NON-PBG - LP Build Diary for DIY Guitars GLP-40BBK

[wazkelly]

Good idea Robin as I have also used Metal Polish on the commercially black finished body that was part of my Fretless Conversion and It came up sensational.

I think both brasso/silvo and the metal polish have just enough abrasive properties to polish and not cut or strip back the finish. Looks like I need to buy some brasso.

[Fuzzbeard]

On the last guitar I did which was the first time I used TO, I might have watched the same youtube videos as you and I did the swirly wet sand. I won't be doing that again as it did leave swirl marks, small ones but I know they are there.

[wazkelly]

Damn hard to get out once they are there.

[Alkay]

Hi everyone,

Thank you ALL for the great advice. I did the following:

Wet sanded with 1500 and 2000.
Micro mesh pads and wet sanded all the way up to 12000.
Polished with Meguiars ultimate compound.
Applied two coats of conductive shielding paint to all the cavities.

I am reading around 4-5 ohms on the multimeter?

Here are a couple of images.











Cheers,

Alkay.

[wazkelly]

Good to see things progressing Alkay.

[Alkay]

Good to see things progressing Alkay.

Thanks wazkelly. Yes, it took sooo long to wet sand and polish but it looks really good now.

Once it's build I'll try take some photos with a better camera so the shine is more visible.

I think I might attempt soldering tonight. This is where my first kit build failed.

If anyone knows of a good wiring video for a LP they would like to share with me it would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Alkay.

[Andy40]

jinx! I just wired up another LP copy I had literally today.

I thought about doing a video at the time but my phone ran out of batteries, so I didn't...sorry.

I just followed the tonerider wiring instructions.

[Alkay]

jinx! I just wired up another LP copy I had literally today.

I thought about doing a video at the time but my phone ran out of batteries, so I didn't...sorry.

I just followed the tonerider wiring instructions.

Hahaha cheers Andy. Probably best I didn't get a lotto ticket today either

I'll try and find tonerider wiring instructions. This kit is a NON PBG kit. I got it from diyguitars before they closed down. They still have the wiring diagram on their website in the forum section. I'm finding it difficult to follow and there seems to be many ways of wiring these LP's. If you'd like to check it out and let me know if it's the same as your I'd appreciate it.

PBG do a good wiring video too but I'm just not sure which is the correct/preferred way.

Cheers,
Alkay.

[Andy40]

No worries Alkay.

The steps I take are as follows:-

1. create a cardboard or plastic mock board of the holes for the pots, remember when the pots are upside down the neck and bridge post are opposite to the front of the guitar playing position.

2. mount the pots on the mock board earth the lug on the volume pots first, wire up the capacitors between the volume and tone pots, then wire up the earth wires to the back of each pot. If you are going to put in a treble bleed system, I usually do it at that point.

3. wire up the earth wire from the stoptail bushing to the control cavity;

4. Before you put in the humbuckers, measure out the length of the four wires running from the switch through the guitar to the control cavity, remember one is longer than the others as it has to run to the output jack. I uually make each wire about an inch longer than necessary to give me some "play". If you are using plastic wiring I use four different colour wires but if you are using vintage push back wiring, I use a nikko to put black bands on each end of the wires so I can identify them. ie one band on one wire, two bands on the next, three bands on the next and so on. I then solder each wire to the switch and make a "legend" as to what number band of wire goes where. Put the switch in and feed the four wires through the channel in the guitar right to the control cavity.

5. Mount the neck humbucker with the screw poles toward the neck and feed the wires through to the control cavity. Put tape around the end as a tag and write "neck" or "N" on it. then Mount the bridge humbucker with he screw poles towards the stoptail and feed the wires through to the control cavity.

6. put the mock board over the control cavity but mimicking the correct placement for the pots and solder the neck pickup to the neck volume pot correctly then do the same for the bridge pick up. Then solder the three wires from the switch that go to the pots.

7. solder the earth wire from the stoptail bushing to the back of a pot and also solder the earth wire for the jack to the back of a pot;

8. take the pots out of the mock board and install them into the guitar.

9. pass the hot wire running from the switch through the control cavity and out the jack hole and do the same for the earth wire for the jack hole from the back of one of the pots. then solder up the jack to the hot and earth wires and mount the jack into the guitar.

plug it in and test the switch, volume and tone in each position.

If it works....high five yourself. If it doesn't......... tell Weirdy what happens.

[Alkay]

Andy,

Thank you for the very detailed instructions. I'll see if your method is the same as the PBG video guide. I haven't looked at it for months.

I have a hook up wiring kit from the major blue coloured electronics store. Would this be suitable for guitar wiring?

Cheers,

Alkay.