70's El-Degas fix up part 1

[mikedem]

Ok , so I am still waiting for the gold keystone tuners from GFS but I wanted to get started getting my baby back to the way she was when I got it in '84.
I removed the Dimarzio and installed a GFS Crunch PAT. Ironically the resistance on them were very close. The 20 something year old Dimarzio was 13.5K and the GFS was 12K.
They gave me a new plastic ring with the pickup but I decided to re-use the old metal one with all the wear and tear marks on it
I also replaced the tone pot with a push/pull and tapped the new coil. I doubt I really needed that but since the cost of a new pot was $10 and I had the whole thing apart - why not.

Anyways, back together , plugged it in and I like what I hear. Not as crunchy as the Dimarzio which is what I was after. Still not as mellow as the neck pickup but very close to what I remember it used to be like.
Next is the tuners and I cannot find for the life of me someone in Ottawa can can print/paint/screen me the logo back on??? Maybe it's too small a job but nobody seems interested.








Hey on a side note - here is a picture of the bridge with.....OMG writing on it Typo and ALL LOL. You think this is original . So unlike El Degas to put anything on there guitars

[telekafunkle]

VERY nice my friend...Out of curiosity, how are the stock pups? I am looking to buy one, and seems like almost EVERYONE changes the bridge pickup to a "zebra" style, uncovered humbucker...Like you did...

Nice work!

[mikedem]

the original bridge pickup ended up in a land fill sometime around 1989. I don't feel to bad though as it was shot - This GFS crunchy PAT is very similar to what was in it, a little built more crunch/treble. And that pickup is only $26!!!!!!! The original neck pickup is awesome. Compared to a new $900 Epiphone , well there is no comparison , the neck pup is unbelievable. I should record it and post it but then you would all find out how poorly I play.

[telekafunkle]

the original bridge pickup ended up in a land fill sometime around 1989. I don't feel to bad though as it was shot - This GFS crunchy PAT is very similar to what was in it, a little built more crunch/treble. And that pickup is only $26!!!!!!! The original neck pickup is awesome. Compared to a new $900 Epiphone , well there is no comparison , the neck pup is unbelievable. I should record it and post it but then you would all find out how poorly I play.

Haha, oh no dude, I don't critisize playing...Not at all...If you would like to, that would be great!

[charles]

I'm the last guy to criticize playing - if I posted a clip you'd all say "and you have so many guitars.... why?"

I wouldn't sweat the logo too much - you know what you have, and "El Degas" isn't exactly seen as a prestige name in the guitar world... when it's recognized at all!

[mikedem]

I'm the last guy to criticize playing - if I posted a clip you'd all say "and you have so many guitars.... why?"

I wouldn't sweat the logo too much - you know what you have, and "El Degas" isn't exactly seen as a prestige name in the guitar world... when it's recognized at all!

I know , but when I get something in my head.......well you know how it is.

[charles]

I definitely understand - I'm not sure how the guy did my ED decal on my black Tele Custom. I believe it was a waterslide decal but I do not know if he printed it himself with something you can just buy at Staples or if he farmed it out to a printer.

[mikedem]

Ok , decided to try and record via my Digitech RP-150 and give you an idea of how these pickups sound.
Again - excuse the playing , I was just trying to record some sound. Funny how when you press the record button you all of a sudden forget everything
I didn't edit anything so it's raw....

GFS Crunchy PAT bridge blues tone - http://www.MegaShare.com/1648956
GFS Crunchy PAT bridge heavy 80's- http://www.MegaShare.com/1648963
GFS Crunchy PAT coil tapped bridge - http://www.MegaShare.com/1648967
GFS Crunchy PAT crunch - http://www.MegaShare.com/1648969
GFS Crunchy PAT bridge clean - http://www.MegaShare.com/1648970

and the original neck pickup
Original eldegas neck clean - http://www.MegaShare.com/1648974
orig eldegas neck blues tone - http://www.MegaShare.com/1648975

[charles]

Thanks for sharing!

The crunch tone sounds pretty darn nice.

[mikedem]

I'm pretty happy with it. I actually like the tapped sound now too. If you use that blues tone you can get a nice SRV sound with a LP.

[niteskunq]

I also replaced the tone pot with a push/pull and tapped the new coil.

nice fix-up - I'm currently upgrading an old MIJ LP with push-pulls - where did you get yours from?

The dpdt 500k pots I recently picked up are from Alpha - their diameters are a bit skinnier than the original mounting holes
(stop snickering )

It's been a real pain in the arse to source parts - for instance I've had to cannabilize/hybridize 500k dpdt's with 1Meg Audio mini pots (9mm shafts) just to get the set up I'm looking for.

[charles]

Where have you been looking for parts?

Between GuitarFetish (GFS), AllParts, WD Music, AZ Guitar Parts, and Guitar Parts Resource, I usually find everything I need.

[niteskunq]

Where have you been looking for parts?

Between GuitarFetish (GFS), AllParts, WD Music, AZ Guitar Parts, and Guitar Parts Resource, I usually find everything I need.

Mostly I've been going direct thru Mouser and Alpha - to avoid the middle man and save cost (most of the providers above get their stuff from Alpha or Mouser).
However, to get the right shaft length/resistance/etc I had to buy off of ebay, and even then it was an Alpha product that wasn't in their catalogue (weird?)
here's a fewo websites I've found for good electronic parts, reliable service and cheap prices

http://www.tedweber.com/

http://www.mouser.com/

http://www.action-electronics.com/index.htm

Stewmac, GFS, Allparts don't carry 1Meg dpdt pots - even Mouser doesn't have 'em.
AZ guitar looks like they have the kind of dpdt pots I'm looking for, physical dimension wise - but still only up to 500K ohm.
GPR has 1meg'rs but solid shaft only, and it's too short to begin with. (a good candidate for cannabilization, tho )

here's an exploded pic of what I've had to do to rebuild 'em (clearly there's no 'warranty' by doing this )
I bought 1Meg Audio mini pots and 500K dpdt (mini) pots, pulled them apart and just switched the resisters around.

(for the record - A1M = Audio taper, 1 Mega Ohm, B1M = Linear taper, 1 Mega Ohm)

[charles]

You're definitely more electronically-minded than I am, for sure. Hats off to you.

[niteskunq]

You're definitely more electronically-minded than I am, for sure. Hats off to you.

..I dunno - ya know what they say about a 1000 monkeys at 1000 typewriters over a 1000 years (or some sum there-of)
sooner or later one will knock out the complete works of Shakespeare, by accident

I may be a monkey, but I'm no Bill Shakespeare that's for sure

In case anyone wants to repeat this (mis)adventure -
just take a jewelers flat head screw driver and pry up the metal taps on both sides of the pot housing. I usually pry the dpdt switch off first.
Pull the shaft upward (ie switch the dpdt up) & push back gently
baddabing - it slides apart. (& Keep some bandaids handy )

Interestingly - the brush element (the white piece in the middle) of these potentiometers is double sided - one could easily pop in another resister element for a stereo effect

Update: my apologies for thread-jacking - I'm way off the topic. my bad!