jakcs etc will all come out at the same time....they're all attached to the pickguard, not the body. The only wire left should be a ground going from the electronics to the bridge. That should more than long enough that you can work with it attached.

I don't think you'll have to pop anything off at all, unless there's something remarkably different about these V's that I don't know about.

 

[wntbtw]

One of the few guitars I've never been in (although I've been inside the Epiphone Flying V). Anyhow once you unscrew the pick guard, the pickups, knobs, jakcs etc will all come out at the same time....they're all attached to the pickguard, not the body. The only wire left should be a ground going from the electronics to the bridge. That should more than long enough that you can work with it attached.

I don't think you'll have to pop anything off at all, unless there's something remarkably different about these V's that I don't know about.

Thanks for that--yeah you`re right! All I have to do is remove the pickguard to change the pickup--pretty cool and pretty simple. It`s my first 'pickup change', therefore I want to be sure of what i`m doing even before i do it!

So thanks for your help--very much appreciated.