tulk1 Posted March 9, 2012 Posted March 9, 2012 Got some new pickups coming for the Prospect. Which means a pickup swap - in a semi-hollow. I've never done that. Tips? Suggestions? Tools? They must have gotten the pots in thru the F Holes, so I'm assuming they'll come out. What else do I need to be aware of? The new pickups are 2 wire, so that should be simple enough.
DetroitBlues Posted March 9, 2012 Posted March 9, 2012 Don't do it yourself. You have very little room. Most of the time you'll be working through the f-holes, so do what ever you can to keep the finish protected. Tying string to the pots so you can lift them in and out also helps... But, for the time and effort, I'd still say take it to a pro. The money is well spent that way.
fxdx99 Posted March 9, 2012 Posted March 9, 2012 Got some new pickups coming for the Prospect. Do tell! Wow, replacing the PCs? That guit/pu combo I found really special (if it's the one I'm thinking of).
tulk1 Posted March 9, 2012 Author Posted March 9, 2012 Do tell! Wow, replacing the PCs? That guit/pu combo I found really special (if it's the one I'm thinking of). Yep, its the combo you're thinking of. But I went with the HB sized P90s just for this very reason - being able to swap pups, if just for grins.
H Posted March 9, 2012 Posted March 9, 2012 I did this a few months ago with my 535 and posted up a thread with details and pics. I'll try to find that and post a link. It's difficult and requires patience but if you're handy with a soldering iron, it should be straightforward. Get some painter's masking tape for the f-holes and give yourself at least an hour to get it done. It's very rewarding to play your own handiwork and you won't lose your guitar for a week or more.
tulk1 Posted March 9, 2012 Author Posted March 9, 2012 I did this a few months ago with my 535 and posted up a thread with details and pics. I'll try to find that and post a link. It's difficult and requires patience but if you're handy with a soldering iron, it should be straightforward. Get some painter's masking tape for the f-holes and give yourself at least an hour to get it done. It's very rewarding to play your own handiwork and you won't lose your guitar for a week or more. That's what I'm thinking. I'm good with a soldering iron. If I fail in one regard it's the patience aspect. But ... I'll just have to do it. And yeah, post a link to your thread if you can find it.
SouthpawGuy Posted March 9, 2012 Posted March 9, 2012 Two words ... secret weapon Two more words .... Pete Moreno.
MartyGrass Posted March 9, 2012 Posted March 9, 2012 If you must do this yourself, here's how to start. 1. Allow yourself a couple of hours. 2. Empty the house of all children and other distractions. 3. Have plenty of workspace, lighting and proper tools. 4. Empty your bladder before you begin. The videos I referenced above show you how it is done. It is easy to scratch the top and chip the f holes.
H Posted March 9, 2012 Posted March 9, 2012 Go for it - don't listen to the pessimists here Here's how I did it: http://www.heritageownersclub.com/forums/topic/14282-phat-cats-on-the-way-for-my-535/
skydog52 Posted March 10, 2012 Posted March 10, 2012 Go for it - don't listen to the pessimists here Here's how I did it: http://www.heritageo...way-for-my-535/ +1 I've heard that aquarium tubing works really well!
BrianToth Posted March 10, 2012 Posted March 10, 2012 Yep, its the combo you're thinking of. But I went with the HB sized P90s just for this very reason - being able to swap pups, if just for grins. It'll sound great. I put P-92s in my Prospect and it changed it into a new (and better for me) guitar.
tulk1 Posted March 11, 2012 Author Posted March 11, 2012 It'll sound great. I put P-92s in my Prospect and it changed it into a new (and better for me) guitar. I'm actually taking the PhatCats out and putting in a set of Larrivee Gen2 humbuckers.
tulk1 Posted March 12, 2012 Author Posted March 12, 2012 Just ordered a Seymour Duncan Liberator system. Might as well do that, too. I'd asked the boys when they built this guitar if they had a quick change system they could incorporate. SD hadn't released this then. So, doing it now. Could be fun.
DetroitBlues Posted March 12, 2012 Posted March 12, 2012 That is a really cool system. Makes me wish I'd thought of that...
tulk1 Posted March 13, 2012 Author Posted March 13, 2012 After I ordered that thing I got to wondering just how that will save me much time. Still have to pull the pots. Still have to solder wire to the pots. Guess the best thing will be that the majority of the soldering is already done. I'll just have to move the bares over to the Liberator, and match up the pickups. Guess if I want to go back to the PCs I won't have to solder them. Hmmmm.
