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Post by vonFrenchie on Jun 1, 2007 23:39:39 GMT -5
My friend bought an Ibanez AFS75TD (Artcore hollowbody) and he wants to replace the pickups and some pots (for coil taps, ser/par switch and a phase switch. My question is... HOW ON EARTH DO YOU GET TO THE ELECTRONICS? Is there some sort of magic hook or long pliers that I need to use to pull the electronics out or what?
Sorry if this is on the wrong board. Its a bit of both electronics and lutherie/repair
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Post by UnklMickey on Jun 2, 2007 2:55:43 GMT -5
There have been a couple threads about this. It just ain't pretty.
Everything goes in and out through the hole for the neck pickup.
When you pull out the entire pickup, controls, jack, harness as a complete assembly, you have to be very careful on the re-wiring to insure the wires are the right length. Then when you put everything back in, some string around the pots shafts helps guide them back into the holes.
It's sort of like building a ship in a bottle.
...or like an appendectomy ... via the nose.
RUN! run like hell!
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Post by vonFrenchie on Jun 3, 2007 9:51:02 GMT -5
Yeah... the unfortunate thing is, if I had the plastic to make a access cavity... I could. The curve on the back is very minor and I could just curve the plastic in the shop. But since is a full hollow I wouldn't bother doing that because something would go wrong. That any the strength of the body would be compromised.
Oh well, we're off to the music shop!
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Post by ChrisK on Jun 3, 2007 15:17:27 GMT -5
No, bottles are transparent!
Uh, lobotomy perchance.
Yep, warned is.
The smart thing to do is to make a full-scale mock-up of the positions and mounting holes for every affected component (the clever thing to do is to run away). Use tracing paper and transfer it to 1/8" plywood or similar.
COVER THE FINISH OF THE GUITAR. YOU WILL DROP SHARP THINGS ON IT.
Make sure that you know how to fish, you'll be doing a lot of it.
Think it thru 20 times (not how to take it apart, but how to put it back together). There's still time to run away.
Run away.
Remove all components thru the nasal cavity (neck pickup mounting hole) MAKING REAL DANG SURE THAT YOU MAKE NOTE OF ALL COMPONENTS (nuts, lock washers, etc.) AND THE ORDER THAT THEY CAME OFF IN, ONE AT A TIME.
Use a compartmentalized storage tray for all of the loose bits. Label everything.
If you yank everything out without exercising such discipline, you may not come to me for help, I will only LAUGH AT (not with) you.
Mount these existing entrails onto this board using all of the aforementioned hardware in it's correct order. Make all your changes while everything is mounted here.
Reassemble the guitar. Don't drink coffee or caffeine products. Sedatives may be of substantial use also.
NOTE: WHEN EVER REPLACING ANY AND ALL SCREWS IN ANY WOOD, ALWAYS TURN THEM COUNTER-CLOCKWISE (LEFTY-LOOSY) FIRST TO ENSURE THAT THEY FIND THE EXISTING THREAD AND THAT YOU DON'T CUT NEW THREADS. YOU ONLY GET TO DO IT WRONG A COUPLE OF TIMES UNTIL THE HOLE IS STRIPPED.
It might be judicious to visit the StewMac site or buy a book on such Tomfoolery (Dan Erlwine has some good ones). Make sure that you have the right tools.
I've done surface mount assembly by eye alone, I've re-welded IC bond wires, and I fix my cell phones when the electronics mechanically break, but I have never actually tried this.
Patience isn't.
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Post by lunaalta on Jun 3, 2007 16:45:07 GMT -5
It might help to attach a thin string to each component you remove, draw it through as you remove and leave it hanging in the body. That might reduce some of the 'chance element' when you go fishing to get the new pots and PUs into their respective places. Just tie them to the relevant string and gently guide them through.
Just an idea....
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Post by vonFrenchie on Jun 3, 2007 21:17:24 GMT -5
Lunaalta... thats a great idea. The old leave a trail so I dont get lost trick.
I like the Run Like Hell idea a bit better.
Ill just tell him to pull out the pickups and wire the new ones to the existing wires then cover the new connections.
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Post by UnklMickey on Jun 3, 2007 21:20:34 GMT -5
Yeah... the unfortunate thing is, if I had the plastic to make a access cavity... I could....
..That any the strength of the body would be compromised. I'd be more concerned with changing the tonal characteristics of a hollowbody by cutting an access, even if structural integrity weren't an issue. |
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Post by vonFrenchie on Jun 5, 2007 22:14:04 GMT -5
that is another good point
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