The Electra Forums

I bought a MPC that has been gutted, so I need the 150K pots, the sockets, and the colored wires connecting them. I have the toggle switches. This is a betts model, so I don't need the 5-way rotary. But because it is a Betts model, I do need the flatter top black 3 way toggle switch tip that electras/westones used.

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Thorny

One of the blokes on the Westone forums made some for me at very reasonable cost.... you want me to ask him? These are what we call the barrel tips, yes; parallel sides and a flat top?

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"... and on the eighth day, God created New Zealanders.

Because even the Australians need heroes."

Yeah, that is what I need! Thanks, let me know. I thought about trying to make one from shaping on a regular tip, but it just does not look right. A good repro would be fine.

I really don't want to rob the parts from my other working MPCs. If I have to, I could probably rig something to make the MPC parts too, but I'd rather get the real thing on those. Also, I had one of the mini-paddle DPDT switches bent and it snapped off when I tried to straighten it so now I need to find the same part.

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Thorny

envelope of stuff heading your way later today...

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My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!

Wow - the stuff just arrived today, and man, you sent me a pirates treasure of parts. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Along with the parts that I have found I think I have what I need to make this project work now, with the exception of the brackets to install the sockets for the modules. So I will either make those out of a piece of metal, bend it into somewhat of a "P" shape, and place over the ends of the sockets and mount each bracket with a screw - that would be 3 brackets. Or I could possibly drill holes in the ends of the sockets and mount with a screw through the hole (if there is room to do so). Last time I did anything like this I made the brackets.

I found 150K pots! That has been the hardest thing traditionally to find for me. And the three way switch knob I found a chinese company on ebay that sells a metal knobs is chrome, gold, or black that look a LOT like the black westone/electra 3 way I have been looking for. I ordered two (they were cheap enough). I actually ordered two 3-way switches from the same company that I can hold onto and use if the switch mounting is any different. These are not an exact match, but a pretty close one - these are a little more rounded on the top (not quite as flat). If I can get a better one cheap I might do that. I can always reuse these switches.

Thanks again man! You are awesome. The Betts will live again as it once was - with everything looking right and functioning as it is supposed to be.

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Thorny

Hey guys, I just posted a couple pics of it in the repair section - it turned out nicely. I still need to test and tweak a few things but we are pretty well there!

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Thorny

Rats, sorry, John... I got tied up at a sporting event over the last fortnight and clean forgot about the switch tip! My apologies...

I see you've made one anyway and ordered a couple; could you share the link for those that you ordered, please??

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"... and on the eighth day, God created New Zealanders.

Because even the Australians need heroes."

No problem man, I appreciate all your help you have been and continue to be.

I need to explain what I ordered, so you won't get a wrong impression of what it is. These are black metal 3-way switch tips from China I ordered off of ebay. The threads on the chinese switches and the japanese small box 3 way switches may be different as some switch tips you get now seem to have larger holes than the old electra ones. You can use something as a filler if you need to do so. Either way, I don't know exactly what these will look like and if they will fit until I get them in. I also had a heck of a time finding the order - I looked in ebay on my records and could not find it at all. I had to look through my confirmations on my emails to find it.

Here is the link - I hope it works for you.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/301279233799

Now the shape is pretty close, but the picture does not particularly look black. But they have gold and chrome versions that definitely look gold and chrome, so I am making an assumption that the black looks good, and not like the color in the pic.

The company does sell a nice 3-way switch for a little bit more - it is metric but looks like the smaller switchcraft type as used in a Les Paul. It should be a better quality switch than the real thing. I am sure the threads on it will match because they sell it. But the one I actually have on it in the picture is a regular import LP style, that I shaved down and polished. It looks pretty good for now. So in a pinch, carving your own can be a possibility. It was a lot of work for a piece of plastic though. It isn't the real thing. But it is closer than I was before, so that will do for now. I won't spend $35 to get one off of ebay. It just isn't that important to me at this moment.

I may report back when I get the metal switch tips in.

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Thorny

Yep; link works just fine, thank you!

