help changing pickups

[nicksg941]

hey guys, soon my pair of Gibson 490R/498T pickups will arrive, so im gonna switch those with my originals on my g400 epiphone. Now don tell me im a damnass, i do not know how to do this. i also have 4 pots and 2 caps, i guess i know what a cap is- no idea what a pot is.

[lous1952]

Nick-

 

Do a Google search on how to change guitar pickups.

 

You will see plenty of help on there.

 

If you can't do it, take it to someone that can, it won't cost that much.

[SG dude]

Lous1952, is that '65 SG an original, ie not restored, or has it had work done on it? it look sweet.

[lous1952]

That SG has been restored to what it should be.

 

This is what it looked like when I got it:

 

 

It was painted black, had been stoptailed, a DiMarzio neck pickup installed, pots changed, tuners changed.

 

Even the fretboard was lacquered.

 

Fortunately, all of the original hardware was saved except the tuners.

 

There are no neck breaks either.

 

It was refinished and the frets leveled by Lay's Guitar Shop in Akron, Ohio.

 

The original hardware was re-installed and a set of aged repro Kluson tuners installed.

 

It's all '64 spec- patent number pickups, nickel hardware, early control cavity.

 

Serial number still readable too.

 

It's a fantastic SG.

 

 

[nynvolt]

First your going to need a soldering pencil (soldering iron that is thin like a pencil around 12 bucks at a hardware store) Some solder, I don't know if they even make solder without a flux core but you want flux core solder. I prefer the thin type, like mechanical pencil lead thin. You don't need a lot, so no reason to buy a big spool. They sell packs for around 2 bucks which will be plenty.

 

You will need a "solder sucker", I'm not sure what the technical name for this is but it has a plunger that you press and a button that releases the plunger and sucks the molten solder away from the wires and pots. Don't get the wicks (looks like woven or braided wire), they aren't as easy to use as the sucker. This will cost anywhere from 5-12 bucks.

 

You will need a sponge, not a foam sponge but the porous type, they sell them next to the irons and solder supplies.

 

Before you start you need to "tin" your solder iron. To tin it, you simply plug it in, let it get hot then rub solder over the tip. You will need to wet the sponge and set it next to where your working. As you coat the tip of the iron in solder wipe off the excess on the sponge. When the tip is shiny silver it's ready.

 

Now as for the guitar, get everything set out and make sure you lay out an old towel or blanket to protect both your guitar and your table, workstation or where ever you plan to work on it. Open it up an inspect the wireing. You may want to put masking tape on the wires to write down where each one goes. To make it even easier you can clip the wires at the potentiameters (pots) so you can see what color wire goes where. I suggest removing the strings from your guitar to remove the pickups, you don't have to but makes it much easier.

 

After the pickup is removed you will need to route the new pup's wireing through a little hole into the control cavity. Gibson has on their site a good easy to follow wire diagram. Once the pup wires have been inserted you will need to strip the shielding and insulation, about 1/4 inch may be enough depending. You need to "tin" the exposed wire, put the tip of the hot iron to the bare wire, after a few seconds touch the solder to the wire and it should melt into the wire. You don't need alot. The wire should be shiney silver now. After the exposed wires are tinned, you can remove the clipped wires by heating with the solder iron and sucking the old solder away. If the wires have the same color coded insulation as the new pups they will make it easier to know what goes where, if not refer to the gibsons wire chart. The pot's should have little tabs with holes in them, you insert the new pup wires into the hole heat and apply solder. Thats pretty much it. If a wire is grounded to the back of a pot, make a little puddle of solder on the spot then lay the wire on it while it's molten.

 

Hope this helps. It's may seem a little tough until you actually try it and see just how easy it is.

 

The hardest part of the whole process is getting the pup back into the guitar, those springs are a pain in the ***!

 

Good luck.

