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3365 Views 5 Replies Latest reply: Jul 5, 2009 3:43 PM by Matt_G RSS
Matt_G Just Startin'
Matt_G
12 posts since
Aug 16, 2008
Currently Being Moderated

Jun 30, 2009 10:06 AM

Variax 300 transplant ... desoldering pots from board

Hi Folks -

 

I've ordered a LP style body copy that I am planning on doing a variax transplant to at some point.

 

I've been surfing the forums for a while about this and everyone seems to prefer a variax 500 over a 300 for transplant due to the flexibility of the pots being not connected to a board.

 

But, 500's seem to be in short supply lately. In fact, as of right now, there is only one listed on ebay, and priced nearly as much as I paid for my 600. (Yeah, I have a vax already, but not keen on hacking it apart for my first transplant)

 

So, for the 300, how difficult is it to desolder the pots from that board?  I've seen some photos of the electronics and I can't tell from those how it would be done.

 

What would be AWESOME is if someone had a video or at least some photos of the actual process...  Or at least a little step by step explanation for us electronics noobs?

 

Thanks for any help here folks!

 

Matt

  • rublalup Just Startin'
    rublalup
    97 posts since
    Jan 4, 2008
    Currently Being Moderated
    Jun 30, 2009 11:14 AM (in response to Matt_G)
    Re: Variax 300 transplant ... desoldering pots from board

    hi,

     

    i have no experience with variax pcb but if its like any other pcb munted pots it would not be very difficult to desolder the pots and reconnect them with wire. Just buy some desolder braid and flux, heat the desoldering braid and "suck" the solder (putting some flux on the joints may help the process). then just make the conections between pcb and pot with wire (make a schem before desoldering)

     

    cheers

  • chrisblackwell Just Startin'
    chrisblackwell
    260 posts since
    Apr 5, 2008
    Currently Being Moderated
    Jun 30, 2009 6:54 PM (in response to Matt_G)
    Re: Variax 300 transplant ... desoldering pots from board

    there are other options to using the same pots that are on the board...  the pots are "B10K", which means linear taper 10K...  these are pretty standard pots, just not for guitar...  both marshall and mesa boogie (and i assume a bunch of other amp manufacturers) use these pots in thier amps...  they can be ordered from just about any company that provides amp parts...  be aware that the volume pot is a dual gang (i think...  either the volume or the tone, but i'm pretty sure it's the volume), but these are also quite common and can also be ordered easily...

     

    also, there are places that make custom pots...  custom pots are handy if you plan on using the same knob to control both the variax electronics and your mag pickups (not sure if you're planning on having mag pickups in your transplant)...  you can order a dual gang with one pot being a B10K and the other being a standard guitar 500k or 250k log taper pot, both controlled by the same shaft...  you can even get push/pull switches on them...  http://www.potentiometers.com/select_custom.cfm i've had some correspondance with the president (i think?) of this company and he told me that he actually does alot of stuff for custom guitar guys and he seems pretty easy to deal with...  the pots are quite a bit more expensive than your run of the mill potentiometer, but if you think of the advantages they offer to a variax transplant (which is not the run of the mill guitar modification), i think it's pretty reasonable...  this company normally does big quantaties, so ordering just one or two pots is going to be expensive, but they will do it (unlike alot of other custom electronics manufacturers)...  the pots i was enquiring about were starting to approach $100...   way more expensive than your typical pot, but not necessarily out of reach...

     

    also, thanks for joining the variax transplant group...  http://line6.com/community/groups/variax-transplants if anybody who reads this wants to join

    • Matt_G Just Startin'
      Matt_G
      12 posts since
      Aug 16, 2008
      Currently Being Moderated
      Jul 1, 2009 9:17 AM (in response to chrisblackwell)
      Re: Variax 300 transplant ... desoldering pots from board

      Thanks guys! It's probably gonna end up being a 300 then...

       

      Chris, you lost me at "linear taper 10K..."

       

      But you piqued my interest as well. Yeah, I'm planning on mag pickups as well as the vax modelling, and want to use the same volume/tone pots for both. I was thinking that the regular pots in the LP harness would work for that (or swapping out two of them for the vax pots), but being the electronics (and guitar building) noob that I am, I fully admit to gross ignorance about that.

