I’ve never worked on mine.
But I need to. Mines a casino. A hollow body w/f holes and no access plate on the back. I think your in the same boat.
Since I’ve no experience either, i’ve watch several youtube videos about working on these.
Best I can tell. Ya gotta work through the f holes. Ya tie sting to the pots and switches and jacks so when ya take them loose and they fall inside the guitar, ya can fish them back out again with the string. I think there’s a special tool ya can get to plug into the jack, that has string on it so it can be fished out again.
To me, if yer thinking about changing anything in there. I’d think being proactive would be the way to go. I can’t imagine it’s that much fun to work thru them small f holes. So if your there, do as much work as ya can while it’s apart.
fwiw, my input jack is always getting loose too. Being my usual lazy self, I just keep tightening up the jack nut w/my finger(nails) near every time I get it out. At least mine ain’t fell out (in) yet. But there’s gonna be a day is my guess. I think we both need a lock washer on the inside of the guitar to prevent the jack from getting loose all the time. Of course, the jack is the furthest away from anything as for getting it out. I’d assume the hardest part to take out and put back.
Unless ya had something tied to it to help fish it back to the hole in the guitar where the jack mounts at.
So, since I have zero experience, best I can tell ya is to go look for them videos on the youtube about pot and jack replacement for hollow body or semi hollow body guitars.
They make it look easy. My guess is that it can be done, but that it ain’t easy.
If there’s no access plate on the back. I see no other way other than through the f holes.
No need to change the pickups if you like the sound. In general, I would select pots to go with the pickups and not change them unless you needed to. The problem you described has a different solution, so replacing everything is just because you want to get a different sound.
If the output jack is chronically loose, then the wire can get worked until it breaks. This is the first thing I’d be looking at with your complaint about it cutting out. It is simple to tighten the jack properly - just use a tiny drop of Loctite 222. Only that, it is their lightest threadlock and you’ll still be able to break it free some day later if you need. My PRS would not stay screwed tight until I used some of that.
If you are set on replacing your electronics, take a look inside the guitar to plan. Do I remember you replacing some single-coil pickups in another guitar a few months back? If so, then you have been through the process of selecting a new pickup by sound samples on the manufacturer’s web site.
Will the new pickups fit (screw locations, height, hole in guitar)
Does the wiring need to be replaced - maybe to be rid of the fast-connect assemblies used in some products to speed assembly in the factory
What does the manufacturer recommend for pot and cap values - can you find them
Does the switch need to be replaced - maybe it is worn or has a circuit board attached for the wiring harness quick connect?
Personally, I think changing cap value can go along way toward changing the sound. Unless my pickups were super low quality or something I really didn’t like, I’d be looking at just caps. Of course if they sounded that bad, I probably would not have bought the guitar in the first place.
If its cutting out check the selector switch. The gap between the plates may have widened.
I have 2 Washburn HBs, F holes no access. So buy lots of string !! From the videos I have watched its doable but fiddly. Still planning to change the pups in one of mine but not got round to it yet.
For decent pups pots etc and prices your one stop shop and in UK
One tip I seen was to use small silicone or plastic tubing. Once the old pot/s are out fish the tubing from pot hole to f hole then push the tubing on the pot spindle on the f hole side and pull the tubing through the pot hole. If you go this route it would be much easier to buy a pre built wiring harness and then pull then all in as above. Guitaristas has a video on YouTube showing this.
Lots of good info here, I dont think I’m up for trying this myself though, I was thinking of getting some parts and handing them to a place to put them in for me.
I thin kmy first task is decide what puckups to use. Also see if I can find a shop to fit it all.
Well I never rebuilt something like that so I guess accessibility is a main subject and the all parts must fit in the old holes and slots. What is it with the guitar you don’t like ? Sound or playability ?
Is it an Epi ? If the sound is the only problem you might buy a modelling amplifier and it will make any sound you what from almost any guitar. Yamaha THR or Line6 or other. Can you split the hum buckers at present ?
I had an old Samick HSS - Strat style guitar and it was noisy. Thus I replaced all pickups with Seymore Duncan quality pickups. All new pots and a split for the Humbucker it and it made big difference but then I had an old Marshal. My daughter has it now and likes it but I moved on to a Fender Ultra Strat and a modeling amp.
I’d happily change electronics on a guitar like a strat, but doing it on something like an ES-339 is more of a pain in the butt. To be honest, I’d probably just pay a luthier to do it because I wouldn’t want to deal with it.
From the videos I have watched its doable but fiddly. Still planning to change the pups in one of mine but not got round to it yet.
