What did you do to your Epiphone today?

[Noodling Guitars]

Especially if you like blowing the back out of something like an SG or finding soft spots in your back wood. Ask me how I know.

Same goes for using a long bolt and jacking it out that way.

Much easier to wreck your guitar, that's for sure!

You •might• get away with it on a couple guitars, or for years, but eventually you'll find one where something goes wrong - and let me tell you, that ain't fun.

I don't sell tools, nor do I endorse any particular brands, but this is the puller I use.

ElmerGuitar Guitar Knob Puller & Bushing Puller - 2 in 1 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for ElmerGuitar Guitar Knob Puller & Bushing Puller - 2 in 1 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

And here's (probably) the same one sold from Canada.

Guitar Knob and Bushing Puller with Thick Rubber Base | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Guitar Knob and Bushing Puller with Thick Rubber Base at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

There's also the StewMac version for twice as much

Schatten Knob and Bushing Puller - StewMac

Remove a stubborn knob without damaging the plastic, or your finish. Pulls bushings, too!

www.stewmac.com

It's a two-in-one video. They lead with the "cheap" knob puller.

I'm sure you could save a buck or three getting them straight outta China, but that's your call.

I completely agree with Raiyn - get the tool if you don't mind spending a little bit of money. I also have had similar experiences using the tool-less method. Even though the screw didn't blow through, it got lodged into the wood enough that it was very hard to get out (also gave me a good scare). After that, I just got a proper puller to do it.

I guess if you're only doing one guitar, it's not the most cost efficient and you might be able to get away with it - sometimes the bushings are not that tight and can be removed fairly smoothly with the screw method. But just know there is some risk with that ...

 

[Raiyn]

I guess if you're only doing one guitar, it's not the most cost efficient and you might be able to get away with it

Then again, a tool is cheaper than a guitar, and easier to sell off.

The best solution is not to F with them in the first place unless it's to fix something like the ground wire. Metric studs fit metric bushings, same for standard stuff.

The juice just isn't worth the squeeze to swap them. The only one who's ever gonna notice what color the bushings are is you. The audience doesn't care.

 

[Medley]

I replaced the little screws that hold the bikini badge on my Wishire re-issue with little brass escutcheon pins (look 'em up) like the originals had. Technically I didn't do it today (within the last couple days), and it isn't the only thing I did, but you know...
I also replaced the strap buttons with genuine Gibson aluminum ones (without the massive felt rings that Epi uses), and replaced both the switch and jack with US Switchcrafts I had on hand. Absolutely nothing wrong with any of the parts I replaced; I just like to install more authentic looking parts for cosmetic reasons as much as anything if I have the option.
And what a marvelous guitar this little Wilshire is, by the way!

 

[3bolt79]

I tuned one of my 59 Epi LP’s and demoed my cheap Peavey Audition Chorus for my friend. I just got it back from being repaired.

Tech had it for a month. The repair cost almost what I paid for the amp, but that is another thread in the making.

 

[Equalphone]

Much easier this way.

View attachment 20995

That's the method I've always used, but see below.

Especially if you like blowing the back out of something like an SG or finding soft spots in your back wood. Ask me how I know.

Same goes for using a long bolt and jacking it out that way.

Much easier to wreck your guitar, that's for sure!

You •might• get away with it on a couple guitars, or for years, but eventually you'll find one where something goes wrong - and let me tell you, that ain't fun.

I don't sell tools, nor do I endorse any particular brands, but this is the puller I use.

ElmerGuitar Guitar Knob Puller & Bushing Puller - 2 in 1 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for ElmerGuitar Guitar Knob Puller & Bushing Puller - 2 in 1 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

And here's (probably) the same one sold from Canada.

Guitar Knob and Bushing Puller with Thick Rubber Base | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Guitar Knob and Bushing Puller with Thick Rubber Base at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

There's also the StewMac version for twice as much

Schatten Knob and Bushing Puller - StewMac

Remove a stubborn knob without damaging the plastic, or your finish. Pulls bushings, too!

www.stewmac.com

It's a two-in-one video. They lead with the "cheap" knob puller.

I'm sure you could save a buck or three getting them straight outta China, but that's your call.

I've read of a few people pushing the screw right out the back. Frightening .

My current solution is in between these two options, stolen from my automotive work: Cut a bushing sized hole in a piece of cardboard. Place on guitar Find a socket in your rack that just fits around the outside of the bushing. It's probably 14mm / 9/16 - just make sure it 's bigger than the top of the bushing. Metric 8mm bolt through a washer and through the socket (or use the stock stud if it's long enough). Tighten bolt, bushing pulls up and out.

Same idea as @Raiyn but uses stuff a lot of us have already hanging around.

