Changing pickups in 1995 H-575

[Plentine]

I have a 1995 H-575 and will be replacing the old pickups with HRW's. I'm thinking of changing to new push/pull pots to split the coils while I am at it.  Will this require a whole new electrical harness to go with the new pots?  Anyone done this?  Good idea?  Bad idea?  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.  Pete

[PunkKitty]

You will need to pull the existing harness and install push/pull caps. I would replace the full harness. You will need a Les Paul short shaft harness with 500k pots. Here are some options: 

https://www.stewmac.com/kits-and-projects/electronic-kits/wiring-kits/golden-age-pre-wired-harness-for-Gibbons-les-paul-with-push-pull-pots.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=2021-07-gp&gclid=CjwKCAjwlrqHBhByEiwAnLmYUAor4Vet7ec5pk9zfthl-8G4aB7XyqfFF6PBbP9SrKD9DMIMx8kIhhoCWi0QAvD_BwE

https://emersoncustom.com/products/copy-of-les-paul-prewired-kit?variant=13952525664323

https://www.jonesyblues.com/store/pv_1143165_827339/lp-pro-dual-coil-split-harness

https://www.jonesyblues.com/store/p_1490043/msp-les-paul-wiring-harness-and-switch-

It's not difficult if you know how to solder. But putting the harness in place through the F holes can be difficult. 

This is a tool that I made to help install new harnesses in hollow and semi hollow guitars. It's just a cheap guitar cable with a molded plug that I trimmed to fit through the jack hole at the end of the guitar. Install it in the old jack before you pull the harness, unscrew the nuts holding the jack in place, and use it to fish the harness out through one of the humbucker routs. I prefer using a 3 or 6 foot molded cable and trimming both ends of it.  The little wire sticking out of the F hole is the bridge ground. Attach it to the back of one of the pots. FWIW, this is the F-535 that the HRW's I sold you were pulled from. Hope this helps. 

[Plentine]

Thanks for the detailed instructions!  I appreciate your time and advice.  I'm definitely going to put in the HRW pickups.  Still considering whether or not to do the split coil thing.  Figures I might as well do both if I'm going to do the pickup replacement.  I will let you know how it goes!  Thanks again.

[Plentine]

Thanks again for the info.  I looked at the links you sent.  Thanks for including so many options for the wiring harness installation.  Do you have a preference for one over the other?  I will look into it more.  Thanks in advance, once again!

[PunkKitty]

No preference. They all use similar components. I usually just build my own harnesses. 

[Plentine]

Thanks.  I appreciate your time.

[PunkKitty]

Glad to help.

[Frankhond]

I swapped out the entire electronics in my 575 when I put in Benedetto B6 pups. The old electronics were a sloppy mess attached to the top with stick-on metal brackets. After I pulled those out the acoustic volume went up noticeably. I made a cardboard template with holes in all the right places and soldered up a real neat harness. Very satisfying, guitar sounds better than ever. 
 

I have a thread about it here with pictures at the end. https://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/guitar-amps-gizmos/83258-barry-greenes-benedetto-bravo-sound.html

[Plentine]

Thanks for you message and link.  Nice to see how you did it and the better quality of sound you achieved by doing it.  

[High Flying Bird]

Changing the wiring or pickup on a hollow or semi-hollow is not a game I wish to play.  Getting things into the cavity makes me nervous.  ?

[Frankhond]

1 hour ago, High Flying Bird said:

Changing the wiring or pickup on a hollow or semi-hollow is not a game I wish to play.  Getting things into the cavity makes me nervous.  ?

It’s no problem at all if you use an organized approach, make a template and solder things well with shrink wrap wherever there is exposed metal. 

[Plentine]

At first thought, changing the wiring harness in a hollow body seemed difficult and dangerous, like the old "Operation" game.  Since then I've seen numerous YouTube videos demonstrating how to do it and @Frankhond's approach is one of them.  It's not easy but doable.  It's all in the planning.  Looking forward to changing the pickups, wiring harness and installing pus h/pull pots to either split the coils or do a Series/Paralell option in my 2006 H-575.