Knob issue ... it's a funny colour

OilCityPickups

We are trying to restore Tim's rather nice Epiphone Sheraton at the workshop currently. It's been much maligned and farked about with ... but has a lovely neck ... and we have found our, quite rare pickups ... more on that if folks are interested. Amonst other things the poor guitar had a pot swapped for a very poorly executed Varitone  wafer switch ... which had none of the correct components to make it actually work as a Varitone ... and they had bodged the pickup cavity to actually get it in! 

Anyway if folks are interested I will do a bit of a photo-story on that However the issue is the missing knob that was swapped out for the rather dire chicken head knob. We don't have it, and matching the original knob is a pain.

In the pic left is the original Epi knob ... moulded in numbers and a general 'honey' tint to the plastic. To the right is the generally available modern 'Hosco' knob which is very cheap looking by comparison. If anyone has an old Epi knob floating about we'd be really grateful ... or can suggest a supplier (we are out of ideas). 
I don't really want to convert to all the cheap modern knobs ... the old ones look great. 

stickyfiddle

These should be the right thing, assuming metric pots. Otherwise imperial ones should also be available

The key search term is "amber bell knob", rather than gold  

Musiclily Pro Metric Size Bell Top Hat Knobs for Epiphone Les Paul Electric Guirar, Amber (Set of 4) : Amazon.co.uk: Musical Instruments & DJ

OilCityPickups

Ah perfect thank you :-)

BobHillman

I would love to see more about this guitar/project, please.

Tannin

I am still struggling with the thread title!

Henrytwang

BobHillman said:

I would love to see more about this guitar/project, please.

 Me too.

OilCityPickups

BobHillman said:

I would love to see more about this guitar/project, please.

And so you shall 
The god awful mess that is the wafer switch ... which now resides in the bin ... note the chiselled out tunnel mouth by which they got the abomination in! 


And the nice surprise 

SteveRobinson

Ah I have fond memories of Wizard Pickups, one of the first UK builders based in Wales, then Scotland I seem to recall?

OilCityPickups

The guitar is a fascinating hotch potch of well done things and utter crap ... the god awful switch was an attempt to have all the potential wiring options of a StewMac Black Ice onboard distortion without re wiring ... FAIL!
Yet a US made, gold plated Bigsby has been fitted! 

thermionic

SteveRobinson said:

Ah I have fond memories of Wizard Pickups, one of the first UK builders based in Wales, then Scotland I seem to recall?

The phone number on the stickers is a Lampeter dialling code.

OilCityPickups

SteveRobinson said:

Ah I have fond memories of Wizard Pickups, one of the first UK builders based in Wales, then Scotland I seem to recall?

Quick look at Companies house says they were registered in Llanybydder, Dyfed. Wizard became 'Hot Rod' pickups around 2014 (there's some history on here) ... or at least Hot Rod pickups acquired the Wizard designs. It appears that Hot Rod Pickups have also disappeared ... though I may be wrong.
Pickup winders pop up, discover it's hard work ... and they are highly unlikely to get rich - then disappear - with monotonous regularity. 

OilCityPickups

Oh, for anybody who happens to come across a set of Wizard pickups ... the wiring colour code appears to be the same as DiMarzio :-) With black and white being the 'series link' and green and red being ground and hot respectively. 

OilCityPickups

For those interested in how my knob saga turned out ... this is Tim's Epiphone 'all made better'. 
One of our 335 luxury harnesses with selected CTS pots, Sprague Orange drop caps and a Switchcraft jack. 
Neck Wizard pickup sounds awesome ... bridge is a little thin for my taste, but it's not my guitar. It seems there was an intentionally flipped magnet PG style and I left things that way. I have to say this is one of the best '335 alikes' I've ever played ... the neck is sublime and the action is low as hell. 

guitarjack66

Tannin said:

I am still struggling with the thread title!

Too close to home?

SteveRobinson

Good job! 

They are great guitars, I owned a few in the 2000s when you could pick them up for £150-175 all day long.

jca74

Oooh…i have a set of hot strat pickups from wizard buried somewhere in my parts collection- I’d forgotten about them!

OilCityPickups

No greater love has man for his fellow than to rebuild the electrics on his hollow body guitar  ... 

english_bob

That's almost exactly the same as my Sheraton, down to the USA Bigsby. Mine came in to my possession with the stock pickups still in place, and I can 100% support the decision to replace them. Bad.

But damn, rewiring a semi-hollow is a pain in the arse.

OilCityPickups

english_bob said:

That's almost exactly the same as my Sheraton, down to the USA Bigsby. Mine came in to my possession with the stock pickups still in place, and I can 100% support the decision to replace them. Bad.

But damn, rewiring a semi-hollow is a pain in the arse.

Every Sheraton I've had dealings with has had shite pickups from the factory ... 

4string

OilCityPickups said:

No greater love has man for his fellow than to rebuild the electrics on his hollow body guitar  ... 

And you know I apprecaitte it :-) Still owe you a night out for this - when you get back?

OilCityPickups

4string said:

OilCityPickups said:

No greater love has man for his fellow than to rebuild the electrics on his hollow body guitar  ... 

And you know I apprecaitte it :-) Still owe you a night out for this - when you get back?

Oh yes folks ... I'm off to Finland for a week ... so if anybody wants me ... I will still be picking up messages but not in the workshop obviously  :-)

And beer always goes a long way to mending skinned knuckles