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Post subject: Troulble fitting modded wiring into cavity
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2019 11:07 am
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I have modified my '97 Lone Start Strat to have 2 gen4 noiseless single coils in neck and mid positions, and a seymour duncan p-rail humbucker at bridge. I have swapped out volume pot for a 500k S-1 switch and added a on-on toggle above/between the 2 tone pots. Basically, I have created an Elite with a toggle vs push-push button.

Trouble is, I cannot seem to get the pickguard to sit flush, and it seems like there are 3 issues:
1) the p-rail screws are too long and hit bottom of cavity. I trimmed those, so that should work.
2) it feels like the S-1 may be hitting the ledge where the cavity drops down a bit to where the switches/pots go.
3) I think all of the wires involved may part of the issue as well. Getting them to fit without being crammed in seems to be an issue.

I am hoping to find a video or some tips on how to fit everything properly. I know it ought to fit, so I must be doing something not quite right. The vids I have found so far are simply changing pickups etc. but don't really address getting the wiring to fit. If I go too short on the wires that attach to jack and grounds in the body, then I cannot get pickguard on, but if I go too long, then I've got all this wire jamming up the space.

Vids/tips on technique and wire length greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Jon


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Post subject: Re: Troulble fitting modded wiring into cavity
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2019 1:42 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Location: Cambridge UK
How annoying after you've done all that work!

Yes, replacement p/up screws are often too long but you seem to have sussed/sorted that one.

Don't know about the S1. Does your '97 Strat have the 'swimming pool' rout (large/oblong), or 3 x s/coil? Is the 90's rout actually deep enough for the S1? You can check this by holding the S1 in the rout (where it would fit) without the 'guard attached. If it's not deep enough you should be able to see it straightaway. Alternatively, do they give dimensions for the S1 in the blurb? IE: Overall depth? If your rout's too shallow there are only two solutions, I think - dump the S1 (unfortunately) or have the body routed deeper.

Re the wiring jam, having done a lot of non-standard p/up arrangements on Strats, I know exactly what you mean! I've found there is no easy answer, especially if you have a 3 x s/coil rout! You just need to plan the loom around the woodwork, tape it to the 'guard in the exact position, and hope it stays there while you get the 'guard on. Small cable-ties are also useful. It's also feasible to get the 'guard down as close as you can, then prod any errant wires through the gap (with a suitable tool) between the 'guard and the body - and pray that they drop into the right place! It's surprising how much just one misplaced wire stops the 'guard grounding.

Sorry if you've already done all this, but that's my two-penneth, FWIW!

Cheers - Peter.


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Post subject: Re: Troulble fitting modded wiring into cavity
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2019 2:58 pm
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Thanks Peter S.

My strat has a large rectangle hole for the HSS pickups, then the odd shaped, slightly deeper cutout for pots etc.

I'll check the S-1 depth--I'm guessing it may just be barely touching that ledge from the pickup cutout where it drops deeper to pot/switch cutout.

Thanks!
jOn


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Post subject: Re: Troulble fitting modded wiring into cavity
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2019 11:20 pm
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Well, after struggling with solder not coming off of tip and instead pulling away off the pots/lugs and not securing wires, after demolishing many wire ends, melting many of them as I solder others, after creating huge blobs of solder with various grounded wires and capacitors, after burning the "you know what" out of several fingers, and after maddeningly trying to figure out how to lay the wires in the exact position to fit in what seems like a plenty large control cavity only to be blocked by the pickguard refusing to lay flush . . . after all I of that, I went out and purchased a new Elite Strat. . .

Kidding. I finally got my Lone Star Strat modded into an Elite HSS (changed out the Texas Special single coils for Gen4 Noiseless, and the Humbucker to P-rail). I opted for an on-on toggle instead of the push-push. Now to figure out the sounds and decide if I want to move anything around a little (I doubt I'll need to).

Thanks for all the help y'all,

Jon


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Post subject: Re: Troulble fitting modded wiring into cavity
Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2019 4:05 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Location: Cambridge UK
Glad you got it sorted!

Did you dump the S1, then? I take it you did as you finally went for a (separate?) toggle...

Cheers - Peter.


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Post subject: Re: Troulble fitting modded wiring into cavity
Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2019 4:28 pm
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Was able to keep the s1. I just had to getazip tie and bunch up all the pickup wires very tight between s1 and corner of humbucker to avoid the part of cavity not cut away.


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