Control pot holes on a carved top VIP - advice

[Last Triumph]

I've dusted off the drill press and got some foam padding to rest the body on.

I ordered a full set of Forstner bits from eBay which will be with me in the next few days.

I'll drill the V/T holes perp to the finish from the outside going inwards using my new brad point bits.

For the pick up selector, I'll drill a tiny pilot hole through to the cavity so I can measure the top thickness, them use the Forstner bit to cut the correct depth to allow the pick up switch to protrude sufficiently through the top surface.

Then I can wire up and play!

I just hope it sounds better than my old Jackson - what a horrible weapon that was...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RqGflFTE3g&list=UU5MURB7_KCp0cUIIUZs8Oww&index=9&feature=plcp

 

[Cagey]

I don't think you want to set the body on foam padding. A towel would be better, or perhaps a piece of posterboard. You're not going to want it to move, and foam would let it.

 

[Last Triumph]

Last night was the moment of truth...

After re-positioning the knobs and selector switch knob on the front of the guitar about 100 times and pretending to play until I was happy with the position, I taped up and took the plunge.

All went well, including the depth cut with the Forstner bit in the control cavity for the selector switch leaving me with...

Yep, that's right..... no tone control. It's something we've discussed before so I'm not getting into it again now - it can always be added in the future - it only got a volume control at the 11th hour!


I had a beer or five once that job was done - been dreading it for months.

To celebrate my little 'win', I direct mounted the DiMarzio's and fitted the bridge. I'm starting to get an idea of how this will look when complete. Hope you all like it?

:blob7:

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Nice job on the drilling. Disappointed with the gold hardware but to,each his own! I really think you should use pickup rings though - to me, the ghetto look of direct mounting doesn't gel with the luxury look of the body.

 

[Cagey]

There! Now don't you feel better? Looks great, and as an added bonus, the world didn't end.

A bit of the dreaded wiring, some strings, a few adjustments and you'll be crankin' like a big dog. I suggest a nice Marshall stack to round out the event.

 

[AutoBat]

While not big on the gold (who, me?!), I really like the look of direct mount pups. They really add to the luxury of the body.

 

[Updown]

I really think you should use pickup rings though

No No No ... what are you saying Jumble :doh:
That would mean we would have to wait about 8+ months for him to drill the 8 holes for those pickup mounts.  :icon_jokercolor:

I like it just as it is.  :icon_thumright:
Nice work Last Triumph.

I was one of those worried for you ..... why ?
Because I recently STUFFED up a Toggle hole that I drilled.  :doh:  :sad:
My 1st stuff up  :tard: 
(Just had to be on an amazing looking body)

It was 1mm from becoming one of those fleabay relic / stuff up jobs.
I fixed it the best I could, for now, had to use a slightly larger toggle washer (lucky it's my guitar)
Kind-of looks OK.

All will be revealed very SOON !!

 

[Last Triumph]

Firstly, I love the gold and think it complements the colour of the guitar well - to my eyes and taste (or lack of it) black or chrome just wouldn't work as well.

I personally love the direct mount pick ups and would only consider mounting frames if they were available in gold and matched the carved top utterly perfectly.

Any-hoo.... the Marshall is already on standby....  :icon_smile:

Just need to choose a volume knob now - what do you reckon between....

I'm leaning towards the first one....

 

[Cagey]

My order of preference would be the reverse order of display. Gold dome, then gold barrel, then speed knob.

 

[Corey P.]

Nicely done!  For my tastes I prefer the speed knob - it's the only hardware in the gold family I've always liked...

 

[bagman67]

Nicely done - I'm sure the finished product will rock.  I'm with Cagey on the knobs - Dome, then flat-top, then speed-knob.


Bagman

 

[DangerousR6]

I think the gold dome would look best... :icon_thumright:

Way to go Andy...Looks killer with all the gold, I like it... :headbang1:

 

[stubhead]

One word about the tone control - even if you've had one that you never used, i.e. it's always on 10 - when you do away with both the cap and the pot, it does DO some changing of the loading around inside there. But like you said, it's easy to add. Two words about people who don't "need" knobs:

Derek & Warren -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr_9yt4hsHg&list=PLCC2BA45AA976B6C2&index=12&feature=plpp_video

At one point I had heard so many slow blues from medium to really good I thought I could never hear another with blowing an organ or two, but - I finally recovered. Really great playing is always past chops, it's about the construction - at 4:45 Warren knew exactly what he was going to do at 4:55.

