Leaderboard

Cost of Assembly

  • Thread starter Thread starter whyachi
  • Start date Start date
Based on Hannaugh's idea, I've combined all three PDFs into one document.  I combined them in the order that seems to make the most sense.
 
Guns are good for wire to metal. Not components. If I am not lazy, I will dig out a gun to attach ground wires to back of pots. Its quite quick versus an iron. An iron sometimes takes so long on a pot back that the additional time allows the heat to conduct through it.

Its like grilling:
Some are low and slow
Some are hot and fast
 
the gun i used to have had adjustable wattage, and it worked well if you knew what to set it to for the job at hand, but most don't have that option.
 
I bought a Hakko soldering station a few weeks back.  Had to make a couple of dozen jacks for my pedal board and had just about had it with my 45 watt radioshack P.O.S.

It was so easy I decided to I rewire one of my guitars in passing just for the hell of it.  Nice, clean and quick even for ground wires on the back of pots.  Best 80 bucks I've spent in a long time.  I used to find soldering very difficult: read all the website tips, pdfs, watched all the videos on youtube and it still wasn't working out.  With the Hakko it just works.  Now I can truly blame bad tools.  I think the constant tip temperature is what does it.
 
I'm spoilt with the PACE units... I put in several at work... then at another shop, and got my own.  ABSOLUTE temperature control, but.... I only use it when needed.  Most times, just grab an Ungar one.
 
I have a Xytronics 168-3C Soldering Station.  It has interchangeable tips.  It makes soldering more tolerable (can you tell I'm not a big fan of soldering?)
 
http://www.danerlewine.com/guitar_repair_books.html

I'll say it over and over and over till I blow... FIRST buy Dan Erlewine's "Guitar Player Repair Guide" and read everything in there that pertains to what you know needs to be done.
FIRST FIRST FIRST :party07:

Umm, First... It's the best way to assess what and how far you want to go, with the tools and the skills you already feel comfortable with. If you have some woodworking experience, wiring, plumbing, auto repair, jewelry, gun work, who knows what may or may not feel comfortable? I had a hobby/minor business repairing and regrinding fountain pens that proved to be really helpful when I got into fretwork - thinking in hundredths of a millimeter...

This book can take you all the way, but it also just gives you a checklist to match with your comfort zone(s). At least you'll see what's needed. At the very least, no repairperson will ever be able to flummox you ever again.


http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Player-Repair-Guide-Book/dp/0879309210/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Books,_plans/Building_and_repair:_Guitar,_electric/Guitar_Player_Repair_Guide.html

http://www.backbeatbooks.com/feature/viewProduct.do?itemId=331793

(firstfirstfirstfirstfirstfirstfirstfirstfirstfirstfirstfirstfirstfirstfirst....) :hello2:
 
Something else I try to keep in mind: unless you do something truly catastrophic to your parts, like run the body through a bandsaw... you know, by accident... there aren't too many things you could do that couldn't be repaired by a good tech.  Yes, mistakes can cost money, but even poorly-drilled holes can be repaired.  That's not the kind of thing anyone wants to have to do or pay for, of course, and can be avoided by following all the previous advice, but for me it's helpful to remind myself of that as I approach a beautiful, unsullied piece of wood with a hand drill.

But I'm also going to second (fourth?  fifth?) getting something cheap you can experiment with first if you can.  I bought a brand-new Dean Vendetta last summer for under $200 because it had a blemish in the godawful camo finish I was planning to remove anyway, and I redid the finish, installed all new electronics, put it back together and did a very basic set-up with virtually no prior hands-on experience -- just a lot of reading on this forum and elsewhere.  Yes, I totally screwed up a few things along the way, but it plays and sounds awesome now.  Here's a before and an after pick -- if I can do this without killing myself or anyone else, so can you!

Before:
camotar_whole.jpg
 

After:
camo_finished_front.jpg
 
Wow that looks nice--Did you know beforehand what the wood would look like under the finish? I've thought of doing the same thing but I'm afraid of ugly multiple part bodies underneath the ugly finish.
 
If you take a finish off to find that it's got an ugly 3 piece body, just make the new finish opaque. 
 
Before:
mimi.jpg


After:
WB_CarlySimon_325.jpg


They all look great when you scrape off all that makeup they got troweled on 'em
 
Well I know I'm in the minority here, I like hot powerfull Irons, get the heat on quick make your solder melt and get the heat off.  If you gotta hold the iron on for more than 3 seconds it's not hot enough.  Heat travels through metal at a fairly consistant rate, so if you have low wattage iron, you gotta heat the whole Pot up before your target spot gets hot enough.

One of these days I will post a how to solder Video, and you all will see how to do it easily. Soldering is not hard, go buy some parts and practice.
 
I guess if you scrape the paint off Mimi  all you can expect is Cary Simon, Huh?
 
stubhead said:
http://www.danerlewine.com/guitar_repair_books.html

I'll say it over and over and over till I blow... FIRST buy Dan Erlewine's "Guitar Player Repair Guide" and read everything in there that pertains to what you know needs to be done.
FIRST FIRST FIRST :party07:

Umm, First... It's the best way to assess what and how far you want to go, with the tools and the skills you already feel comfortable with. If you have some woodworking experience, wiring, plumbing, auto repair, jewelry, gun work, who knows what may or may not feel comfortable? I had a hobby/minor business repairing and regrinding fountain pens that proved to be really helpful when I got into fretwork - thinking in hundredths of a millimeter...

This book can take you all the way, but it also just gives you a checklist to match with your comfort zone(s). At least you'll see what's needed. At the very least, no repairperson will ever be able to flummox you ever again.


http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Player-Repair-Guide-Book/dp/0879309210/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Books,_plans/Building_and_repair:_Guitar,_electric/Guitar_Player_Repair_Guide.html

http://www.backbeatbooks.com/feature/viewProduct.do?itemId=331793

(firstfirstfirstfirstfirstfirstfirstfirstfirstfirstfirstfirstfirstfirstfirst....) :hello2:
Click to expand...

Just ordered it, found a new copy of the 3rd edition on Amazon for $17.  :guitarplayer2:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

TBurst Std
An observation and a thought
2
Replies
24
Views
629
NedRyerson
NedRyerson
Floyd_Argus
Full size shims supposedly rob resonance
Replies
5
Views
371
Hodgo
Hodgo
Potzahasea64
Headstock veneer/laminates still a thing, and has anyone seen a LSR gold rolling nut for sale?
Replies
1
Views
139
stratamania
stratamania
T
How do people do this? Float trem +1g str +1/2b str
Replies
5
Views
246
AleForce1
AleForce1
mrpinter
String Experiments
Replies
12
Views
426
JohnnyHardtail
JohnnyHardtail
Back
Top