I have a guitar with one of those Les Paul style toggle switches. The switch works in the down position. But, it's iffy in the up or center position. It's funny, the sound sort of fades in and out, rather crackling on and off. It's not working and needs some help.
I figure I might be able to repair the switch, if not replace it. The problem I'm having is getting started. My guitar looks great and there's no little circular Treble/Bass plate under the switch. The nut is black and one of those knurled ones, not the hex type.
The question is how to get the nut off and back on again without scratching the guitar.
What's the best tool to use? I don't have a fancy wrench for this. I'm reluctant to buy one at the prices charged by Stew mac.
I figure I can put something down on the face of the guitar for the repair. But, nut is very close to the surface, so it's hard to get a grip. It's on pretty tight, I don't want to damage the nut trying to get it off.
I need your best and most ingenious ideas.
To get that kind of round knurled nut off I would use a nice soft cloth or a shop towel (a heavy duty sturdy paper towel) and a pair of needlenose pliers. Use the cloth / paper towel to cover the nut and the guitar body and then grip the nut with the pliers. Use a firm but gentle squeeze (you don't want to mar the nut) and turn it off but don't force it. You may need to hold the switch from the back to keep it from rotating.
If it is the switch that's the problem then it might just be better to replace it since they're not that expensive. If you want to try and fix it then it will be one of the leafs that is not making full contact. If you can bend it back so that it's tighter that would help but it won't likely be a permanent solution.
However, the problem might be in the circuitry for the neck pickup - the pickup that in the output circuit when the switch is up or in the middle. The neck pickup circuit may be intermittently shunting the signal to ground and because of the way that the total circuit is wired the whole signal for both pickups goes to ground.
Pop music is about stealing pocket money from children. - Ian Anderson
You might not need to replace it.
Try this.
Get some Caig De-Oxit cleaner (available at Radio Shack and other electroncs stores - it's the best contact cleaner I've found)
Once you get the switch out out, observe where the contacts make and break. (no need to remove the wires)
Cut little strips of a clean business card and saturate with the De-Oxit.
Open the contacts, insert the strip in the opening, close the contacts, and gently pull the strip out. Repeat a few times and then do the same thing with a clean card strip.
If you want the connection to stay clean longer, put a little Caig Pro-Gold on a clean strip of card and apply a little to the contacts.
In Florida, with the damp, salt air I'm always fighting contact problems. For the toggle switch, this is the best, and longest lasting solution I've found.
Unfortunately LP switches do have this problem more than Strat switches because the Strat switches wipe as they make and break, which will knock some light corrosion off.
Good luck,
Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton
Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com Add-on Styles for Band-in-a-Box and Microsoft SongSmith
The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<
I'm for trying to clean it first. I've gotten new ones that didn't work. Seems there was a little lube on there to prevent corosion and a touch of alcohol did the trick. One of the few times that alcohol IS the answer.
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
Thanks for the replies. The contact cleaner sounds like a good place to start. If that works I may not have to take anything apart. The cavity where the switch mounted is too small to see the contacts on the switch, so it's hard to tell what's happening in there. I can get the switch to work in the up position sometimes. It's intermittent which means there could be something gunking it up.
