If you’re replacing the pickups as part of your re-wiring, you can do this now (I did not in the example photographed here). You can either de-solder the pickup wires or use wire cutters to clip them off. I use a hand towel to protect the finish.Īt this point you should have the pots, switch, and jack out of the guitar with the pickup wires still connected. Start with the components closest to the center of the F hole (usually the switch) and work your way back, using the wires to pull components toward the F hole. You should now be able to gently extract the pots and switch through the F hole. The pots and switch will fall through into the cavity. Once the knobs are off, you can use your wrench to remove the nuts from the pots, jack, and switch. I use a rag wrapped around the knob to pull them off without scratching the finish. Start by removing the pickguard and putting it aside. I’ve included plenty of pics to help illustrate each step. You won’t need any uncommon tools or equipment – just a wrench set (or an adjustable wrench), plenty of wire, a pair of needle-nose pliers, a soldering iron, and a bit of patience. My tech charges extra for doing electronics work in a hollow-body, and he’s definitely not the only one.įortunately I did some research, performed some trial and error experimentation on my own semi-hollow (a very nice Epiphone Dot) and found what I consider to be the best way to wire up a hollow body guitar. In fact, it’s widely considered to be one of the most difficult jobs in the wide world of guitar maintenance.

Have you ever looked at a semi-hollow or hollow body guitar on the wall at your local music store and wondered how the heck they get the electronics in there? The short answer: it’s do-able, but not easy.

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