 

[Noodling Guitars]

I tuned one of my 59 Epi LP’s and demoed my cheap Peavey Audition Chorus for my friend. I just got it back from being repaired.

Tech had it for a month. The repair cost almost what I paid for the amp, but that is another thread in the making.

Really curious to know about the amp and your reason for spending the money on it!

 

[Raiyn]

That's the method I've always used, but see below.



I've read of a few people pushing the screw right out the back. Frightening .

My current solution is in between these two options, stolen from my automotive work: Cut a bushing sized hole in a piece of cardboard. Place on guitar Find a socket in your rack that just fits around the outside of the bushing. It's probably 14mm / 9/16 - just make sure it 's bigger than the top of the bushing. Metric 8mm bolt through a washer and through the socket (or use the stock stud if it's long enough). Tighten bolt, bushing pulls up and out.

Same idea as @Raiyn but uses stuff a lot of us have already hanging around.

Yeah, that'd work better than chucking a screw down the hole and praying.

I still prefer the tool because you can see what's going on as you work.

 

[BGood]

I've read of a few people pushing the screw right out the back. Frightening .

Between you and I, if you can't grasp the concept, not seeing the stud going in, pushing the screw down into the wood and the bushing not coming out, maybe you shouldn't work on guitars.

 

[Raiyn]

Between you and I, if you can't grasp the concept, not seeing the stud going in, pushing the screw down into the wood and the bushing not coming out, maybe you shouldn't work on guitars.

If you can't accept that someone else has a better / safer method that is less likely to ruin their guitar - maybe you shouldn't give advice.

There are plenty of people who come here who legitimately don't know what they're doing and rather than explain the risks of your method you blithely post "Much easier this way".

Instead of telling people what they don't need, (locking tuners, tools designed for a task etc.) maybe open your mind to other solutions.

The best solution is not to F with them in the first place unless it's to fix something like the ground wire. Metric studs fit metric bushings, same for standard stuff.

 

[Darkness]

Almost finished. I settled on 6 thin coats of tung oil finish, let it cure 5 days and gave it a once over with steel wool. I plan to use all black hat knobs but they're a very tight fit. I stuck these on just to see. I decided to stick with the black rings after all. The cream ones are a bit too light, it seems that when I used a heat gun to scrape the top, the binding got a slight roasted marshmallow color.

Also, although I bought a pre wired kit, I will have to unsolder the ground wire on one pot. There is a square tab where the rings are and the way the pot is clocked it lands on an area that isn't routed, so it lands crooked. No biggie but lesson learned on pre wired kits, and this wasn't a cheap one. I'll post some pics of that action later.

Here's the porn.

 

[Noodling Guitars]

Almost finished. I settled on 6 thin coats of tung oil finish, let it cure 5 days and gave it a once over with steel wool. I plan to use all black hat knobs but they're a very tight fit. I stuck these on just to see. I decided to stick with the black rings after all. The cream ones are a bit too light, it seems that when I used a heat gun to scrape the top, the binding got a slight roasted marshmallow color.

Also, although I bought a pre wired kit, I will have to unsolder the ground wire on one pot. There is a square tab where the rings are and the way the pot is clocked it lands on an area that isn't routed, so it lands crooked. No biggie but lesson learned on pre wired kits, and this wasn't a cheap one. I'll post some pics of that action later.

Here's the porn.
View attachment 21030

I like the look and the aged hardware too!!
Which prewired kit did you get? I've only tried the obsidian ones and those work pretty well.

 

[Noodling Guitars]

Between you and I, if you can't grasp the concept, not seeing the stud going in, pushing the screw down into the wood and the bushing not coming out, maybe you shouldn't work on guitars.

Even without going to extremes of the screw pushing through the wood, The problem that commonly happens is that the screw gets lodged a bit into the wood, bolt is maxed already, and the bushing is stuck. At this point, you're either going to have to dig that screw out and get a longer one, and/or hope that you can just pull out the bushing and then dig out the screw. I've had this happen a couple times in the past. It's not fatal, but it doesn't take a whole lot for the screw to remain stuck and it's very difficult to pull the screw out if the screw bites into the wood - esp when working on the posts for Floyds. The bushings are small enough as is, and trying to get something to dig the screw out is a PITA.

Of course, leaving it as is if possible is the safest. But if it must be done (for exmaple, for OCD reasons), having something similar to the tool, or even just a long enough bolt (i.e. what Faber provides) to not require dropping a screw into the bushing hole is a much better solution.

 

[3bolt79]

Really curious to know about the amp and your reason for spending the money on it!

