Need advice on putting guitar together!

[VAiN]

Hello resident experts,

I'm helping a friend put together a project guitar as a learning experience and have a couple of questions...

He had an old Charvel that had body damage, so he found a new body that is pretty much a perfect match except for the anchors that hold the posts for the bridge:

IMG_2048.jpg

Here you see the original post not fitting in the new body. The old body still has the anchors in it.. Now, my question is: Is there a way to pull the old anchors out of the old body and replace the ones in the new body OR is it easier/smarter to just buy new posts that fit the new body - and if so, how do I know what size to get? I assume the knife-edge where the bridge and post meet is a standard thing? This is the bridge being used:

IMG_2055.JPG

[VAiN]

Not sure why the images aren't showing up...

[jhale667]

Just buy new posts. Cheaper and easier. Stew Mac carries them, pretty sure as does Allparts, and I think Floyd Upgrades has 'em now too...

[Cato]

yeah but care if they are "milli" posts or "inch" posts. 　

[Cato]

if you want to pull the anchor out, heat it with a soldering iron a few minutes

[VAiN]

if you want to pull the anchor out, heat it with a soldering iron a few minutes

Ahhh, so it's glued in? Will I need to buy some glue as well for the transplant anchors?

[jhale667]

Ahhh, so it's glued in? Will I need to buy some glue as well for the transplant anchors?

I always glue mine in for the added security...just a thought. Elmer's wood glue works fine.

[VAiN]

Just buy new posts. Cheaper and easier. Stew Mac carries them, pretty sure as does Allparts, and I think Floyd Upgrades has 'em now too...

This definitely seems like the easier solution.. I'm only finding posts with anchors, but they're cheap. I guess the mystery is - what size is the anchor in the new body? I suppose it's worth spending $5 on a anchor & post set and hope for the best?

[Cato]

　 what size is the anchor in the new body?

if the body was made in Japan, Korea or China.

internal diameter - 6mm
external diameter - 11mm or 12mm

probably...

that bridge is Schaller's product made for US Charvel/Jackson.

what size? I don't know about "Inch" units well.

[indeedido]

I doubt they are glued in. Just buy a new set and use the new post if it fits. If it doesn't, go to the hardware store and buy some metric machine screws. Find the right one and use it to pull the old ones out. I've done this on many guitars and they pull right out. You just need something to grab on to.

[VAiN]

Thanks for the input, guys... New posts were ordered and they fit! No anchor pulling for this guy!

Now my next question - What's the trick to bolting on a neck? The screws only go in so far by hand - do we use a drill to drive them in the rest of the way?

[Cato]

yeah. dig a hole with a slim drill bit first. then make it wide with a bigger bit.

do it little by little, carefully. because this is the most important process at bolt-on neck style guitar building.

[jhale667]

yeah. dig a hole with a slim drill bit first. then make it wide with a bigger bit.

do it little by little, carefully. because this is the most important process at bolt-on neck style guitar building.

Yes, and the "little by little" bit assures you don't end up with screw tips poking through your fretboard....that would be....bad.

[Sensible Shoes]

When I read the title of this thread fast, I thought it said "need help putting air guitar together"

[jhale667]

When I read the title of this thread fast, I thought it said "need help putting air guitar together"

"What do I do with my hands?"

[VAiN]

Yes, and the "little by little" bit assures you don't end up with screw tips poking through your fretboard....that would be....bad.

Man... not only would it be bad, but it is bad! Seems the old screws are juuuuuust a tad longer than necessary. The screw didn't actually go all the way through, but it did crack and lift a small section of the fretboard. I assume a shop can fix this?

[jhale667]

Yeah, a shop should be able to fix it...but that SUCKS!! Sorry, bro!

[VAiN]

So, what's the difference between 250k and 500k volume pots? Is the 500 just louder?

[jhale667]

Generally, 250K is the recommended value for single-coil pickups, 500K for humbuckers. Some manufacturers that combine pickup types use 300K as a compromise. There's no law saying you can't use either, in fact some recommend using 250K pots to tame harsh-sounding humbuckers...

[VAiN]

OK, next question for you guys - We wired in the pick up, but there's a buzz. It's pretty simple, so I'm fairly sure the wires are in the right spots(?) We did accidentally touch the barrel of the iron to the pick-up wire and melted off a little of the exterior, which i wrapped in electric tape.. My burnt finger and I have a whole new level of respect for guys who are good with soldering irons, BTW.. Any ideas?

[jhale667]

Ummm, it's still early in the AM LA time, but is that wired backwards? Looks like you have the hot and the ground lugs reversed at first glance...?

[VAiN]

We thought the same thing, but when we flipped them the volume pot got hot... I'm going with black = ground, right?

[jhale667]

We thought the same thing, but when we flipped them the volume pot got hot... I'm going with black = ground, right?

Depends on the manufacturer... black is hot on Duncans, red is hot on Dimarzios...the red and white are for coil-taps on Duncans, black and white on Dimarzio. Green and bare are ground for them both. What kind of pickup is it (don't see it referenced in the thread)? You can probably find the correct schematic on the manufacturer's site...

[VAiN]

It's an EVH Wolfgang bridge pick up.. Is that made by Fender?

[jhale667]

It's an EVH Wolfgang bridge pick up.. Is that made by Fender?

Thought those were made by Duncan, so should follow their specs you'd think...didn't it come with a wiring diagram?

[VAiN]

Sorry for the quality of the pics, but here's the wiring diagram that came with the PU...




The only exposed wires are red & black, with the black being a heavier gauge, whoich I assume is the ground. Any ideas? This is greek to me...

[jhale667]

Weird, it's not the standard Duncan configuration......I'll stare at the pics a little harder when I get a sec, but not seeing where it says to solder the red wire..(?) it wouild appear (at least by the process of elimination) the black IS the ground though, so you'd figure the red was hot, and would go to the switch in the diagram shown...

[VAiN]

it wouild appear (at least by the process of elimination) the black IS the ground though, so you'd figure the red was hot, and would go to the switch in the diagram shown...

Thanks, J - Yeah, that's what we came up with as well... Any thoughts, other than the physical location of the wires, on what would cause a buzz? Type of solder? Bad volume pot? We singed a small part of the main wire, but it didn't seem to be too bad - like I don't think there are any exposed wires touching.. It seems so simple, damnit! We're new at this, so this is the learning curve.

[jhale667]

Thanks, J - Yeah, that's what we came up with as well... Any thoughts, other than the physical location of the wires, on what would cause a buzz? Type of solder? Bad volume pot? We singed a small part of the main wire, but it didn't seem to be too bad - like I don't think there are any exposed wires touching.. It seems so simple, damnit! We're new at this, so this is the learning curve.

Try re-soldering the ground connections...sounds like you may have a cold solder-joint (where it's physically attached via the blob of solder but the wires aren't actually contacting correctly creating a ground for the circuit)... it's worth a try...

[VAiN]

You're probably right... building guitars isn't the only thing we're amateurs at...

[jhale667]

Yeah, but that's how you learn...

[Seshmeister]

I have a guy that does this kind of thing for me.

$15 well spent.

[Diamondjimi]

Yes, and the "little by little" bit assures you don't end up with screw tips poking through your fretboard....that would be....bad.

I've always set my bit depth by marking the bit by wrapping a small piece of masking tape around it @ the desired measurement of depth....

What also helps visually is to make the tape into a mini flag. Much easier to see at higher rpm's on a drilll. Sometimes a tightly wrapped marker can get deep in a blink.