Replacing Pots On Hollow Body?

[kh15]

i need to replace my horrible stock pots on my epiphone dot hollowbody and i can do it its just that i cant even get the old ones out and the new ones in, im beging to think it cant even be done?

[Southpa]

Its easy so long as you can fit the pot through the guitar's f-hole. Take off the control knob and unscrew the hold down nut. Make sure the pot doesn't fall through. Tie something thin and strong like dental floss onto the shaft of the pot. Push it through to the inside of the guitar and get it out through the nearest f-hole. (Hopefully, the wires soldered to the pot are long enough to stretch outside of the guitar). Replace the pot with the new one, ie. unsolder old and resolder new one at a time making sure you don't lose a wire inside the guitar. Make sure the pot works and is wired correctly before installing. Tie your dental floss (still through the mounting hole) onto the shaft of the new pot. Then slip the pot through the f-hole to the inside of the guitar and gently pull on the dental floss to bring the pot up though the mounting hole.

Edited April 10, 2005 by Southpa

[thedoctor]

kh15, I REALLY feel your pain. Epis and Dots gotta be my least favorite electronics repair.

[kh15]

kh15, I REALLY feel your pain. Epis and Dots gotta be my least favorite electronics repair.

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EH thanks you have no idea im still putting it off and its not getting any better so im really gonna need to do somthing soon cause i cant stand it, im just not looking forward to getting them out and the new ones in thats my only real issue, my soldering skills are great so that wont be a issue

[thedoctor]

This particular repair is the main reason most axe-hacks drink....heavily. Those little boogers WILL come out but it ain't easy. To save you a bunch of grief, when you get them out on top of the body, cover the entire guitar with newspaper, make a drawing of exactly what direction the wires leave each pot at and replace the wires on the new pots exactly the same. A lot of times, a solder-stiffenned wire pointed in the wrong direction can make you think there is no way to get it back in. Masking-tape the inside edges of the F-holes(now we know where the name came from) before you start so you don't wish you had later. Patience, Grasshopper. You cannot hurry the impossible.

[kh15]

yea i figure while im in it im gonna replace the stock pick ups with some gibson 57' classics so it should be nice when all said and done! wish me luck