The Hub

The latest builds, repairs, and conversations from across Looth. Activity
Filters AND Search switches× Reset all
Private member Discussion3D Printing

Switch Tip Print

Would anyone be able to 3D print these plastic pieces from this Fender switch kit? Unable to find them anyway anymore without paying 3 times as much as I did 2 years ago. They seem super simple https://www.stratcat.biz/225800-kit.shtml

2 replies
2 replies
LikeShare
Private member
Thanks for your help! I can order the switch and get measurements of the hole spacing and blue square part spacing. I know the button is just shy of 11/32" wide and has a square female hole inside to…
Private member DiscussionElectric Builds

Strat pickgaurd 2 p90s, one volume and 3 way switch

Anyone know where to purchase something like this? Also, I think the “maker” place in town has a 3d printer, has anyone had luck printing pickguards?

2 replies
2 replies
LikeShare
Private member
Thank you that's a great idea.
Private member DiscussionElectric Repair

Fender P Bass-Plus -- Switch short?

Friends - I have an unexpected problem with my 1989 P Bass-Plus. I suspect that the Series-Parallel switch is grounding out (ie, short circuiting) when the 3-position pickup selector is in the P pickup position (disengaging the J pickup and all 3 pickups). I am waiting for feedback from Fender as to whether there is both a wiring diagram for this bass and the possibility of getting a direct replacement switch. Has anyone worked on these…

6 replies
6 replies
LikeShare
Private member
Thank you for the update. I had completely overlooked the selector switch. Sorry to run you down the wrong rabbit hole, but at least you got practice troubleshooting and a nice switch for a future pr…
Private member DiscussionElectric Repair

PRS Custom Wiring Question

Ok. I am stumped. PRS Studio is in. 3 pickups. 5-way selector switch. 2 pots. Here's the dilemma: Customer wants two concentric pots installed. The front pot would be volume for the neck & middle pickups on the top knob, the bridge volume bottom knob. The rear knob is for tone. Top knob controls neck & middle pickups tone, bottom controls the bridge tone. I've gotten the skeleton of this sort of figured out but I don't....ha ha? The PRS 5-way…

6 replies
6 replies
LikeShare
Private member
Hey Mike, you said you had a skeleton of this figured out. Do you have a wiring diagram you could share? Two things: Jumping on the Loothalong and talking with people there is never a bad idea. There'…
Private member DiscussionElectric Builds

3-pickup wiring help needed

Hey everyone! I'm finishing up my latest build and looking for help with the wiring. It's a 3-pickup configuration with a standard 3-position toggle switch. The plan is for 3 pots: master volume, master tone, and a volume just for the middle pickup (as a blend so that it can be added in any position). The 3-way toggle will be a standard Neck - [Neck + Bridge] - Bridge. I looked through @member ' excellent book and didn'…

5 replies
5 replies
LikeShare
Private member
Thanks!! I realized my initial message didn't make it clear that the middle pickup should be independent.
Private member DiscussionGeneral

Tracing and Transferring Cavity Covers

Wondering what methods people use for tracing the shape of a cavity to make new covers, backplates, or switch-plates? Attaching a photo example of a battery cavity that's missing a cover and wondering what the best way would be to trace and reference the size so I can transfer it to a cardboard cutout and eventually cut a piece of wood to cover the cavity?

4 replies
4 replies
LikeShare
Ian Davlin
In the old days I would have done an etching. Tape off the paper really tight and then use mechanical pencil to rub around the edge. Now I would lay that on my office printer with a 6 inch rule, scan…
Private member DiscussionElectric Repair

National Triolian - Fishman Resophonic/Lipstick pickup rewiring

Hey everyone. I’m trying to figure out a wiring scheme for a modded National Triolian resonator guitar. It has a Fishman Resophonic end pin jack pickup (link to that is below) as well as a lipstick pickup that was installed along with a three way switch, and two potentiometers. Essentially what I’d like to do is wire it so there is one volume control for the lipstick pickup, one volume for the piezo, and the three way switch controls eac…

4 replies
4 replies
LikeShare
Private member
@member @member Thanks for the advice guys! Yeah this is potentially a bit of a mess but I'll discuss these options wit…
Private member DiscussionElectric Repair

Switch out output jack on an active P Bass?