       

      Can you point me to an actual product link for a pot that would work for that? I've looked at some pot manufacturer sites but usually there are many options and it isn't clear to someone like me which is the product needed. Actually, re-reading your post, are you saying that a dual control pot *must* be custom made?

       

      Also, I've seen some folks talking about the push/pull pots, but I'm not clear on what the application would be. Can you give a couple examples of how that would benefit a vax transplant?  Could you maybe do a push/pull on the volume pot, for example, to switch between mag/vax pups intead of using a toggle?

       

      For my personal project, I've got this LP copy ordered (possibly arriving today?) and was planning a transplant along the following lines:

       

      1. Mag pickups + tune-o-matic piezo bridge

      2. 4 knob LP style harness

      3. Using the LP 3 way toggle as normal to switch between the mag pickups

      4. Adding a 2 way toggle to switch between mag and vax pups

      5. Adding 2 new knobs... the vax model selector knob and a 5 way rotary (to replace the vax 5-way switch)... not sure if the rotary is possible? But I found "this"...

       

      Any other insights, suggestions, or sage advice would be most welcome.

       

      Oh, and btw, I didn't find the variax transplant group until after I posted this. Would be cool if this discussion could somehow be moved over there.

       

      Matt

      • chrisblackwell Just Startin'
        chrisblackwell
        260 posts since
        Apr 5, 2008
        Currently Being Moderated
        Jul 3, 2009 9:04 PM (in response to Matt_G)
        Re: Variax 300 transplant ... desoldering pots from board

        ya, gibson guitars are a little different to do transplants to...  it all depends on how you want to go with the pickup switching...  i have an ES-339 that i love, and i really want to do a transplant into it but i don't want to ruin the guitar's classic looks...  i don't want to add a 5-way switch or too many additional knobs and/or rotary knobs...  so i've been looking everywhere for a switch that looks similar to a gibson-style 3-way but functions like a 5-way switch...  haven't found one yet...

         

        but if you're already fine with having the 5-way pickup selector, it just makes it that much easier...  ulimately, you won't need your 3-way pickup selector either, since you can use the 5-way to control your mag pickups as well as the variax...  the hole where the 3-way would go you could use for the model select knob maybe...

         

        as far as those custom pots, no, i couldn't really direct you to one particular product page because there's so many different options for these pots...  different shaft sizes and lengths and different things...  you have to figure out what you want and fill out this big complicated form with codes and whatnot...  when i talked to the guy there he recommended a certain series to me (can't remember which one), because of all of them it's the smallest size lengthwise, because every module adds length to the pot...  so for the volume knob, the variax volume is dual gang, which is two modules there, plus another module for the mag volume pot, plus more if you want switches too...  they have to be able to fit in the guitar, so the smaller the better...

         

        other than that, you'll have to figure out exactly what you want your transplant to do before you'll know exactly what you need as far as a custom pot...  the pot values are pretty straight forward (volume-10k linear x 2, 500k log; tone - 10k linear, 500k log), but as far as the push/pull switches go it all depends on how you're hooking up your mag pickups, and how you plan on outputting the variax signal...  seperate output?  VDI?  same output?  there are some interference/hum issues that still need to be worked out as far as mags and variax are concerned?  do you plan on using the variax tones mixed in with the mag tones ever?  the pots you need will depend on how you hook up the entire thing, so you won't know what pots you'll need until you've figured out what you want and design the whole thing on paper...

        • Matt_G Just Startin'
          Matt_G
          12 posts since
          Aug 16, 2008
          Currently Being Moderated
          Jul 5, 2009 3:43 PM (in response to chrisblackwell)
          Re: Variax 300 transplant ... desoldering pots from board

          Thanks Chris.  I've got a pretty good idea of how I want to have it set up, but need to think on it a little more and get some diagrams together.  I'd like it to look as close to the LP "feel" as possible, while giving it as much functionality and flexibility as possible.

           

          Plus, I haven't yet gotten a variax donor.

           

          Once I get some diagrams made up I'll start a new thread in the vax transplant group.

           

          In the meantime, here's the guitar I want to do the transplant into. All the parts just came in a couple days ago and I somehow managed to get it actually working!

           

          lpcopy_vax.jpg

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