JeffB Posted March 13, 2012 Posted March 13, 2012 I swap out and install lots of pick ups. I hate it. There is nothing satisfying about it. If I could I would get some one else to do it. But I cant. Its part of my job. I swapped out p/ups on three of my own hss strats in the weekend in every possible combination, the whole time I could hear people outside playing and talking in the sun. When I finished finding the best combination for each guitar I realised they all had the original p/ups in them. Its this thing you do and you cant stop doing it till its done but theres better things to do while you are doing it. Things like standing still and not blinking for as long as you can or closing your eyes and making the tips of your left and right hand fingers touch dead center are far more satisfying. And when you are finished and still cant find that one washer or screw, you plug in and the guitar still sounds like that guitar but with different pick ups in it. I would just take it to a guy that does that sort of stuff and go to a good cafe and have a nice coffee and read a newspaper while I was out that way. Its your guitar and your life though. It might be a gratifying experience for you. But so is a morning out of the house and good coffee.
JeffB Posted March 15, 2012 Posted March 15, 2012 Thats how I feel about mowing grass. My neighbour borrowed my lawn mower 6yrs ago. I havnt seen it since. All I know is my lawns are always mowed and never get unkempt looking. Im not sure how it works out that way but it does. Its like magic.
tulk1 Posted March 15, 2012 Author Posted March 15, 2012 My neighbour borrowed my lawn mower 6yrs ago. I havnt seen it since. All I know is my lawns are always mowed and never get unkempt looking. Im not sure how it works out that way but it does. Its like magic. That's what my wife thinks happens with our yard ... gee it was magically mowed. :-) My favorite magic saying: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. That has nothing to with mowing or pickup swapping. I just like the saying :-)
fxdx99 Posted March 15, 2012 Posted March 15, 2012 ...theres better things to do while you are doing it. Things like standing still and not blinking for as long as you can or closing your eyes and making the tips of your left and right hand fingers touch dead center are far more satisfying. LOL. Funny, I had almost this same conversation with a guy on changing out handlebars on our motorcycles. He did it and hated it. Too much soldering, detail, time consuming. I liked it... not that I'd wanna do it a lot, but when you do it once every few years I don't mind the mindless working with my hands. That and I'm cheap and hate to pay for stuff that I know I can do, although the older I get the more I bend that rule. Earlier this week I ordered a Don Mare pickup for a tele. Not here yet and not nearly the job as a semi. Quick swap.
koula901 Posted March 15, 2012 Posted March 15, 2012 It'll sound great. I put P-92s in my Prospect and it changed it into a new (and better for me) guitar. Were the p 92s Lindy Fralin pickups?
tulk1 Posted March 15, 2012 Author Posted March 15, 2012 Well, I'm all bummed out, now. Got the pickups today. The RS2 they came out of is a much smaller guitar than the Prospect. And apparently the leads are cut to just enough. No extra. And they will not reach to the controls on the Heritage. Checked, and yeah, it's all original length wire; the seller did not cut them. They're just too short. Got the Liberator today, too. That might just be going back. Unless someone here would want it. Argh!!!!
paul144 Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 I've done a couple of swaps in a 335, a royal pain in the a$$. I suggest this to my customers, that we splice the wires from the original pickup to the new one, use shrink tubing to cover all exposed wires, and neatly wrap the pickup wires with a small zip tie to fit perfectly in the pickup cavity. Like arthroscopic surgery instead of open heart...1/10th the time and cost. Unless the customer wants the pots replaced with push pull & coil splits, then there's no choice.
Gitfiddler Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 I've done a couple of swaps in a 335, a royal pain in the a$$. I suggest this to my customers, that we splice the wires from the original pickup to the new one, use shrink tubing to cover all exposed wires, and neatly wrap the pickup wires with a small zip tie to fit perfectly in the pickup cavity. Like arthroscopic surgery instead of open heart...1/10th the time and cost. Unless the customer wants the pots replaced with push pull & coil splits, then there's no choice. That is a great option. I've had that splicing method done on a couple of my guitars. One caveat however, is that the lead wires on the pickups are shortened. If you ever want to sell the pickup, the shorter lead wire(s) might turn off potential buyers.
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