[hbomb76]

It was painted black' date=' had been stoptailed, a DiMarzio neck pickup installed, pots changed, tuners changed......................[/quote']

Why did so many retards go mucking up the old beauties by doing the stopbar/Maestro-plate thing?!?!? My old '65 (which, if I wasn't a bit touched myself, I would still own and would've followed-suit on your most excellent restoration job) had that too. I'm thinking way too many drugs in the 60's made people do it when the 70's came along.

 

The original hardware was re-installed and a set of aged repro Kluson tuners installed......................

I've never disassembled a Maestro frame from the spring unit' date=' is that reversible and is that what you did or did you have to get a new base unit?

 

It's a fantastic SG.

I second that. The shade of Cherry is ideal, I'd say (Gibson, take notes!), and that upper horn is a good contrast to what they're doing WRONG on the Historic reissues.

 

H-Bomb

[nicksg941]

First your going to need a soldering pencil (soldering iron that is thin like a pencil around 12 bucks at a hardware store) Some solder' date=' I don't know if they even make solder without a flux core but you want flux core solder. I prefer the thin type, like mechanical pencil lead thin. You don't need a lot, so no reason to buy a big spool. They sell packs for around 2 bucks which will be plenty.

 

You will need a "solder sucker", I'm not sure what the technical name for this is but it has a plunger that you press and a button that releases the plunger and sucks the molten solder away from the wires and pots. Don't get the wicks (looks like woven or braided wire), they aren't as easy to use as the sucker. This will cost anywhere from 5-12 bucks.

 

You will need a sponge, not a foam sponge but the porous type, they sell them next to the irons and solder supplies.

 

Before you start you need to "tin" your solder iron. To tin it, you simply plug it in, let it get hot then rub solder over the tip. You will need to wet the sponge and set it next to where your working. As you coat the tip of the iron in solder wipe off the excess on the sponge. When the tip is shiny silver it's ready.

 

Now as for the guitar, get everything set out and make sure you lay out an old towel or blanket to protect both your guitar and your table, workstation or where ever you plan to work on it. Open it up an inspect the wireing. You may want to put masking tape on the wires to write down where each one goes. To make it even easier you can clip the wires at the potentiameters (pots) so you can see what color wire goes where. I suggest removing the strings from your guitar to remove the pickups, you don't have to but makes it much easier.

 

After the pickup is removed you will need to route the new pup's wireing through a little hole into the control cavity. Gibson has on their site a good easy to follow wire diagram. Once the pup wires have been inserted you will need to strip the shielding and insulation, about 1/4 inch may be enough depending. You need to "tin" the exposed wire, put the tip of the hot iron to the bare wire, after a few seconds touch the solder to the wire and it should melt into the wire. You don't need alot. The wire should be shiney silver now. After the exposed wires are tinned, you can remove the clipped wires by heating with the solder iron and sucking the old solder away. If the wires have the same color coded insulation as the new pups they will make it easier to know what goes where, if not refer to the gibsons wire chart. The pot's should have little tabs with holes in them, you insert the new pup wires into the hole heat and apply solder. Thats pretty much it. If a wire is grounded to the back of a pot, make a little puddle of solder on the spot then lay the wire on it while it's molten.

 

Hope this helps. It's may seem a little tough until you actually try it and see just how easy it is.

 

The hardest part of the whole process is getting the pup back into the guitar, those springs are a pain in the ***!

 

Good luck.[/quote']

 

Ill just ask my teacher lol....) thnx though.

[lous1952]

Steve-

 

All of the Vibrola parts are original.

 

Whoever did the mods took out the 2 small screws (or pins) that hold the frame (baseplate) to the spring.

 

They put the frame back on and then the cover.

 

Fortunately they saved the parts so I just re-assembled it and put it back on as you see it.

 

As you know, 1965 was a transition year for Gibson.

 

A '65 SG could have any combination of hardware, pickups, tuners, and routing of the control cavity with/without shield.

 

This one is all '64 spec, which makes it more desirable.