A Gibson Les Paul Tribute came in with a sticking pickup selector, a loose jack, and an order for 10s in place of 8s. The switch was pulled, bent back, cleaned and lubed; the guitar was set up for the heavier strings. An hour and a half.
- Instrument
- Gibson Les Paul Tribute
- Tech
- Dave Eastwood
- Customer complaint
- Setup, sticking switch, change from 8s to 10s
- String gauge
- 8s to 10s
- Diagnosis
- Selector switch sticking and not working properly; jack loose; guitar dirty; truss rod, bridge and tailpiece height and intonation all needed resetting for 10s
- Work performed
- Cleaned; jack tightened; switch removed, sticking piece bent back, contacts cleaned, mechanism lubed; truss rod, tailpiece and bridge height, intonation set
- Parts
- None
- Bench time
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- Outcome
- Switch works; plays better on 10s than it did on 8s
What Came In
A Gibson Les Paul Tribute. The owner wanted to go from 8s to 10s, a setup to match, and the three-way selector had started sticking.
What We Found
The selector switch was sticking and not working properly. The guitar needed cleaning and the output jack needed tightening. Going from 8s to 10s meant the truss rod, the bridge and tailpiece height and the intonation all had to be reset.
What We Did
Cleaned the guitar and tightened the jack. Removed the three-way toggle, bent the sticking piece back into position, cleaned the contacts and lubed the mechanism. Adjusted the truss rod, brought the tailpiece and bridge to height together, and set the intonation for the 10s. About an hour and a half on the bench.
Result
The switch works again and the guitar plays better on 10s than it did on 8s.
Does a sticking pickup selector mean a new switch?
Usually not. On this one the sticking was mechanical: a contact inside had bent and stopped seating, and cleaning and reseating it brought the switch back. A new switch is the fix when the contacts are worn through, not the first thing to try.
Related
- The Repair Vault
- Guitar Repair at Paul's Guitar Hideout
- When to Change Your Guitar Strings, and How to Know
- Gibson Flying V: Cleaning, Uneven Nut and Saddles, Setup for 10s
- Ibanez Roadstar II: Corroded Electronics and a Jump from 8s to 10s
Bring It In
Selector that sticks, or a gauge jump that needs the setup to go with it? Both were handled in one drop-off here. Guitar repair at the Hideout.
Paul's Guitar Hideout is located at The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, NY. Use the Cooper Street entrance and take the stairs up. If stairs are difficult or you're bringing in something you don't want to carry up, call or text us and we'll arrange access.
The Shirt Factory
71 Lawrence St., Suite 201B, 2nd Floor
Glens Falls, NY 12801
Wednesday–Sunday, 12–5 PM
(518) 217-8695 · info@paulsguitarhideout.com