Dillon Mandolin re-wire?

[Tavy]

Has anyone attempted to disassemble a Dillon electric mandolin?

I have one for rewiring / new pickup fitting and I can't for the life of me figure out how to access the pots. I had naively assumed that the pots would just about slip out through the F-holes, but no joy. Indeed as one is a rather large push-pull pot I can't see how it would ever come out

Is it at all conceivable that the electrics are fitted prior to the top going on and finishing? I can't imagine that would be the case but at present I can't see how else the parts could be got inside there!

Thanks in advance, John.

[Marty Jacobson]

Which one is it? If it's the ES-335 shaped one, they probably installed it all through the pickup cavity. I use a piece of vinyl tubing to do this kind of thing. I push the tubing through the hole for the pot, find it through the F-hole or other access point, then jam the pot into the tubing, which can then pull it into place. Fun times.

[Tavy]

Which one is it? If it's the ES-335 shaped one, they probably installed it all through the pickup cavity. I use a piece of vinyl tubing to do this kind of thing. I push the tubing through the hole for the pot, find it through the F-hole or other access point, then jam the pot into the tubing, which can then pull it into place. Fun times.

Thanks Marty - but it wasn't done that way - there's just a small hole (pickup wire sized) connecting the pickup cavity to the switch cavity.

Since I posted, I've managed to wriggle the volume pot out by disconnecting a few things in-situ, and that may be enough to do what I need. The push-pull tone pot though I see no way out for!

[Marty Jacobson]

Thanks Marty - but it wasn't done that way - there's just a small hole (pickup wire sized) connecting the pickup cavity to the switch cavity.

Since I posted, I've managed to wriggle the volume pot out by disconnecting a few things in-situ, and that may be enough to do what I need. The push-pull tone pot though I see no way out for!

They got it in there some how, and you're probably smarter than whoever put it in there. I don't think the finish guys would like to deal with electronics inside when they're finishing, so I doubt that's how it went in.

[Tavy]

They got it in there some how, and you're probably smarter than whoever put it in there.

LOL, maybe, but getting a ship out of a bottle is harder than putting it in

I don't think the finish guys would like to deal with electronics inside when they're finishing, so I doubt that's how it went in.

I'm sure that's true. In any case I managed to extract enough to do what was needed. Still don't know how they got that push-pull pot in there though!

[pops1]

In any case I managed to extract enough to do what was needed. Still don't know how they got that push-pull pot in there though!

A little pushing and some pulling........

[Marty Jacobson]

A little pushing and some pulling........

And maybe a bit of pot?

[pops1]

Well I'm glad we finally got that figured out.