Retrofit K&K+Lyric into Taylor ES

[rschultz]

Originally Posted by joeguam

Next step is to install the pure mini transducers then resolder the pots up to the upperbout. Not sure when I'll get this all done, leaving for a weekend trip to Australia for my 1-year anniversary this Thursday!

Oh, you've got big problems. 1 year anniversary... 1/2 baked guitar project... 1 year anniversary... unfinished guitar project... so conflicted. My advice, hire a hypnotist to help you forget about your Taylor ES/K&K love child so you can focus on your wife! You don't want to get caught daydreaming about it while your wife is in conversation with you...

<congrats on the anniversary!>

[joeguam]

Originally Posted by rschultz

Oh, you've got big problems. 1 year anniversary... 1/2 baked guitar project... 1 year anniversary... unfinished guitar project... so conflicted. My advice, hire a hypnotist to help you forget about your Taylor ES/K&K love child so you can focus on your wife! You don't want to get caught daydreaming about it while your wife is in conversation with you...

<congrats on the anniversary!>

Haha! Thanks! When we get on that plane to Australia, we are signing off from the world!!! No internet, no cellular data plan, no concern of anything at home...and dare I say it...no AGF! But we'll see, I still have a couple of days before we go.

[joeguam]

Got the pure mini installed tonight, this was actually the easiest and smoothest pure mini install I've done to date. I've done this install about 10 times now, and I finally feel super comfortable about it.



Once lesson learned is that you can't install the Lyric before the pure mini as it gets in the way of the jig. So I pulled the Lyric off, good thing it's only double-stick tape. Replaced the tape and put it back on.

Next step is to start pulling the pots off the circuit board.

[rschultz]

Originally Posted by joeguam

Haha! Thanks! When we get on that plane to Australia, we are signing off from the world!!! No internet, no cellular data plan, no concern of anything at home...and dare I say it...no AGF! But we'll see, I still have a couple of days before we go.

No AGF! Nooooooooooooo

[jonfields45]

The two main bolt holes through the neck block don't look like Taylor perfection. Is this common??? Jon

[joeguam]

Originally Posted by jonfields45

The two main bolt holes through the neck block don't look like Taylor perfection. Is this common??? Jon

I thought so myself, but there was no way to know this as it was covered with a Taylor sticker when I bought it. Oh well, it works perfectly, and no one will ever really see it.

[rschultz]

Joe,

You are starting with the 9V version of the ES. Any thoughts on doing something similar to the AA version?

I'd like to know how to do a K&K / Lyric upgrade to an ES 1.1, and still use the 3 pots on the side.

Ryan

[joeguam]

Originally Posted by rschultz

Joe,

You are starting with the 9V version of the ES. Any thoughts on doing something similar to the AA version?

I'd like to know how to do a K&K / Lyric upgrade to an ES 1.1, and still use the 3 pots on the side.

Ryan

Ryan, it's my understanding that the framing cavity (the overall oval shape) for the ES is the same for both the AA/9V versions. Maybe TruPlug can verify this if you call them, because Taylor wasn't too helpful with info for customizations. With that being said, the only difference would be the thru-routing cavity that accepts the battery housing. Here's another picture I found on AGF of the AA cavity:



Comparing this to my 9V picture:



...you could easily widen the thru-routing cavity for the battery housing with a wood file or rasp. If you have a router it would be easier, but it's not necessary IMO. I'd have to do some fitting to accurately say, but you might have to fill the old pilot holes for the mounting screws and relocate them, but that's a pretty simple task as well using a small dowel and wood glue.

Ultimately, if Taylor can do it, it's possible. Personally, I hate the sound of the ES, but absolutely love the ingenuity of Taylor's endblock assembly. For a gigging musician, changing the battery of an ES is a 10-second task.

I'd start will calling TruPlug and picking their brain on the differences between the cavities between the two versions. They would give you the best info.

[joeguam]

One more thing, you can get the 9V endblock assembly here:
http://www.dannyd.com/taylor-guitar-...v-battery-box/

[rschultz]

Originally Posted by joeguam

One more thing, you can get the 9V endblock assembly here:
http://www.dannyd.com/taylor-guitar-...v-battery-box/

This is an interesting option. If I did this endblock upgrade to an ES 1.1, could I somehow use the 3 pots to control something? Even just the volume control. Can the pots be used without the preamp? Or can the 1.1 preamp be used with 9V?

It's still not clear to me how you are using the 3 pots. Your previous thread says you made your own pots... are you doing the same thing here? The original 3 pots are removed?

[joeguam]

Originally Posted by rschultz

It's still not clear to me how you are using the 3 pots. Your previous thread says you made your own pots... are you doing the same thing here? The original 3 pots are removed?

In the previous thread, I provided the link and model nos. of the pots that I used. I did not reuse the Taylor pots because they're were of the same ohmic value. The K&K ultra needs 10K linear pots for the volume and mids, and 100K linear pots for the bass and trebles.

[joeguam]

I've started to do the soldering work in preparation of the pots arriving in the mail. Here I unsoldered the battery tray as I'll be using the ES battery housing.





I accidentally ripped off this capacitor, but no worries, just solder it back together.

[joeguam]

One thing good to note is that both the Lyric and the Ultra preamps have a TRSS jack (4-terminals). The second sleeve is used as the switch to close the circuit and power on the preamp. When you insert a normal TRS or TS jack, it shorts the second sleeve to the ground/sleeve and closes the circuit.

[joeguam]

Now onto the steps to pull the screwdriver pots off the circuit board. Exactly like my previous thread and the 114ce, I'll be replacing these with leads and surface mount pots that will be placed in the 3 Taylor ES holes in the upper bout.



I first us a desoldering pump to remove the excess solder from the pot terminals.



You can see there's no more excess solder on the terminal point in the corner closes to the camera in this photo. But, the pot terminals are bent over to lock it in place.



You have to heat it up to melt any solder, then use a small flathead screwdriver to stand it up.



Once all 3 points are straightened up, heat the circuit board points and gently pull them off.



Here's a shot of the circuit board with the 3 vacant points from the volume slider pot.

[joeguam]

Here's are the slider, bass, mid and treble pots all removed.



To prepare the leads, I used spare 18-gauge speaker wire. I use a drill motor to twist 3 of them together for each pot, then some heat shrink at both ends to keep them together.



Neatly tin each end.



Solder them all back into place correctly. You'll just need to heat the circuit board terminal point, then feed the lead through.



Bend each of the leads in the same direction as the pots were bent.



Secure it all with a bit of extra solder.