They look OK, don't they?! A quick run with a Dremel or a file across the domed top and she'll be close enough I reckon! And yeah; $35 for a genuine tip off the bay?? Ahh, I don't think so!

The colour is probably the 'new' Cosmo black rather than the old black chrome??

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"... and on the eighth day, God created New Zealanders.

Because even the Australians need heroes."

If interested, I will report back when I get the part in. I have no idea when I will get it. Stuff from China is funny. Sometimes I get it really quickly - I mean in a week or so (that seems pretty quickly coming all the way from China). But other times it can take over a month. So I will never know. We will see what the color really looks like when it arrives, and if it will fit. My guess is the hole in the metal tip is too large for the threads on the westone/electra switch. There are at least two import sizes. That company sells both styles of switches I think. So time will tell. I can report back or you can always "ping" me to find out later if I forget. It might be a few weeks yet, it might be tomorrow - I don't know. I did get some parts I ordered right around the same time today - a big bunch of plastic tips - but they are the smaller import style plastic tips in black, white, and cream. I will throw them in a box and have them when stuff comes in for repair.

I'll let you know, and yell if I don't get back to you (I may forget).

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Thorny

Sweet, man!!

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"... and on the eighth day, God created New Zealanders.

Because even the Australians need heroes."

Hey man, more info! I got the black metal tip in, and it is a lot like you said - sort of a black chrome color. Then there are the threads - they are for a larger hole three way switch than came in the electras/westones. It seems that MOST of the replacement switch tips I get in now ARE larger. If fact, they there seems to be 3 or 4 sizes around here on my guitars and I guess I never really paid them much attention. I have a 3-way metric version of the gibson style switch and I think it fits that (not gibson). The gibson style feels like it will fit, but the threads must be different. So I will say it fits a metric gibson style 3-way switch. To use on a vintage electra, you'd have to put some kind of filler in it (glue, epoxy or silicone type stuff would all work). It should work find that way. Just if you use super glue as a filler it might be best to line the inside of the threads of the tip and let it dry off the guitar. Then use a slightly finer drill bit to make drill the hole then thread it on your guitar. I will say it fits my new 2013 model electra omega perfectly, and here is picture of it.




I also got my generic black switch tips and cream plastic switch tips in and decided to try to carve on those, and after some trial and error I have a routine down now to where I can get really close to the original tip. I use a dremel with a cutoff wheel and grind the tip flatter (a mounted belt sander would be better, my buddy has one, but I don't). Then I used a hand sander with some moderate sand paper to flatten. Next I used 1000 grit paper, then 2000 grit, then used a plastic polish (like you use to clean headlight lenses). After all that I get pretty close. I also ruined several tips learning how to do it. And frankly it is a heck of a lot of work, although I got the time down a lot after doing a few. They aren't perfect, but they are darned close. Once on the guitar I don't think anyone would would think it wasn't a correct tip unless they put them next to each other like below. Oh yeah, I did have to fill the holes a little so they would fit the electra switch. But where are you going to get these besides pulled off another guitar? And there are a lot more Electras and Westones missing them than there are spares for sale. And I can make them for different styles of replacement switches too. So have a replacement switch and want a electra/westone style tip, you can do it this way. And you'd be REALLY HARD PRESSED to find a cream colored one, there just weren't many made. So I can make them now. So can you doing the same method. Sure are a lot of work though. I must be nuts. But I did some crude attempts at this earlier, and now they are MUCH BETTER. Different brands of tips are slightly different shapes too, and some of the larger tips have the hole extend into the round top, so if you "flatten" one of those you can easily get an exposed round hole in the top and have to throw it away. It is pretty easy to do that anyway, so that is why I ruined several. It takes practice (at least it did for me).

Left were the real deal, middle are some of my copies made from regular switch tips, and to the right is the metal tip I got from ebay (link I sent earlier).



When you look at them next to each other, the real deal is a little thinner. But replacement switches are thicker and the threads go in a little deeper. Any deeper on these and I'd have a hole exposed on the top (I know since I ruined several of them doing that). The height is pretty close. I confess my fingers are sore from doing some of these. I worked a LOT with the tips of my fingers. They are not blistered but sort of feel like I got close to that point.

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Thorny