Update to the last update:
Well, I finally got the replacement for the replacement for my black Gretsch 5120 last Thursday, and I spent Friday evening and a chunk of Saturday morning replacing the stock pickups with TV Jones replacements.
I had to pull the individual volume knobs, and the Master Tone knob to do the soldering; I used plastic tubing over the pot stem (which fit through the hole in the body) in order to be able to pull them back into the proper position when finished. I had to take a dremel tool to both pickup holes to fit new pickups, and drill and refill two screw holes for each of the pickup rings. I also need a bigger soldering iron, my little 25-watt iron doesn’t work so well with those big pots.
All went back together smoothly, and the final product looks professional if I say so myself. I restrung and set the pickups to the manufacturer’s suggested height, and plugged her in. It sounds <jazz hands> FABULOUS!! </jazz hands>
I elected not to replace the linear taper pots; I’m more of a ‘set ‘em and forget ‘em’ sort of guy where guitar knobs are concerned. If I decide to do it down the road, well, I can.
Final cost breakdown:
Gretsch 5120 (black) ……………….....$595
Customized Pickguard ……………......$ 0
.11 guage strings w/wound 3rd......$ 7
TV Jones pickups, rings, shipping...$270
Grover locking tuners installed………$121
Total cost: $993
I forgot to bring my camera to work today so I can upload the photos to webshots; I will do that tomorrow and post a link.
"There's such a fine line between genius and stupidity."
--David St. Hubbins