working on the wiring of a semi-hollow or hollow body

[Guest icantbuyafender]

theres no control backplate so uhmmm... how do i get to the guts?????

 

[InsideMan]

Through the F-holes, my boy. (He chuckles gleefully.) Not the easiest thing to do, but not impossible. This is why the newer (and cheaper) guitars seem to have enormous F-holes. What kind of guitar are you working on?

[Guest icantbuyafender]

the dot studio.

 

i want to drill holes to make a new volume and new tone to give the humbuckers each their own independent controls

[InsideMan]

Fortunately, I think the F-holes are pretty big on the studio. The basic technique is to fish a line in through the hole you wish to populate on the top and back out through the F-hole. Then you attach it to your pot/switch/jack (that has been wired into the guitar circuit) and gently pull it back through the hole in the top.

 

Here are some relevant schematics:

 

 

The schematic on top is your Dot; the one below is a 335.

 

You are going to have to remove the existing pots and switch first and fish them through the F-holes, then modify the circuit to include your new pots. Then you will have to fish everything back through the F-holes to the pot and switch mounting holes using the technique described above. (If the holes are close enough to the F-holes, you might be able to just use your fingers.

 

Thin, graspy tools may help. For example, I have an 8-inch grasper with a plunger top and 3 spring tines on the other end for fishing screws out of stuff. I have used this with guitars before. Also, hemostats work well.

 

Good luck with your upgrade. Cheers.

[TWANG]

Yes it's so much easier with the dot studio than with the sheri..

 

by the way I drilled my holes by fingers, no drill.

start with a small bit .. and work up.

you've got to be very careful not to crack or chip this wood..

and use only minimal pressure.. or you'll split the wood coming into the hole.

 

measure twice drill once!!!!

 

let me repeat that.

 

measure twice drill once!!!

 

You will want to get your harness very well soldered.. and laid out on a card before you start.

You have to consider amount of wire.. keep braided sheilds not touching.. and make sure it's hidden from view through the f holes.

 

And then you have have to change your wiring from the stock model.. use guitarelectronics.com and print out the diagram they have there..

keep it handy while you work.. double check as you go along..

test your harness outside the guitar..

 

the only fishing you have to do on the dot studio is the output jack.. you can reach everything else with a screwdriver or two and your fingers.

 

If you use a piece of wire.. make a loop on one end.. I used cloth covered ground wire... thread it through the jack.. then thread it through the f hole and into the jack hole...

pull gently.. the jack comes right up.. thread your washer and nut on the wire.. get it tight.. then push the wire into the guitar.. you'll see it come up to the f hole and you can grab it.

 

Take your time. measure correctly. don't crack your top!

 

TWANG

[Guest icantbuyafender]

hmmph... im so scared of effin' up my studio's top....

 

hmm... maybe I'll just set up a new set of mean 90's with new pots how i want them, then gut the dot and drop the new wiring in.

 

out with the old in with the new.

[lpdeluxe]

PM me and I'll send a piece I wrote on rewiring semi-hollowbody guitars.

[Stig]

hmmph... im so scared of effin' up my studio's top....

 

hmm... maybe I'll just set up a new set of mean 90's with new pots how i want them' date=' then gut the dot and drop the new wiring in.

 

out with the old in with the new.

 

[/quote']

 

Just cut a big hole in the back, and cover it with a padded piece like an old Gretsch.

[brianh]

There's a nice video at Mojo on rewiring an ES-335 with their pre-wired harness. I think they gloss over some of the hard parts though:

 

http://www.mojomusicalsupply.com/video-335.asp

 

Cheers

[lpdeluxe]

There's a nice video at Mojo on rewiring an ES-335 with their pre-wired harness. I think they gloss over some of the hard parts though:

 

http://www.mojomusicalsupply.com/video-335.asp

 

Cheers

 

That's not unusual. When I rewired my Sheraton I bought Stewart-McDonald's DVD on rewiring LPs and 335s...but Dan Erlewine was rewiring a 330, which doesn't have the center block, and is much easier to work with.

 

But patience will win out.