L1Picker Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 ***This is a reprint of a page I had posted on the old forum when I upgraded my Broadway. There have been some questions about upgrades lately, and I thought someone might find this tutorial useful as a reference.*** Ever since I got the Epiphone Elitist Broadway, I've been bent on upgrading the electronics and a few other things. Not that I was having trouble with the existing electronics, I just wanted to tackle the project. First I removed all the hardware, pickups, and the existing wiring harness from the body. I initially used fishing line tied to each component to make retrieval of the new components easier while fishing them back through the body, but removed it later in the game because it was causing more trouble than it was worth. Here is a comparison of the original capacitors (the small yellow block on the potentiometer) and the new Hovland Guitar Caps. Here is a comparison of the original pots on the left, and the new ones on the right. You can also see the difference in the quality of the wire. The RS Guitarworks electronics upgrade kit came with a wiring diagram that was very well illustrated. It is a bit different than the original wiring scheme, so it was nice having directions. Here is a shot of the new harness after I was finished. I ran 2 ground wires a little longer, and to the left of the tone pots so they wouldn't clutter up the view through the f-hole when installed. I also tied off the wires to keep things tidier. When I was ready to install, I realized that the existing holes in the body weren't large enough to accommodate the larger shafts. I used a combination of a small cutter and a tapered stone on the Dremel to open the hole up another .035 to make room. I was concerned about chipping, but it never happened. It came out quite well, and looks better than the original holes. The little "out of round" spot you can see in the pic was there from the factory. There is a rubber grommet that the toggle switch seats in. The hole in the cavity is too large to go without the grommet, so bypassing it was not an option. The new toggle had a shorter shaft than the original, so I had to cut the grommet to accommodate it. I removed the grommet, and cut the recess from the underside so it would be unnoticeable when reinstalled. It took a couple of cuts, but I was able to get the depth perfectly. I found that by cutting with a modeling knife around from the center first to set my depth, I could then work around the outside portion, exposing the areas that needed cut with a hooked dental tool. The initial cut was to have better access, but you can see from where I'm removing material, the finish cut was very clean. After completing the modifications, the guitar was ready to go back together. I attached the new pickups, a Gibson '57 Classic at the Bridge, and a Benedetto A6 at the neck. It was essential to maintain the fishing line for the ground wire as it exits through a small hole under the tailpiece, and is held in place by pressure. There would have been no getting that back through if not tied in. The guitar had 2 clips in it to help keep the wiring out of the way of the f-hole, but I found you could still see exposed wiring. I picked up a pack of small clips that have a self adhesive back, and added 2 more to keep the view clean. Here's a shot of some of the tools I found extremely useful during the project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valriver40 Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 great informative article. thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSAKing Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Nice job - great information! Cheers & Beers, BSA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Nice. Thanks. Say, how'd you get them re-pro white knobs off? They seem to have a fastener on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L1Picker Posted January 5, 2009 Author Share Posted January 5, 2009 Nice. Thanks. Say' date=' how'd you get them re-pro white knobs off? They seem to have a fastener on them. [/quote'] I don't recall for sure, but I think they may have had a set screw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
28v6r Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Awesome article, tis' a pity the forum couldn't keep to this high standard of article.. Fantastic, thanks for sharing that! =D> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Here's a shot of some of the tools I found extremely useful during the project. As a precaution: Never store your calipers closed. The thermal effect on the metal can cause the blade to expand, thus throwing your measuring instrument out of calibration. Leave the blade open at a minimum of .060 when storing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 nice job and a great post! plus. a really sweet guitar.. hard to beat that! TWANG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eor Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 no before/after clips? where did all the wiring stuff come from? is it expensive? and i've got to know about those "harmonic suppressors". what do/don't they do, and how do they affect tone? i'm thinking i need some, but this is the first time i've ever seen something like that. please share. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSAKing Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 A parts list and source would be really helpful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L1Picker Posted January 6, 2009 Author Share Posted January 6, 2009 It's been nearly 3 years since I acquired the parts and made the modifications, so I don't recall all the sources and prices. I know the pots/caps/switch/jack/wiring came from RS Guitarworks, and I believe the knobs and switch tip were ordered from Guitar Parts Resource. The pickups were ordered online from different shops that I don't remember, and the truss rod cover was made by a seller on Ebay who did custom engraving. I have no idea what the total cost was anymore. I don't have any sound samples of the guitar, but will put some together when it comes home. As for the harmonic supressors, they alleviate sympathetic vibrations that can come from the strings behind the bridge. I hadn't had a problem with it, but they were given to me to try and I put them on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eor Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 ok, now i have to know- where did you find the harmonic supressors? i just got some off of ebay (roundmountain something) and they were for mandolins only and i kinda feel like an idiot. haven't had any luck finding full sized guitar ones. i may try to rig something by melting these together, but still... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layboomo Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 ok' date=' now i have to know- where did you find the harmonic supressors? i just got some off of ebay (roundmountain something) and they were for mandolins only and i kinda feel like an idiot. haven't had any luck finding full sized guitar ones. i may try to rig something by melting these together, but still...[/quote'] You can do the same thing with a pipe cleaner woven inbetween the strings! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eor Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 i guess i should, but i kinda wanted something a little classier. i've seen folks wedge pieces of foam in there, too. will it kill off tone and sustain too, or just the sympathetic vibes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcbak Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 How did you mount the switch? I can pull it into the hole using string, but can't seem to line it up so that the lever moves down for the bridge pups and up for the neck. Also having trouble threading the nut....unable to hold the switch still. Did an Epi Riviera with no problem, but was able to squeeze a finger in the F hole to situate the switch. This switch is too far from the F hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Beef Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Cool project! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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