Toggle This!

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 12:19 pm

Ha ha. My Tuesday night guitar lab got moved to tonight. So I will be working on that and also wiring up a Mustang! And I think UPS might br dropping off a Jazzy. Big doings in my world!

I'll keep you posted.

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 3:03 pm

I grounded the whole shebang together. It goes from the input jack back to the tone, volume, and then to the bridge. The only thing that doesn't appear to be grounded is the switch. It grounds to its own casing, but it may need to be hooked in to the rest.

I have some of that anodized aluminum that I am going to cut a guard out of. There will be big pieces of it left over. I think I will make cavity shields like they used to do. They work well for me in other guitars. I was able to get some sound through this time, but it still hums like a mother. Must be a grounding issue. I think I will rig up my repro guard just for yucks using new components. I am still waiting on my new switches and a mutlimeter.

bassintom · Post by **bassintom** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:44 pm

Try running a ground wire from the togglez to a ground on one of the pots.That's about the only problem i can see with the wiring.It appears that the pups and togglz are not grounded to the rest of the lektronics.

Aug · Post by **Aug** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:58 pm

stupid questions:

Is the circuit grounded to the bridge?

Are you going to install shielding? If so, make sure you ground all the shielding plates together and then to the vol pot.

Applying copper shielding tape to the back of the pickguard might be helpful.

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 10:56 pm

I will try those things. I just got my multimeter. I am trying to read the little instruction book along with what Erlewine says about them. Everything is written in what appears to be Greek, Russian and WWII era secret code. I don't know if I can get to it tonight. I hate to tell you but I think somebody's about to sink a sub.

I am going to have to search around. One more thing I just don't get.

Post by **Hurb** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 11:46 pm

Aug wrote:stupid questions:

Is the circuit grounded to the bridge?

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 1:53 am

Fuck if I know. I am going to start over. Fuck knows. Hopefully I can figure out this goddam Mulletmeter so I can register something on it.

I am going to cut out some cavity shields and solder them into a string like it's done on my others. Then I am going to use copper tape on the back of the guard.

Here's a pic of one. I think my switch is original! I have a better idea how to tape the wires up so they don't pile up in the holes. I am starting to wish I could find some tan nitro.

iCEByTes · Post by **iCEByTes** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 2:06 am

now looks awsome job dude !!!!

congrats soberb clean

bassintom · Post by **bassintom** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 2:18 am

Is that a metal PG on the tan one?

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 2:36 pm

Yeah, that's one of the aluminum ones. It's not mine--I found it online just for reference. I can't even photograph that well. But I also am not quite sure where they are grounding any better than on a plastic one. Know what I mean? I don't see any contact to metal.

My other vintage guard has the plain aluminum liner pieces still with it. (I have seen some idiots selling those as the guards). So that my be one way to test as well. I need to wire that one up anyhow.

Post by **Hurb** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 3:27 pm

all the metal is touching the guard. that's were its grounded.

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 3:02 am

I talked to an electrical engineer in my office today who showed me how to use a multimeter and also explained some basic circuitry to me. You guys are so used to this stuff it looks easy to you. But it's like starting a car without putting the key in. You can tell me all about the car, but until I turn the key, nothing happens.

I took the guard apart and lined it with copper tape. Some of it went on easily, but it got away from me here and there. It's sticky and unpredictable. I mean, it sticks to itself and crumples. But I didn't waste more than a few tiny pieces, and I used every bit. I then rewired it so that there was a common ground, starting at the switch, to the pots, and the jack, and ending at the bridge. You guys could all see that in your heads, of course, but it wasn't kicking in for me until I had someone to bounce ideas off of in real time.

IT FUCKING SINGS! It sounds as good as any two pickups ever did.

I still hadn't made the connection in my head about why the metal pickguard was different until I just now read Hurb's post. I assumed I just couldn't see a common ground wire that most people would know to put on without it being on the freaking schematic. Yet from what Hurb said, there probably didn't need to be one, since they grounded to the guard. But it is SO satisfying. I know you guys must get that sometimes, but maybe less since this is old news for you. This is the KING of my guitars. It's almost 50! And I kluged it together with my own stumbling paws.

I forgot to take pics so I actually took it BACK APART so you sods could see it. I had clipped and cleaned up the wires to match the photo of an original 50s model. For some reason the first time in tonight I couldn't get it all to lay down in the cavities--that switch is a big fat TURD. But the second time it all but dropped in. Here it is. It's not as flashy as the blue Mustang, but the nut is better. Tomorrow I play it. I may not be painting it for a while.

Aug · Post by **Aug** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 3:06 am

YAY!!!

bassintom · Post by **bassintom** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 3:14 am

Glad you got it fired up.
You mean I didn't have to solder all the copper tape joints in the JS and stangs!Because yours works fine and it doesn't look like you soldered it..That's it...next time...no solder.Takes so dam long and uses a lot of solder.
Good work!

euan · Post by **euan** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 7:30 am

bassintom wrote:
Glad you got it fired up.
You mean I didn't have to solder all the copper tape joints in the JS and stangs!Because yours works fine and it doesn't look like you soldered it..That's it...next time...no solder.Takes so dam long and uses a lot of solder.
Good work!

Soldering provides a good contact. It might depend on the tape as well I guess. I'm wondering if cutting a tab and folding it over then overlapping sections would be anygood.

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 2:02 am

euan wrote:Soldering provides a good contact. It might depend on the tape as well I guess. I'm wondering if cutting a tab and folding it over then overlapping sections would be anygood.

Oh I get you. Sort of fabricate a little flap tab that sticks up for something to solder to. Ingenious. I might have been able to do that if I'd had some left over. I must have cheaped out on my copper order. Thankfully the only other one like this I have to do has a metal inner guard that was made for it. But now I have a better understanding of making a circuit. I never would have made that cognitive leap. Next time I might be able to see what's missing. (Yeah, right).

The bitch now is going to be replacing NUTz and adjusting truss rods.

Aug · Post by **Aug** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 2:05 am

DGNR8 wrote:
The bitch now is going to be replacing NUTz and adjusting truss rods.

You're putting your wife to work?

BA-DOOM-TISH!

jk, ng.

iCEByTes · Post by **iCEByTes** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 12:39 pm

soberb clean job

nice shielding

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 2:09 pm

Ha! I work alone. Best taht way. Thanks for the props Icey. You almost have to work clean to get them to fit.