Jackson: Gutting and Rewiring

[GAD]

I have a Japanese Jackson Archtop Pro that I love playability-wise, but it’s never been right. With the new amp online I decided I wanted to try it out again since it’s been years since I last played it. it has EMGs so I figured it would be a good test for the amp.

It’s been a while, but I didn’t remember the knobs being backwards. Weird. The volume and tone knobs were in the wrong position. Wait… and the tone know wasn’t doing anything either. Let’s have a look after I change the battery.

Hmm… can’t get the battery out. Why not? Because it was double-stick taped into the cavity.



When I took the battery out, this happened:



I figured I’d just clip that off and add a new one so I could test the amp, but the wire was corroded inches into the insulation:



Don’t leave old batteries in your guitars kids, even if you have to use pliers to get it out.

I decided to just go for it. (Continued)

 

[GAD]

The existing wiring appears to be the result of someone convincing themselves that EMG’s solderless connections are the secret to good tone only to get confused and backpedaling until something worked.



The guitar had some weird corrosion in a lot of spots like on this long shaft pot I pulled out.



Wait a minute… This guitar doesn’t need long shaft pots. Sigh:



That second pot? It wasn’t even hooked up. Here’s how I found it under that rat’s nest of wires:



See? Solderless is easier!

more to come…

 

[GAD]

Next I removed the EMGs:



And cleaned out the control cavity:



I had an old pair of WRC American Steele pickups with covers so I removed the covers and was kind if happy to see very minimal wax which was clearly added just to keep the covers from vibrating:



Then I got to work on soldering up some wires. I found two 525K pots in my parts bin along with some .022 caps so I didn’t even have to buy anything:

Next I removed the old wire from the toggle and cleaned off all the sloppy globs of solder:



And then ran the rest of the wires:



I’d say that looks a little better than it did at the start! I’m not terribly hapoy with the shield solder but it’s tight and isn’t going anywhere. It’s just not as pretty as I’d like.

The top looks weird because it’s had EMGs in it since I bought it, but now it sounds better and doesn’t need a damn battery.

 

[GGJaguar]

Nicely done complete rebuild! Good thing it wasn't an archtop.

 

[HeyMikey]

Very much nicerer GAD. Looks much cleaner even if you aren’t 100% happy. I’m sure the next owner down the road will be.

 

[Prince of Darkness]

Don’t leave old batteries in your guitars kids, even if you have to use pliers to get it out.

Or cameras! I ended up having to source another A11 flash unit to go with my old Olympus XA 2, due to the mess an old AA battery made of it

 

[Bill Ashton]

...and though most batteries have a "warranty" against leakage and replacement, how you you find the original sales slip for the batteries, and then, how are they going to replace/repair the damaged unit? (Asked by a guy whose DTAR battery holder was corroded by a non-Duracell battery...)

 

[GAD]

Nicely done complete rebuild! Good thing it wasn't an archtop.

It is an archtop! Maybe that’s why they had one long shaft pot in there, though my two short shafts fit fine.

 

[GAD]

Or cameras! I ended up having to source another A11 flash unit to go with my old Olympus XA 2, due to the mess an old AA battery made of it

Everything, really. It happens a lot with portable test equipment, too.

Duracell used to be my go-to alkaline and now I won’t touch them.

 

[chazmo]

I only have one thing to say to you. Lithium ion.

I guess that's two things.

 

[GAD]

I only have one thing to say to you. Lithium ion.

I guess that's two things.

You might be surprised to find that I dislike Lithium batteries. I use them in various electronics projects and they're in all our phones, but they're dangerous and the vast majority of them out there are cheap fire bombs just waiting to burn your house down. They're in freaking everything and when they go bad they are unstoppable without a special fire extinguisher that nobody owns (I do - it was expensive). I am also bothered by how so many things that should just use AAs have converted to Li because it gives the illusion of saving the planet. Meanwhile people toss their cheap junk products into the trash and the batteries end up igniting in landfills. And that's if you're lucky and the battery didn't explode in your house or on your person. Don't even get me started on E-Bikes and EVs. Scary Vid.

 

[GAD]

That over-reaction aside, I would absolutely use an Energizer Lithium 9v in an EMG-equipped guitar, but then I'd leave it plugged in and I'd end up with a dead $12 9v.

 

[BradHK]

It is an archtop! Maybe that’s why they had one long shaft pot in there, though my two short shafts fit fine.

An arch top with a factory rear access panel! I feel like that’s cheating but I am just jealous as none of my arch tops have access panels.

Nice work on the wiring and thanks for sharing the photos and description!

 

[chazmo]

An arch top with a factory rear access panel! I feel like that’s cheating but I am just jealous as none of my arch tops have access panels.

Nice work on the wiring and thanks for sharing the photos and description!

You need that Jackson, Brad!

 

[GAD]

An arch top with a factory rear access panel! I feel like that’s cheating but I am just jealous as none of my arch tops have access panels.

Nice work on the wiring and thanks for sharing the photos and description!

So it's a solid-body electric guitar with an arched top, but it's not what I'd call an "archtop" as in something Bob Benedetto would make (even though I kind of did). It's got an arched top similar to how a Les Paul has an arched top.

I love super Strats, but a super Strat with an arched top is heaven for me. Jackson made these in Japan in the mid-90s and they are as well made as the US guitars. They're so well made that they were cutting into the US guitar market so Jackson discontinued them. The archtop versions are pretty rare and I'm lucky enough to have two of them. They made a bunch of then without Floyd Rose bridges but the ones I have are damn-near unobtanium. They're built like a Les Paul but shaped like a Jackson and they just freaking rock.

 

[Rocky]

That over-reaction aside, I would absolutely use an Energizer Lithium 9v in an EMG-equipped guitar, but then I'd leave it plugged in and I'd end up with a dead $12 9v.

My biggest peeve with lithium 9V batteries is they're ever so slightly larger than the alkaline version, and don't always fit where you want them. Not mil-spec. </veer>

 

[chazmo]

My biggest peeve with lithium 9V batteries is they're ever so slightly larger than the alkaline version, and don't always fit where you want them. Not mil-spec. </veer>

No problem at all with the AA size though.