Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

That's what Fender/Gretsch needs to charge for a handbuilt trad-made hollowbody. They are labor-intensive, but a large part on that is burden required by Fender to share plant costs in expensive SoCal.

Yet RIC was, until recently, handbuilding acoustic guitars with largely the same methods, at a fraction of the cost, due in large part to smart big-picture money management by Hall per et fil.

I can't say I like Gretsch's cold-laminated body sides, though. I have several sets of them in my shop (going to build a couple of Wilczynski Falcons) and they are overly thick and heavy...

Nice tour pics! The new ones may be nice, but I'll stick with my old Annie!

Dale, how does one hold the switches, jack and pots while tightening them? I can't see how my fingers could reach that far in to hold them.

I may consider the TV Jones wiring harness once I can get to see what I have inside the guitar.

Anybody have the metal knobs that are supposed to be on the two switches or are black plastic also vintage correct for this? I have yet to find a photo showing these black knobs on any Gretsch.

Hemostat?

The metal caps are available from Blackrider Vintage Guitars in nickel or gold; also from John at Warpdrive/Cream City Music in Milwaukee.

Since you specifically asked Dale how to hold those switches while tightening them, I'll let him answer that one, Jeff. (It's not "hemostats", JB.)

The wiring harness is a snap to install. Aitch watched me install the one in the custom Gretsch "deVille" that I built for him last year. It takes all of a half-hour, once you know the tricks. I'll let Dale address that one, too.

The switch tips are available here: http://www.guitar-parts.com/

If you want original tuners, you'll need bushings, I think. Stew-Mac has original looking bushings that mask the oversize hole that was made for the Grovers:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tuners/Tuner_parts/Tuner_Bushings.html

I can't describe any specific, proper technique regarding how to tighten down the switch, but it's doable. The switch on my Silverjet loosens up on occasion:

You can explain it, also, Paul. I was just answering Dale's response. The more the merrier!

Thanks for the info on the metal caps.

It's a matter of Web courtesy, Jeff. No offense taken, but I didn't want to jump the queue!

With your permission, my tricks for tightening Gretsch switches and rewiring hollowbodies:

1. Tightening switches: Remove the tip from the switch. move the switch from its center "click" position, either way. This gives you some leverage and also shows the orientation of "up" and "down" so it doesn't come out crooked.

2. Using a small pair of needlenose Vise-Grips, grab onto the tip of the switch. I have a pair of these Vise-Grips about 5" long, on which I've ground the jaws smooth. These are useful anytime you don't want to mark a part with the teeth. I use them for loosening stuck strap-lock buttons on Ricks, too.

3. Now you can carefully tighten the switch ferrule with another pair of (toothed) miniature needlenose pliers.

Wiring a hollowbody: Everything is made to go in through one or the other pickup hole. This is also why the pickups "plug in" as Dale has mentioned.

1. I snake a length of stiff (usually 16 gauge minimum) electrical wire through each switch or pot hole, and leave one end hanging out of the hole. I do these one at a time, beginning with the switch furthest from the output jack.

2. Next, I attach the other tip of the wire, using vinyl electrical tape, to the tip of the switch or pot. I make it snug so it won't slip off, and then carefully and slowly pull the wire through the hole until the switch tip or pot shaft emerges.

3. Next, I string the attaching washer and nut or ferrule onto the wire, and get it down to the tip of the switch or pot shaft. Now I grab onto tip or shaft with a pair of pliers (needlenoses give the most working room) as I remove the tape and wire--this usually merely tugs off.

As I hold the tip or shaft, I use my free hand to tighten the ferrule or shaft nut, finger tight.

I don't tighten everything down snugly until all pots and switches are in place, so I can rotate them to their proper alignment.

Last to go in are the jack and then I plug or solder up the pickup leads and screw them into place.

Thanks! I will have a go with that sometime this Fall.

I use cotton string with marking tape on the end of each, tied around each switch and pot posts before removing them. Then tie the color coded strings to the new controls and pull them back in. Gibson also does it this way on their hollow bodied guitars.

Thanks, Dale!

Jeff did I need to call you back? My wife said you called while I was in the shop, Sunday I think... awesome guitar...Not to often you can get a Vintage Model of any guitar for the same price as a new one. It should give you much pleasure....and you are very welcome. One other thingy..The jack: use a 1/4inch wood dowel to locate and hold thru the hole in the body rim while replacing it, the nut and washer will fit right over the dowel...

Man, thanks for the details Paul W. I can admit it now that the professionals have spoken; I do pretty much the same thing when I tighten my switch tips down, the exception being that I use a rag or tape on the threaded end instead of having the jaws ground smooth on the pair that holds the switch tip. I didn't want to pass along anything that might be an unprofessional suggestion for tightening these things up. My other method is to to the same thing but just finger tight.


My switch manages to come loose periodically-probably due to my aggresssive switch flipping for that Pete Townshend effect live. Come to think of it, the same thing's been happening to my 381 since I got it back....

Dale, I'll call you sometime this week in the evening. Nothing important.

Any tips on repairing a pickup surround that is cracked in a couple places?