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Wiring an archtop


orpheoet

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Hi all. I need any sort of tips/advice you all have for properly wiring an archtop. I put P-rails into a Barney Kessel and they work....but its noisy. If I reach a finger into the f-hole and touch a pot it quiets down. Same thing with the switch ring. I'm fairly adept at solid bodies. This is the first time I've worked on an archtop.I did not use shielded wire other than from the switch to the jack.... Could that be it? Thanks

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Did you ground the tailpiece?

Yes I did ground the tailpiece. I'm pretty sure I did everything properly with the exception of using all shielded wire. I wonder if I may have knocked something loose with all the mucking around to get everything back in place. What an enormous pain THAT was....

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Here's a photo I did of the rewire project on my L-5CES. There were no electronic problems, just buzzing and rattles from a hideous wire routing job by Gibson on a TOP SHELF guitar.

 

5591299994_8cde8d8a84.jpg

 

As you can see from the photo, the Pat. No. pickups do have shielded leads, but not all pickups have, or require, shielded wire...... BUT, ALL the wires to and from the switch should be shielded (and to the output jack). Also, the "can" type output jack has a shielded enclosure.

 

When in doubt, strap EVERYTHING to ground!

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Here's a photo I did of the rewire project on my L-5CES. There were no electronic problems, just buzzing and rattles from a hideous wire routing job by Gibson on a TOP SHELF guitar.

 

5591299994_8cde8d8a84.jpg

 

As you can see from the photo, the Pat. No. pickups do have shielded leads, but not all pickups have, or require, shielded wire...... BUT, ALL the wires to and from the switch should be shielded (and to the output jack). Also, the "can" type output jack has a shielded enclosure.

 

When in doubt, strap EVERYTHING to ground!

Wow. I feel like a real hack after looking at that. When I started this i had planned on making a full size "jig" like that but I ended up just making one for the knobs. Clearly I need to do it right.Thanks so much for the help/inspiration.I removed the entire harness/pickups from this with the thought of looking for a wood only project. So i dont want to unsolder the the cans. Is there a source for the jack and pot cans? Again thank you.

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Wow. I feel like a real hack after looking at that.

 

Just take your time and do it right. It will be well worth the effort!

 

As for the parts shown, the jack and switch are standard "Switchcraft" products. The Pots are CTS. These are all standard Gibson OEM parts, and available from the MFG's through retail outlets.

 

Here's a photo of the original Gibson wiring and wire routing..... they should be ashamed!

 

5591300224_4464b515ee.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

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