The Electra Forums

Hi all. Been ages since I've checked out these forums!

I have in my head to shield and do some wiring work on my X175JB, actually, I had the idea some time back... (very much like: http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/shielding/shield3.php) I have actually shielded the main cavity and the 5-way switch cavity and started to remove a ground loop or two and plan to go back and finish up shortly. At this point the guitar works...and I'm hoping to keep it that way. I have come up with a stock wiring diagram and a diagram of what I believe it will be after I'm done. I'm OK with a soldering iron and all but I'm hoping someone here (with more guitar electronics knowledge and experience than I) can eyeball the shielded diagram and judge if it looks good or if there are things amiss.

This isn't a high priority for me...I've actually had the parts for probably 6 or 7 years and just have never pursued doing this. Now, I started doing some upgrades/cleanup on another guitar and I figured I may as well put these parts to use and get them off the shelf!

Any input would be great.

Stock wiring:


Planned shielded and reworked wiring:

I've been comparing the wiring in the guitar to my diagram (stock) and have found that the diagram isn't quite complete. I'll post an update as I finish reviewing.

Hello, great to have you back. Of the pics I've seen of 175JBs yours has got to be the best. I've never seen the star ground diagram before,but maybe the other guys have. I have 3 175JBs, 2 that play and 1 thats still waiting for a few parts. Let me know how it works, I might try it too.
One thing I just found out, if you plug it up to the Joe Satriani destrortion pedal you'll like what you hear.

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SlmGuy

Thanks form the note slmguy! I've been playing mine pretty regularly since 1983. While I don't play in a "working band" I do play weekly for our contemporary christian band at church. The Phoenix is my main guitar along with an acoustic. Still need to look into a fret job one of these days. They've seen some wear.

I have updated both of the wiring diagrams. Most notably, the volume pot wiring was incomplete and I had the push/pull switch backwards... depending on how you looked at it. Hopefully it's more clear. You may have to refresh the images/page to get the right ones to show up. (by the way, to anyone interested, I had posted a wiring diagram some time ago (at http://dbeedle.com/Guitar). That diagram has been replaced with this one.)

I did the wiring this past weekend. the only thing I have left to do is shielding the pickup cavities, which I'll do the next time I take the strings off. While I can't claim that it has made any major difference in noise or sound (so far), a little guitar "hacking" was fun and interesting to do. On the other hand, I have Lace Sensor pickups in there and stock pickups may see a difference. As I understand it the Sensors are pretty quiet.

My next bit of hacking will be on a Peavey JF1. I'll replace the wiring with a harness from Mojotone and swap out the pickups with some new ones (StewMax Parson Street). What prompted this was the corrosion and what appears to be a cheap finish on the hardware on the guitar, including the pickups. To be expected I suppose from an inexpensive guitar. I've also replaced the bridge and tailpiece on this one. Probably not the wisest investments but I find it interesting...and I may get some even nicer tone out of it (it's really not at all bad to start with and it plays pretty nice).

Played through a sound system last night for the first time since doing the shielding and wiring and I think there is some difference! I think there probably more "there"...more signal or more clarity or more tone...something... and more variation in tone from pickup to pickup. Could just be me. I'm happy with the results anyway!

I did not change or add the tone caps or use the capacitor for shock protection. I did shield all the cavities including the main one, the 5-Way switch and each of the pickups.

Replaced the electronics in the Peavey this weekend. Doing this in a semi-hallow body is not for the impatient. In this case the pick-up cavities are not open either so the only way to get the stuff in and out of the guitar was through the F-holes. And the holes for the tone pots are further away than your fingers are long! Finally got them in there though. I can say that the original Peavey electronics in this thing were pretty cheap. The new should hold up much better and sound good too!

A tip regarding this...that wire you're not sure where it goes...you may safely assume it is, in fact, there for a purpose. And now I know what it is! Got a lovely buzz when touching the 3-Way switch. Guess I'll take things apart again to attach that ground wire!

The last time I messed with my hollow body I taped a wire to the pot stem and pulled back thru. It only has 2 pots so the other kinda lined up close enough to pull it up.

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SlmGuy