 

[Last Triumph]

I normally have the treble on my amp on 10 as well - I love crisp crystal shimmering cleans so I'm not worried about a little extra brightness doing without a tone control might have. Also, the Dimarzio Norton's aren't too bright to start with.

I guess we'll find out soon enough.  :binkybaby:

It's now a choice between the Speed and the dome...

I've got a speed knob on gold off my first Les Paul copy guitar which I used to experiment with placement position on the body and I must admit - it did look kind of 'right' on there, but I'd not rule out the dome.

What do you think?

Quick camera phone pic...

Also, how come it doesn't fit on my volume pot spline - the knob is way too small in diameter in the spline recess. Are there two different spline sizes for pots? The knobs in question are from an old Tanglewood. I don't want to buy new knobs and them not fit again? Are the Warmoth supplied pots a standard size spline?

Also - I can't find my sheet of copper shield anywhere - I've had the house upside-down looking, so it might be  a case of doing without and seeing how it performs at Wembly Stadium in front of 96,000 screaming fans through a 600,000 Watt rig..... or if my diary is full that day, or parking at Wembly is tricky, maybe just my bedroom?

 

[Cagey]

I've not heard of different size splined shafts, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are metric/imperial versions. I do know those knobs can be surprisingly tight. I had to pull one the other day and I was close to digging around the toolbox for a gear puller (which wouldn't have worked, but you understand what I'm saying). StewMac has a tool for it...

It allows you to pull reluctant knobs and bushings.

As for the copper sheeting - I wouldn't worry about it. It wasn't going to help you anyway.

 

[Last Triumph]

Looking more closely, it turns out that the problem is that the number of splines is different...

Old one on the left, Warmoth on the right...

If I order new knobs from a generic guitar supplier, what will they fit?

 

[Cagey]

Tough to say, not being the manufacturer of these hypothetical knobs. But, the plastic those knobs are typically made of is fairly soft relative to metal, so I wouldn't worry about it. Make it fit. Metal against plastic fights usually end up with metal the winner. The splines will cut new grooves. Just don't get so aggressive that you punch the pot through the surface of the guitar. Metal against wood fights usually end up with metal the winner, too.

 

[TBurst Std]

Yes, there are Metric and Imperial pot shafts as well as knobs. Sounds like you have Imperial pots and metric knobs. Do not try to push it on as you can push the pot casing off (there are just normally held on with some tabs. Yes you can push the casing back on and bend the tabs over to hold it 95% of the time.

And to get off tight speed knobs, etc., take a shoelace and wrap it around the opt shaft under the knob and pull upwards.

 

[Tipperman]

It has to be the speed knob. Both for color and shape. And, as everyone knows, the speedier the knob the better your tone is while playing fast.  arty07:

 

[stubhead]

TWO: I, personally, would not just try to jam the knob on there, I would enlarge the knob hole by taking a slightly-under-diameter drill bit in your extra chuck or pin vise and BY HAND just scrape a bit out of the knob, making sure to keep really vertical sides. And try it on the shaft, and scrape, and try it. Not having an extra chuck, I would do the same thing with the reamer blade on the back of your Swiss Army Knife, vertical etc. Not having one, you can get in there with the open fingernail scissor blade (vert-scrape-fit-scrape-fit scrape), the little angled Xacto blade'll do (V-S-F-S-F-S-F) That plastic is softer than dried putty.

ONE: two butter knifes from the kitchen drawer make an admirable and... universally-KNOWN knob puller?!?!? Do they not have butter knives on Pluto, then. Thick backs of the blades resting on the guitar, thin blade sides slipped underneath knobs. ON EITHER SIDE of knob - TWO butter knives. If you really, honestly think you're capable of doofing even that one, I'm sure you could slip strips of cereal-box cardboard or folded 3X5 " card stock twixt blade 'n' git. Do they not eat cereal on Uranus....