OT: I think it is a nice looking guitar....Bought it

Hi,
I think I'm going to buy this Epiphone AlleyKat. Anyone with experience with this guitar?
 

Spacey, thanks for your comments. And I will check the nut.

Mesh

Zonno
Spacey, thanks for your comments. And I will check the nut (on the guitar).

Fixed.

Thanks for fixing my nut.

Don't know yet. I'll try it Saturday. I found this one on our local version of Ebay. The seller reserved it for me.
 
 

Last Saterday I tried and bought the Alleycat.
 
It is indeed a very well build guitar with a lovely playable neck and low action.
Now it also sounds good. I like the neck pickup, the mini humbucker. Very rich tone.
The bridge pickup I like a little less. To me it has too much mid , and no low or high, though I haven't tried it yet on a serious amp. 
 
I know I have to do some work on this guitar. The Treble/Rhythm swith is faulty, I don't trust the tone pot because it doesn't roll of high frequencies the way I expect it, and I don't trust the pot of the bridge pickup.
I don't mind doing some work on this guitar since it iwas only €270. So I'm thinking of replacing all electronics except for the mini humbucker.
Problem is I don't have any experience replacing pots and pickups and I don't know what type and brand pots I should order.
I also don't know what bridge pickup I should choose for this guitar. 
 

Working on the electronics of a hollow body for your first outing will either make you or break you.
 
Does it have an access hatch on the back or are you going to have to go in through the F Holes and Pickup cavities?
 
 
best regards,
mike

There are parts of a job like this that following little tips
can be very important for a job well done.
 
I'll share some thoughts for consideration;
 
1. I want it done right the first time and I want it done so that there is nothing but the results I was after to indicate that anything was done.
What that means to this job is- I don't want one mark made on the instrument or the components. That means down to the screws- I don't want that screwdriver slipping and marking the head of the screws...more less slipping and marking the finish. I don't want one mark on the finish of the guitar because I didn't protect it and drug or dropped something on it.
 
2. I want to know what every wire is- where it's coming from and going to and it's purpose before messing with them. ( pictures come in handy)
 
3. The pups- how they're wired. Their polarity. Not all pickups are created equal and not all color coded the same with their wiring. That's a biggy when it comes to . Some have two,three and four wires and one has to know why.
 
4. Knowing about the pots, switches and capacitors. How they work, types of and how to wire them.
 
5. I don't want accidents or trouble because I didn't think about something and screwed things up.
I know that with a job like this I have to understand or be ready to learn about the components and how to make soldering connections correctly, perform it without incident and do it right the first time.
To have patience. Stop when I know there are questions and I don't have the answers.
 
 
Taking things apart such as the output jack and not knowing how to install it is not a way to perform the task. Questions such as: How I do I tighten it back up after I fish it back to it's location? Will it try to turn when I tighten on the nut? Can it break the wiring solder connections if it turns? How do I hold backup to stop it from turning? If one can't answer...get the answers before doing the job.
Every step has questions. One must know and understand the questions and then the answer that works for you can be used.
So every step of the job needs to be known.
All questions to each step need an answer that answers it correctly. ( that answer can be different for folks- not everybody does things the same way)
 
Sometimes all the questions aren't known. They arise during the job. Maybe something like: Which hole is the best to pull the components out that will make it easy to do the task and then fish them back to their location? Maybe you thought the bridge pickup hole before you started and found out that for some of the controls it would be easier to go throught the "f" hole because of wire anchors attached inside the body. That is when patience and awareness can make or break your performance.
 
I'll stop. Sorry for the wind but I hope it's a nice breeze. I'm at work and did this quick but mistakes and bad grammer probably would have been made anyway :)

I have some questions for you Zonno.
 
What size of soldering iron is "right" for this job?
What type of solder do you use?
Do you need any special tools that will help perform the tasks?
Why do some humbuckers have two wires and some have four?
Are all the four wire humbuckers from different manufacturers color coded the same?
Do you know what all the four wires are for?
Are all humbuckers the same size? If not, how are they sized and why?
 
You don't have to answer....but you probably need to know the answers.
 

Thank Buddah I never tried to replace pick ups myself.

The last build I posted had a neck humbucker with a vol/coil splitter (push pull)
and during his sound check the owner was nothing but smiles.
It gave him the "quack" that the Tele wouldn't have had without it.
There are good reasons to having a 4wire HB and that's why we have them.
 
Very cool Zonno that you're not alone and have the interests. Best to you with it all.
 
 
 
For what's it worth..just something to think about..
I'd consider moving that master vol back to the other controls and filling
the space with at least a coil split and maybe a 3 way ....I'll let you trace down
what a 3 way would get you :)
 
 
 
 

Why is it, the more I read English written from someone in the Netherlands, it is more accurate than most of the Americans I know?
 
I worked on a remote media player phone app with someone from there and it was the same thing.  I wish the "locals" cared more about how they communicate!
 
Good job Zonno!

Congrats Zonno on the new guitar!!
 
(now back to Keeping Up With the Kardashians)

Julien, it works both ways. Now that I have THE Les Paul I wanted, I'm looking at my Strat thinking that she'd at least deserve a bit of attention before I officially retire her.
 
This morning also, I even found myself looking at Teles.
 
And I'm also checking out little tiny amps - no tubes or nothing, just little travel things. I might grab one of those small $100-ish Orange or Fender or Marshall...
 

 

 
Or, what looks like potentially the most interesting (and it comes in red too):
 

 
Though sonically I'd expect the Marshall to be closer to home.

That Blackstar looks sweet!