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What the heck is this thing doing in my semi ?

Discussion in 'Other Guitars, other instruments' started by tintag27, Mar 7, 2021.

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  1. Mar 7, 2021 #1
    tintag27

    tintag27 Friend of Leo's Silver Supporter

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    I'm just in the process of replacing the pickups in my Samick Greg Bennett Royale 3 semi-acoustic. It's probably about 20 years old). First time I have tried this, so I thought I was doing pretty well getting the new wiring harness back through the f hole. Then I got stuck - I could not move the new bridge volume pot anywhere near enough to its hole in the top.

    location.jpg

    I managed to find my little inspection mirror, and with a torch taped to direct light inside the body, I soon spotted the problem. The wire from the bridge pickup was snagged on a strip of metal sticking out from the junction of the side and top of the body?! What th...?

    Object.jpg


    object 1.jpg

    Fortunately I managed to release the pickup wire and push the offending metal strip out of the way. I finished the wiring installation last night, and on testing (with just a single string for now) both volume pots and tone pots work as expected - and no sign of any grounding issues. Phew!
    But what is this metal strip? Obviously installed (it's fixed with a blob of glue) by the builders in Korea, but I can't think what its purpose is - it does not appear to have been connected to anything in a circuit. Size is difficult to judge, but for reference, that is a CTS mini pot next to it, about 15 mm (5/16") across , Any ideas/theories would be welcomed.
     
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  2. Mar 7, 2021 #2
    TX_Slinger

    TX_Slinger Tele-Meister

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    This a guess from what ive seen on other guitars...it was placed there to hold the wires so they a) don't show thru the f holes, and b) they don't move around and separate the solder.
     
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  3. Mar 7, 2021 #3
    blowtorch

    blowtorch Telefied Ad Free Member

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    Weird. I was gonna guess something for grounding purposes, but you said not connected at all...hmmm


    I owned that very guitar (in the same finish) for a very short time. I found mine to be completely non-lively sounding, and had to send it on it's way, which I almost never do. I'm glad you made yours work for you. It looks like you have swapped out the pickups for P-90s?
     
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  4. Mar 7, 2021 #4
    Toadtele

    Toadtele Tele-Afflicted

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    That was my first thought. Well, guess actually.
     
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  5. Mar 7, 2021 #5
    Engine Swap

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    c) keeps the wires from buzzing against the top.
     
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  6. Mar 7, 2021 #6
    Telekarster

    Telekarster Tele-Afflicted

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    Yep, that makes 2 of us then cause I had the same one and my exp was just as yours. Bought it back about 2001 I think, and tried to love it but after a couple years I decided to let it go... sadly. Maybe I should've swapped out the pups and pots, probably would've made a huge diff
     
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  7. Mar 7, 2021 #7
    blowtorch

    blowtorch Telefied Ad Free Member

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  8. Mar 7, 2021 #8
    bendercaster

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    It's to hold the wires in place so they don't rattle around or show through the F hole. I like that better than the plastic adhesive backed hooks that are inside my acoustic. Nice job getting that wired up though--I've always been intimidated to try that with a hollow or semi hollow body.
     
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  9. Mar 7, 2021 #9
    tintag27

    tintag27 Friend of Leo's Silver Supporter

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    Well that's interesting, because I was wondering if I could use it for that exact purpose!
     
  10. Mar 7, 2021 #10
    tintag27

    tintag27 Friend of Leo's Silver Supporter

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    Yes - certainly a possibility - although it did not look as if it had been used or bent round anything... The pickups were replaced about ten years ago, but not by me
     
  11. Mar 7, 2021 #11
    Bedder18

    Bedder18 Tele-Meister

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    I’m a trucker, so I naturally fell for the thread title.

    ...well played, sir. Ya got me. :)
     
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  12. Mar 7, 2021 #12
    tintag27

    tintag27 Friend of Leo's Silver Supporter

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    Easier with a hollowbody, I am sure. It was kind of a lockdown project... It was a challenge, but there are many good YouTube tutorals about nowadays to help the beginner.
    One other thing that helped - I decided to use CTS minipots instead of standard sized potentiometers. These are the same quality as the standard CTS (9% tolerance) standard size, just smaller... More awkward to solder for sure, but much easier to stuff through an F hole!
     
  13. Mar 7, 2021 #13
    tintag27

    tintag27 Friend of Leo's Silver Supporter

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    I have to admit it has not been easy to love... I got the stock Duncan-Designed humbuckers replaced about ten years ago with Kent Armstrong humbucker and a single coil for the neck.
    That was better - both sounds were OK on there own, but they did not really balance with each other. So last chance - I have fittted a pair of Tonerider Rebel 90's - when I finally get it all finished I will see how that sounds!
     
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  14. Mar 7, 2021 #14
    tintag27

    tintag27 Friend of Leo's Silver Supporter

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    Ha! Sorry - I never thought about that!
    I don't think 'semi' is a term we use much in the UK. We always called them 'artics' over here, meaning 'articulated lorries'
     
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  15. Mar 7, 2021 #15
    tintag27

    tintag27 Friend of Leo's Silver Supporter

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    Well we shall see! I might just end up hanging it on the wall:eek:( it's certainly a looker
     
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  16. Mar 7, 2021 #16
    jrblue

    jrblue Friend of Leo's

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    As others mention, it appears to be an anchor tab to hold the wiring in place, but apparently they didn't bother to use it when assembling the guitar. Easy enough to tuck the wires underneath it, or bend half of it back over itself to hold tthe wire that way. Just more half-assed factory work by disinterested employees waiting to be fired and replace by robots. I mean, mechanical luthiers.
     
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  17. Mar 7, 2021 #17
    tintag27

    tintag27 Friend of Leo's Silver Supporter

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    I will definitely be using that! I had already allowed enough cable from the neck pick to go round the upper end of the F hole to hide it, so I will have a go at that - it's not the easiest thing to get at... but it is in the best place for the job!
     
  18. Mar 7, 2021 #18
    Jay Jernigan

    Jay Jernigan Tele-Afflicted

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    I'm still thinking about "articulated lorries."
     
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  19. Mar 7, 2021 #19
    Peegoo

    Peegoo Poster Extraordinaire

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    You can make your own wire clips this way to keep things in place in a hollowbody. Cut a steel can open and lay the metal flat, and follow a pattern similar to this:

    [​IMG]

    Apply a square of 3M Double-Stik foam mounting tape to attach it to the inside of the guitar. Coil the metal strip around the wires to secure them.
     
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  20. Mar 7, 2021 #20
    Freeman Keller

    Freeman Keller Poster Extraordinaire

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    I put one to gather the pickup and switch wires where they come out of the center block

    IMG_2582-2.jpg

    Its also nice to do all the wiring with the back off.
     
    Last edited: Mar 7, 2021
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