2020-03-01 Total Guitar

MARCH 2020 TOTAL GUITAR

1

We’llbepoppingthekillswitchbuttononourFenderJaguar’scontrolplate.Dueto

theJag’sdesign,thismeansweonlyhavetotakeoffthechromecontrolplatedown

thebottom.Let’sgetridoftheknobssotheydon’tgetscratched!Someknobswillpull

off,butouroneshereneededa tinygrubscrew-looseningfirst.

3

Underhere,theJaguarwillnormallyhavea tonepotanda volumepotnexttothe

outputjack(wehavea customcircuitin thisguitar,that’swhyit looksdifferent).

Supportthecomponentsfrombehindasyouloosenthem– turningthenutsonthe

topwill likely just spin the components round inside instead of removing them.

5

Let’s modify the control plate. First up, cover it in masking tape. This will allow us to

mark it easily but also protects the face from scratches. Poke a hole in the old pot

holes so we know where they are. Tip: The lid on our ubiquitous Papermate® ballpoint

pen was perfect for the job. Remember, only the best tool will get the job done right!

2

To gain access to the electronics cavity we’ll rather obviously need to take off the

chrome plate. Use a PH1 screwdriver to remove the small screws holding it on.

Take care not to lose the screws.

4

With the plate loose, let’s get the guitar out the way. Tape up the guts so they don’t

fall out or get tangled in anything else. The guitar is going out of harm’s way while

we make a mess of the control plate. We’ve replaced the nuts, washers and star

washers on each pot so we know where it all came from.

6

Let’s choose the location for the new kill switch button. We used a vernier caliper

to measure and mark where half-way was (it would have looked bad not totally in

the middle) and drew a big X. Consider the size of the knobs that will be replaced and

make sure you have easy enough access to tap that awesome kill switch.

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