ES builder's question...

For those of you doing ES style builds I have a question about what you are able to get through the F-holes. I am talking specifically about the bodies with a center block such that the pickups mount like on a LP rather than having a big hole. The only way I know to get the electronics in without cutting is through the F hole.

I have an ESB-4 kit. None of my full sized CTS pots will fit down into the body. My Alpha mini-pots will fit. Even the ones with DPDT switches. I am sure I can get pretty much any kind of standard pickup selector switch or or any flavor of mini switch in there...but my standard sized rotary switches are not going to fit...

Are there any other kinds of switches that I am missing? I'd like to know my options before starting to map out a the wiring harness. If I am "stuck" with DPDT and triple-throw mini switches as my only options, so be it! But I'd like to know if anyone has a method of getting a CTS pot or rotary switch down there.

I love the CTS pots for their flexibility. They are the only ones I know where you can change the values without having to re-solder the wiring harness... Not a tragedy if I can't use them or a rotary switch, but thought I'd at least run it past the wisdom of those on the forum.

Curious what folks are using for pickups as well, those of you who've swapped out the ones that come with the ESB-4.

Thanks in advance!

Hey Fender,

the ES is a hollowbody kit so you can also put stuff down through the pickup holes not just the f-holes. Makes it a whole lot easier in general to wire up. CTS pots should be no problem at all through the pickup holes.

cheers,
Gav.

Not on mine. Mine has solid wood under and around the pickup cavity as in the pic:

Attachment 8535

Damn sorry dude. Misread the kit name.

cheers,
Gav.

Yhep, through the f holes.

Pro tip: Book your therapy sessions before you begin to feed the loom in.... I built one of these two years ago and I still break out in a cold sweat everytime I see a hollow body :p

Mini pots and mini switches it is, then. Who needs rotary switches, anyway?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

All the Gibson and PRS solid body guitars have access to the electronics through the back, and all seem to live long and happy lives with a piece of plastic covering the access hole.

I'll one day build an ES-2V and I want to put Bourns push/pulls in it. I highly doubt they'll fit through the 'F' holes, so I figure, why not route a small access hole in the back? About the same size as the hole behind the 3way switch on a Les Paul? And cover it with one of the readily available LP round covers.

I'm wondering if the reason is that the material is too thin on the back? I don't know, I haven't seen one of these kits in the flesh yet.

The Bournes minis should fit through ok.

I just took a quick measurement. The top is 3/16"...almost 5 mm. Would guess the back is about the same. It's an arch top and back though. To me that seems like it could add a degree of difficulty to routing.

For what it's worth, I could get mini alpha pots with dpdt switches through the hole. Dingobass beat me to it, but I just looked at their website, and it does look like the Bourns minis are the same size.

go the bourns, better pot

Wot Stan sed.

As suggested...BUT.
Beware ...... the pots [USA standard] recommended are 10mm diameter, not the [Asian / Jap] 8mm diameter holes that are routed in your body ATM.
You NEED to enlarge the Tone/ Volume pot holes on your guitars body first.. if changing to these pots ..also need new knobs to fit these pots as well, as the ones that come with the kit will no longer fit on the new pots.

I've just done this process on two kits...recommend getting a 10mm drill bit, run the drill in reverse to enlarge the current 8mm holes to reduce the possibility of splitting the ply top....once the hole is enlarged, then give a brief shot at drilling it forward to clear any scraps...be careful...very easy to stuff up.
IMHO better cleaning the enlarged holes with a craft / Xacto knife ...it is that easy to botch this job with a drill.

You can get Pots/ knobs from here.
http://www.realparts.com.au/electronics.html

I file out the holes from 8mm to 10mm gently with a round file.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tonyw

I file out the holes from 8mm to 10mm gently with a round file.

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much more betterer idea...

I am facing the same issue with my ES. Gibson has a pickguard over the top of the hole at the top on the side with the electrics. You could enlarge the upper hole and if you do not like your job, cover it with a pickguard. The acoustics would not be significantly impacted either way. I wonder is this is Gibson's strategy to hide an entry hole.

I took a look at the 17mm Bourns and Alpha pots with push-pull switches. I have to say they certainly don’t look very different. Aside from the slightly larger diameter of the shaft it’s hard to tell what’s different. Has anyone compared with an Ohm meter?

I haven't got much experience with the 17mm pots, but I have pulled apart a lot of 24mm pots (long story), and I always check them with an ohm meter before putting any pot in any project. I can tell you that 24mm Alpha, Bourns, CTS and CME pots have similar tapers, and are of very similar manufacturing quality. Bourns, CTS and Alpha are very similar when you take them apart. CTS is different, but it is more the way the resistor wafer and wiper are mounted--which is why they are stiffer to turn. The manufacturing quality is about the same in all of them.

It seems totally possible that the Alphas are less consistent in their quality control than Bourns. On the other hand you can get four Alphas for the price of two Bourns. As long as you check them on a meter against a pot you know is good before putting them in the guitar isn't it about a half dozen of one six of the other?

At the risk of saying something heretical, enlarging the holes seems like a lot of trouble to go to when there are pots available that look to be of nearly identical manufacturing quality. That said, if no one has done it, I'll sacrifice a couple to see if I can see a difference in the guts or on the meter.