GuitarGuy08
Well-known member
Hello RT,
Installed some Planet Tone custom P90s on a friend's guitar - man they sound so good!
They gave me the old pickup set (Epi Pro 90s Alnico V), which I gladly accepted.
Installed them in my Harley Benton TE-90QM. Had to fish everything in and out of the F-hole and all of that.
After soldering them in and playing 'Operation' to get the parts back in, I was stoked.
Neck sounded absolutely great. The pickups sound better with this guitar than the previous LP custom they were in.
The issue? When I switched to middle or bridge - no sound - shorted out.
Now these have those vintage metal braid ground with the live inside, so I assumed something was touching inside.
I did all sorts of moving and....nothing.
Finally I really start giving the braid 'the wiggles ' and hear the sound cutting in and out for middle/bridge position.
At this point, the connection is straight from pickup to toggle and solders have been reconnected, etc.
Weird. I removed the pickup to see if maybe something came loose or whatever and......
When the Soap bars were mounted back in, a wire got in the way, couldn't even feel it but one of the mounting screws have actually gone through the lead!
Yep, screwed right through the metal braid and into the live wire and into the body.
The screw was causing the live circuit and ground to touch, shorting out the guitar.
Did not expect that to happen!
Anyway, I fixed the issue/soldered new leads on and all is well.
Had me scratching my head for a minute there.
Constant vigilance.
Installed some Planet Tone custom P90s on a friend's guitar - man they sound so good!
They gave me the old pickup set (Epi Pro 90s Alnico V), which I gladly accepted.
Installed them in my Harley Benton TE-90QM. Had to fish everything in and out of the F-hole and all of that.
After soldering them in and playing 'Operation' to get the parts back in, I was stoked.
Neck sounded absolutely great. The pickups sound better with this guitar than the previous LP custom they were in.
The issue? When I switched to middle or bridge - no sound - shorted out.
Now these have those vintage metal braid ground with the live inside, so I assumed something was touching inside.
I did all sorts of moving and....nothing.
Finally I really start giving the braid 'the wiggles ' and hear the sound cutting in and out for middle/bridge position.
At this point, the connection is straight from pickup to toggle and solders have been reconnected, etc.
Weird. I removed the pickup to see if maybe something came loose or whatever and......
When the Soap bars were mounted back in, a wire got in the way, couldn't even feel it but one of the mounting screws have actually gone through the lead!
Yep, screwed right through the metal braid and into the live wire and into the body.
The screw was causing the live circuit and ground to touch, shorting out the guitar.
Did not expect that to happen!
Anyway, I fixed the issue/soldered new leads on and all is well.
Had me scratching my head for a minute there.
Constant vigilance.
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