I've got this Gretsch G2504 which I don't really use much on account of the pickups being pretty bad.
I fancy having a go at swapping out all of the electrics for new.
If I got kit such as one of these
https://www.axetec.co.uk/guitar_parts_uk_028.htm would it be a straight swap or would there be any measurements that i'd need to check for fit?
Are humbuckers a universal size or would I need to measure for replacements to ensure that they'd fit correctly?
I'm comfortable with soldering as I do it as part of my job but never had a go at wiring a guitar circuit up so would like to do so.
Thanks for any advice.
Comments
Are the tone and volume controls noisy? Do they not give you the level of control you need ie not all at one end of the throw? If No to both questions then I’d be tempted to leave them.
There's either an issue with the bridge pickup or the wiring/controls as it sounds like trash.
Sort of. Your Gretsch has two humbuckers of the same size. (Some guitars need a slightly wider polepiece spacing on the bridge position to align with vibrato bridges.) Where you could come unstuck is with the mounting surrounds. Generic Asian ones rarely conform to the Gibson dimensions. This affects both the position of the four fastening screws and the tightness of the pickup aperture. Covered humbuckers might not fit through the surrounds.
The depth of each pickup cavity may restrict your options for replacement pickups. On "historically accurate" humbuckers, the height adjustment screw lug may prove to be longer than the stock cavity is deep.
Much of what you will be assembling is easier to do with the pots outside the control cavity. Make a template of the four drilled holes. Flip it over. Orientate the four new pots on the template. Make the necessary connections, confident in the knowledge that you can install that portion of the harness as one.
If the playability of the guitar is good, it should be worth pouring some money into the electronics upgrades.
The Axetec kit of A500k pots will work well with the majority of dual-coil, hum-cancelling pickups. You could play on the guitar's Gibson-inspired looks with black/cream humbuckers or go more Gretsch with Filter'Tron-alikes - maybe, even, one of each?
Er, I cannot help noticing your use of mains flex cables. Is that harness for a type 1 Telecaster Thinline?
If the guitar is mostly maple and alder (or basswood), 'Trons are going to make it sound very Telecasterish. I would be tempted to go for replacement pickups with plenty of midrange such as humbucker-sized P90s.