I paid $110 for the amp and $100 for the repair. It was a nostalgia sort of thing. It is in really good condition, and the Tolex just needs to be cleaned. No nicks or tears in the Tolex. The previous owner replaced the speakers with Jensens. The Audition Chorus only weighs about 12 lbs. I had a similar amp when I got started on guitar when I was 13 or so.

 

[BGood]

Even without going to extremes of the screw pushing through the wood, The problem that commonly happens is that the screw gets lodged a bit into the wood, bolt is maxed already, and the bushing is stuck. At this point, you're either going to have to dig that screw out and get a longer one, and/or hope that you can just pull out the bushing and then dig out the screw. I've had this happen a couple times in the past. It's not fatal, but it doesn't take a whole lot for the screw to remain stuck and it's very difficult to pull the screw out if the screw bites into the wood - esp when working on the posts for Floyds. The bushings are small enough as is, and trying to get something to dig the screw out is a PITA.

Of course, leaving it as is if possible is the safest. But if it must be done (for exmaple, for OCD reasons), having something similar to the tool, or even just a long enough bolt (i.e. what Faber provides) to not require dropping a screw into the bushing hole is a much better solution.

View attachment 21031

Those Floyd bushings you're refering to are a different problem. The screw size you can drop in there is drastically smaller than on a LP bridge bushing. Then yes, it starts to be disturbing.

M6 vs M7

 

[Noodling Guitars]

Those Floyd bushings you're refering to are a different problem. The screw size you can drop in there is drastically smaller than on a LP bridge bushing. Then yes, it starts to be disturbing.

M6 vs M7
View attachment 21034

Even in an M8 bushing (which is what a lot of the made in China stuff uses these days) it's hard to dig out if it gets stuck. Normal needle-nose pliers won't fit. Tweezers barely fit and still might not give you enough grip over a screw lodged into the wood. I'm speaking from actual experiences I had from doing this on a number of guitars - I've never blown thru the body of course. But look.. again, as I said, if it's only one or two guitars, even if people run into problems like this, they'll find a way to deal with it (hopefully) and they'll forget about the hassle once it's done and it'll probably be okay. If doing any more than I dunno.. say 4-5... esp. if its on other people's guitars, I highly recommend getting at least a tool (i.e. a long enough bolt) if not the actual tool for the job. Saves a lot of pain in the long run.

 

[BGood]

Even in an M8 bushing (which is what a lot of the made in China stuff uses these days) it's hard to dig out if it gets stuck. Normal needle-nose pliers won't fit. Tweezers barely fit and still might not give you enough grip over a screw lodged into the wood. I'm speaking from actual experiences I had from doing this on a number of guitars - I've never blown thru the body of course. But look.. again, as I said, if it's only one or two guitars, even if people run into problems like this, they'll find a way to deal with it (hopefully) and they'll forget about the hassle once it's done and it'll probably be okay. If doing any more than I dunno.. say 4-5... esp. if its on other people's guitars, I highly recommend getting at least a tool (i.e. a long enough bolt) if not the actual tool for the job. Saves a lot of pain in the long run.

For sure if you do that for clients, but for a one time job.
The rachet socket is a good idea.

 

[Raiyn]

I highly recommend getting at least a tool (i.e. a long enough bolt)

I don't recommend the long bolt method. While it's better than the "chuck a screw and pray" method as you won't lose the screw you still have the potential of soft wood issues.

You can use the socket method, though I suggest one change. Use a longer bolt and add a nut to your setup. Hold the bolt head steady with one wrench and turn the nut to jack the bushing out. This takes the torque off the bushing, preventing spin which can damage the hole.

 

[Darkness]

You can use the socket method, though I suggest one change. Use a longer bolt and add a nut to your setup. Hold the bolt head steady with one wrench and turn the nut to jack the bushing out. This takes the torque off the bushing, preventing spin which can damage the hole.

That's pretty smart. Same method I've used to install nutserts on cars.

 

[Darkness]

I've noticed that with certain amps some of my guitars really shine, or really don't. For example on my Vox AV15 my LP custom sounds anorexic, but on my VT40X it sounds stunning. I recently picked up an Orange 35RT (Thanks @Stillsour ) and found the most unlikely pairing, it found the balls on my Riviera!

I started off clean and played some bluesy boogie style, then hit the dirt out of curiosity and found a whole different guitar. My 3 Vox amps and my Fender can't make a strong case for the mini buckers but the Orange somehow gets so much punch without sounding out of control. Interestingly I plugged in my Casino and found it had no balls with that amp. My 59, LP custom, and LP Special all sound great with this amp, only the Casino shriveled up. Can't have it all, right?

 

[Raiyn]

Different speakers have different EQ's the Casino just didn't mesh with what the Orange had to offer.