Hi Gang, Has anyone switched out the plastic, 8 pin box output 18 volt active/battery switch output jack on a P Bass special for a standard TRS output jack or some other? I just got off the phone with Fender and they don't make this anymore and they recommend replacing with another plastic box from Molex and are sending a wiring diagram. The problem with all this is the plastic boxes have wimpy thin spring steel and wear out quickly.…

2 replies
2 replies
LikeShare
Private member
Hi Gerry! Thanks so much for the reply. I got the wiring diagram from fender. Yes, much switching involved. Initially, one person told me they didn't carry the switch and indeed referred me to an…
Private member DiscussionAcoustic Builds

more side bending

hello looths - i'm building my first guitar. generally following (and enjoying) the gore/gilet books. after 3 tries, i've yet to get a crack free bend around the nose of a venetian cutaway with a mahogany side. i made a version of the fox bender - using clamps on hand for the waist and cutaway, and a pid temp controller (verified accuracy), and am using a stew mac blanket and three straps. the recipe for my last attempt was: sapelle (fo…

6 replies
6 replies
LikeShare
Private member
hey @member - so i substantially followed your recommendations with another test piece of sapele: spray with supersoft about 5 min before going into bender, wet down craft paper, spritz side wit…
Private member DiscussionFinish New Builds

Black Grain Filler Under EM6000?

I am switching from NC lacquer to EM6000. I also want to switch from black WB filler to blackened epoxy grain fill. My question relates to keeping the color in the pores and off the surface wood, and whether to vinyl seal before and/or after epoxy fill, I already know how to tint epoxy black. Could black grain fill style be accomplished with black epoxy as the grain filler and would a vinyl sealer be used at all, or just use EM6000 for…

13 replies
13 replies
LikeShare
Private member
Karl - Funny you should mention it… my shellac order is out for delivery today. And thanks for the finishing schedule. In this most recent build, I find myself developing strategies that will avoid st…
Private member DiscussionGeneral Business

What lines do you carry and which ones feel worth it?

Hey! I am in the process of switching to full time repair from a home shop and in preparation have picked up a few product lines. So far I have D'Addario, LR Baggs, K and K and Fishman. I worked at a retail store and did all the ordering so it was easy to get these set up. Does anyone on here have opinions or suggestions for lines that they do well with. I do a lot more acoustic than electric work but was considering seymour duncan as a l…

13 replies
13 replies
LikeShare
Private member
I’m a wholesale partner with stewmac that gives me 20% off, is the builder partner something different I should look into ?
Private member DiscussionElectric Repair

Very strange pickups problem

I'll start by saying I don't post much because it's confusing to know if I should post on this site or the Patreon site, both are hard to navigate, etc. Also, I sent this question to the last "elder" meeting but I have no idea what the outcome was (I thought there would be some answers documented for those that can't attend live). So, with those frustrations out of the way... I have in my backlog a 1988 PRS Studio. It has HSS pickup c…

6 replies
6 replies
LikeShare
Private member
Hey Jason There seems to be a lot going on all at once. I talked about first impressions on the council of elders discussion but David Collins had a great idea. My first thought on the tone control ac…
Private member DiscussionTotal Vise

Quick question - Erlewine neck jig and Proper workstation

Just starting to research these items, so forgive the noob question/s… Can these two items be combined? I.e. could one fasten the Erlewine neck jig to the Proper workstation? Or are they two completely different items? Does the Proper workstation allow you to do fretwork under string tension, or is that only on the Erlewine jig? Or could you possibly buy both items, then switch them out on the same mounted post? My primary issue I’d like…

7 replies
7 replies
LikeShare
Private member
I do have not the real “Erlewine Neck jig” but a wooden one I cheaply made after the Dan’s ones on the Stewmac books and videos. Quite basic, it was meant to be a first trial to test everything… but i…
Private member DiscussionElectric Repair

Strat mini switch diagram

Hey y’all, I’ve got a customers Strat in, and it had a 30 year old preamp or boost circuit in it that died. So we’re gutting it and replacing it with a standard Strat kind of layout. However, the system was done with individual mini switches for each pickup. The customer would like it to function similarly. I’ve tried to do up the wiring from scratch but haven’t had luck getting it to work as I want. To put it simply, we just want it to be…

1 reply
1 reply
LikeShare
Private member
Hey JD, I found this one on the Seymour Duncan Wiring Diagrams page. I believe this should be what you're looking for. I'll also leave a link below to the main Seymour Duncan Wiring Diagrams page, sin…
Private member DiscussionElectric Repair

Variation on the Gilmour neck PU always on Strat Mod (series linked)

Hi there! I am trying to find an schematic to make a circuit I'd like to try. That would be the Gilmour neck PU always on Strat Mod but in a way that connects that extra pickup in series with the rest instead of paralel like in the original gilmour circuit. The thing is I don't even know if it possible to do it that way or how many switches woud you need to do it in the simplest possible way. If you have any feedback, clues, tips or whate…

11 replies
11 replies
LikeShare
Private member
I should mention for completeness that it is possible to rewire the internals of the pickups in order to add a separate wire to act as the pickup's ground/shield. It tends to be a pretty fiddly job th…