|
Post by sheikyerbouti on Jun 9, 2009 21:08:14 GMT -5
Hi All, New here, hope to get some good insight on wiring, grounding, etc. I am going to be putting some GFS Liverpool Retrotrons in my Dot Studio and eventually a Bigsby. I am mostly concerned about the pickup replacement and grounding. Clearly the guitar is not grounded properly now (when I touch the volume knob the humming stops ). I have a few questions and hope you can tolerate my newbness. 1) Can I shield the Dot Studio? 2) Is there any type of video guide to replace these pickups? 3) I read somewhere about the 'string method', but can't find a link to it. I have replaced the pups in my strat, with no issues at all, so I thought I'd take it to the next level, and I want to 'Gretschize' my Dot Studio, and this seems like a good path to take. I appreciate any help and all suggestions. Thanks all.
|
|
|
Post by newey on Jun 9, 2009 21:51:20 GMT -5
Sheik- Hello and Welcome! From your username I assume another Zappa fan is in our midst . . I don't have a link to the String method. I thought Stew-Mac had a tutorial on it but now I can't find it. Some of our members have done this, however, so help will be coming along. Shielding a hollow body, or semi-hollow body, guitar is not really easily do-able. Probably the best you can do is to use shielded cable for all the long wire runs- but your stock Epi wiring probable already has a braided shield, at least from the pups to the controls and from the controls to the out jack. Shielding around the back of the individual pickups can be done, but this may affect the tone adversely. However, if the major noise goes away, as you say, when you touch the volume control knob, it sounds like a grounding problem which your rewiring may fix. Is this, in fact, a metal knob? I know of no video guide to replacing the pups, but we can walk you through the wiring part. The hard part is getting everything back into the guitar- that's where your string method comes in. One of our members did this a while back, if I can find the thread I'll link you to it.
|
|
|
Post by sheikyerbouti on Jun 10, 2009 7:09:31 GMT -5
Thanks! I did try to search (honestly ), and yes, another Zappa fan in the mix. Yup, the volume knob is metal (I don't like speed knobs) I just got some 20 gauge solid wire, not sure if it's shielded or not, but I may go out and get some shielded wire for this job. Thanks for the welcome.
|
|
|
Post by ashcatlt on Jun 10, 2009 10:30:41 GMT -5
What happens when you touch other metal parts on the guitar? Is there a tone knob and does it have the same metal knob? What about the strings/bridge? Does the noise go away when you touch these?
This would indicate to me that it's all grounded properly. That is, it's supposed to work that way. You're shorting out the source of EMI/RFI which is closest to the guitar when you touch those metal parts.
This means your only hope will be to shield whatever you can. Good luck with that.
Are you going with the humbucking version of the Retrotrons?
|
|
|
Post by ashcatlt on Jun 10, 2009 11:17:18 GMT -5
BTW - I've never done it, but I'm pretty sure this is how the string method works.
Get a bunch of strings (not guitar strings, you know the other kind), one per control will work. Remember the jack, if you're pulling that. Tie one end of the string to its respective control before you remove it from the guitar. Tie the other (free) ends of all the strings together. Now remove the controls and pull them out to where you want to work on them.
When you're ready to put the thing back together, just yank (or pull gently, so the strings don't come loose and to avoid damage) the strings and the controls should go right back from whence they came.
|
|
|
Post by sheikyerbouti on Jun 10, 2009 11:55:03 GMT -5
What happens when you touch other metal parts on the guitar? Is there a tone knob and does it have the same metal knob? What about the strings/bridge? Does the noise go away when you touch these? This would indicate to me that it's all grounded properly. That is, it's supposed to work that way. You're shorting out the source of EMI/RFI which is closest to the guitar when you touch those metal parts. This means your only hope will be to shield whatever you can. Good luck with that. Are you going with the humbucking version of the Retrotrons? I am getting the Liverpool vintage. I don't know if it happens when I touch the tone, but I don't think so on the bridge or other metal parts. I'll check that tonight. The Liverpool's seem to get some really good reviews, and I cannot justify putting TV Jones into it. That'd run more than the guitar cost me. I was also looking on ebay for some filter'trons; those seem to be available at a decent price, but I honestly don't know what I'm getting. Thanks again for the help! Much appreciated
|
|
|
Post by newey on Jun 10, 2009 12:47:15 GMT -5
I haven't tried the Liverpools yet, but I've used a lot of GFS pups and I'm a big fan. Best bang for your buck, IMO, and particularly, as you say, in a guitar that doesn't justify $200 per set.
I think the GFS pups are made by Artec. Their website may have some more technical info on these.
|
|
|
Post by sheikyerbouti on Jun 10, 2009 13:19:07 GMT -5
From the clips from their site, the Liverpool sounds really nice.
|
|