Fitting 3 way switch to my LP with a Veneered top.

[Humphrey]

HI,

For those of you who have bought the LP style with set neck and veneered top, watch out for this problem. Easily fixed however.

The three way switch ( mid, treble and rhythm ) will not present enough thread when you try to screw on the nut above the three way switch disc on the face of the guitar. I think this is because the veneer on the face of these guitars increases the thickness of the wood and so does not allow enough thread to present for screwing on the nut.

I solved it by simply grinding more wood away from the inside of the three way switch hole using a tapered grinding wheel. This reduced the thickness of the guitars top by around 1 mm and gave the thread on the switch a better clearance on the face of the guitar once the disc plate has been fitted.

You could also drill ! a larger diameter area from the back but BE CAREFUL as you could go too far and ruin the entire guitar body. Gently Bentley.

:P

[Gavin1393]

Hi Humphrey,

I have built both the flamed maple and spalted maple versions of the LP and have not encountered this issue.
It may well be something that has crept in with the later versions? Other forum members who discover this issue will appreciate your work-around and warnings to be careful, but then it also could be that you missed the final step in DB's Sanding Mantra which was to get the wife to sand that final Millimetre away! ;)

You are doing some really good work! Your guitars look great.

[Humphrey]

Hi Gavin

Uhm ! There may be a small discrepancy between the length of each threaded part of the three way switch. This is not a PBG problem but the manufacturers problem. It only needs a small difference to make the job of starting the nut on the thread very hard or near impossible. Or the routing at that part of the guitar is set to a certain depth by the CNC machine and it doesn't change or know how to change when a veneered body is offer up. Perhaps a quick check at the body plant might offer some answer or it may just be my particular body.....the guitar's that is not my 68 year old frame !!!
So on to the next one which has been despatched already................an SG style !! Wow.

[SIMpleONe89]

I also had this problem, so I replaced it with another 3 way switch which was modelled after Gibson's one. It's much thinner and slightly longer too, and has a round nut instead of a octagon one.