First Build - AES-1 AHAHAHAHA

[JimC]

... but without sanding the bottom of the neck or neck pocket how am I meant to sort it out?

I had to mess with the neck angle on my ESB-4 for a non standard bridge. Its not what I'd call super difficult, just need to be slow and painstaking, and I suggest not use sandpaper. I used new Stanley knife blades as scrapers, and a caliper and a little baby steel set square such as are sold for modellers.
Scraping the surface with the blade at 90 degrees to the wood gives you much more control and makes it way easier to keep the surfaces flat. With sandpaper, even with a block, I find it awfully easy to end up with a curved face. Perhaps the trickiest part is to establish whch are the correct surfaces to use as a datum. This involves much measuring with the calipher and much testing with the square. Make sure you check all surfaces are flat too.
With the scraping I usually scribble soft pencil where i want to scrape and check again when removed.
Long job, do it in a comfy chair with dust sheet, but I find the scraping much more relaxing and satisfying than sanding.
Caveat. I have no training, there may be better ways to work, but it seems much safer to me because its slow and controlled, and because he frequent checking required to renew the scrape here scribble makes it hard to go too far as is easy to do with plane or power dander

[Simon Barden]

The clump of three wires is where the selector switch goes. The red wire here will be the main output wire, going to the output jack. The selector switch has one end with connections for the input and output signals, and the other end for a ground connection. At the signal end, the output wire is soldered to the middle two terminals (normally bent together so they meet), and the two outer terminals are for the signals from the volume pots. The soldered-together braided wires from those three cables is attached to the other end of the selector switch (a single thick lug). Obviously the braid doesn't want to touch any of the signal connections, so some electrical insulating tape round the braid will come in handy (ideally some heat shrink, but tape is better than nothing).

Some tape round the wires going to the selector switch will help keep them together and going where you want them to go.

[Scramblermatt]

The clump of three wires is where the selector switch goes. The red wire here will be the main output wire, going to the output jack. The selector switch has one end with connections for the input and output signals, and the other end for a ground connection. At the signal end, the output wire is soldered to the middle two terminals (normally bent together so they meet), and the two outer terminals are for the signals from the volume pots. The soldered-together braided wires from those three cables is attached to the other end of the selector switch (a single thick lug). Obviously the braid doesn't want to touch any of the signal connections, so some electrical insulating tape round the braid will come in handy (ideally some heat shrink, but tape is better than nothing).

Some tape round the wires going to the selector switch will help keep them together and going where you want them to go.

Amazing thanks Simon that almost makes sense!

How do I know which way round the volumes go on the p/u selector?

Thanks again for all your help!

[Simon Barden]

The best way is to work it out for yourself using a multimeter on the ohms setting. If you haven't got a multimeter, I strongly suggest getting one. You don't need to spend much and they are always useful when working on guitars.

With that type of selector switch, you'd solder the pickup output to the tab on the side you want the switch to select that pickup. so if you want the standard arrangement of down for bridge and up for neck, then the bridge pickup is soldered to the lower outer tab and the neck to the upper outer tab.

That type of switch works by actually being two 'normally closed' switches joined together. In the centre position, both contacts are made. In the 'down' position, the lever pushes away the upper metal contact spring from the centre contact block, so that only the lower metal contact spring makes contact. In the 'up' position, the reverse happens.

The enclosed 'box' type of switch (the type normally supplied on PBG kits) works in a different way, and with the switch in the 'down' position, contact is made between the upper terminal and the centre terminal (and vice-versa).

[Scramblermatt]

The best way is to work it out for yourself using a multimeter on the ohms setting. If you haven't got a multimeter, I strongly suggest getting one. You don't need to spend much and they are always useful when working on guitars.

With that type of selector switch, you'd solder the pickup output to the tab on the side you want the switch to select that pickup. so if you want the standard arrangement of down for bridge and up for neck, then the bridge pickup is soldered to the lower outer tab and the neck to the upper outer tab.

That type of switch works by actually being two 'normally closed' switches joined together. In the centre position, both contacts are made. In the 'down' position, the lever pushes away the upper metal contact spring from the centre contact block, so that only the lower metal contact spring makes contact. In the 'up' position, the reverse happens.

The enclosed 'box' type of switch (the type normally supplied on PBG kits) works in a different way, and with the switch in the 'down' position, contact is made between the upper terminal and the centre terminal (and vice-versa).

So I’ve had another look and the pup selector makes sense now phew!!! How do I know which way round the jack socket wires go...



And then where do the pup wires get soldered? The diagram seems to say one to the volume and one to the back of the one of the volumes?



And finally what’s the extra wire coming from one of the tone pots??



Haha that’s it for now (probably have more questions in 2 mins!) and thanks for all the support!

[McCreed]

Simon is all over this one with great advice!

I second getting yourself a DMM (Digital MultiMeter).
Not only are they invaluable for troubleshooting, but are a great way to learn about signal flow in guitar circuits.
It helps to kind of "visualise" where the signal goes from one component to the next.

I prefer DMM's that have an audible beep for continuity testing rather than having to watch the screen to zero out.
Like SB said, they're not very expensive and you'll be surprised how much you use one for other things once you get one. (like checking battery voltage)

[Scramblermatt]

Simon is all over this one with great advice!

I second getting yourself a DMM (Digital MultiMeter).
Not only are they invaluable for troubleshooting, but are a great way to learn about signal flow in guitar circuits.
It helps to kind of "visualise" where the signal goes from one component to the next.

I prefer DMM's that have an audible beep for continuity testing rather than having to watch the screen to zero out.
Like SB said, they're not very expensive and you'll be surprised how much you use one for other things once you get one. (like checking battery voltage)

Thanks chaps will get looking now!

[Scramblermatt]

I’m really enjoying doing this but it certainly does give me brain ache very quickly! Very envious of all you knowledgable chaps!

[Simon Barden]

The braided wires are the ground connections (pickups and output wires) so go to the back of the pots (pickups) and to the sleeve connection (jack socket). On the jack socket, the sleeve connection is the one at the top, that is pressed to the metal barrel that runs through the jack socket and which touches the 'sleeve' part of the jack.

'Mono' jacks are better described as TS jacks (tip + sleeve) whilst 'Stereo' jacks are better described as TRS jacks (tip + ring + sleeve).

The spare wire on the back of the pot is the bridge ground wire.

[Scramblermatt]

So I’ve been piling away and buffing this morning and the finish is getting to where I want it! Certainly not perfect but I’m chuffed with it...