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Topic: Another New yorker in need of TLC |
Kelvin Monaghan
From:
Victoria, Australia
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Posted 10 Jun 2010 2:15 am |
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| Just received a 100% original New Yorker in need of lots of TLC to get it back to working condition.The switch and Volume pot are both frozen.There is no output at all but I am not too surprised.Running a screwdriver over the 14th and 17th fret gives a strong magnetic pull so a least the magnets are ok.Serial number at the end of the headstock is C or B 244x probably 37 or 38 I guess.Today I opened her up ,the fretboard is one piece and holds the pickup and lifted off easily,it's not split like some photos I have seen and looks like celluloid nicely yellowed but looks fragile.Inside never been opened the switch is covered in a shielded paper lots of white powder looks like oxidation not sure from where and the solder joints on the switch also badly oxidised the hidden pickups are covered in a shielded foil of some description glued down, the top of the pickups have rust on them..Looks like lots of work in front of me.Maybe someone can can chime in and give me some clues on how to unstick the frozen parts I know Fred is rather an expert on these old beauties.68 is written in pencil under the fretboard.Cheers Kelvin |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 10 Jun 2010 12:12 pm
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Kelvin,
I don't have any experience with restoring such an instrument myself, but Alan Brookes has done an amazing job restoring his New Yorker as described in this previous thread. He'd probably be most qualified to help you out.
Photos of the guitar would be very helpful in determining the extent of the restoration needed.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Fred Kinbom
From:
Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.
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Posted 11 Jun 2010 1:18 am
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Kelvin,
Check out this thread about a 1937 New Yorker (which should be a similar model to the one you have) that arrived mute with a frozen selector switch. The story had a happy ending thanks to good advice from forum members and most importantly the generous help of Basil who fixed what I could not fix myself.
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=132669
Like Brad wrote, please post some photos of your New Yorker and its electronics - it makes it a lot easier for the electronics experts on here to give you advice.
Good luck!
Fred
_________________
www.fredrikkinbom.com - New lap steel album out now - listen here: fredrikkinbom.bandcamp.com/album/songs-for-lap-steel-and-harmonium |
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Kelvin Monaghan
From:
Victoria, Australia
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Posted 11 Jun 2010 1:38 am
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| Thanks guys will get some photos up this weekend.Fred mine looks identical to your 37.After opening her up and pulling aside all the shielding I found lots of oxidisation on all the shielded leads and solder joints ,the white powder is oxidisation from the underside of the back blade pickup.The switch contacts are like new but the main shaft is frozen due once again to oxidisation I will sit back and consider how to approach the situation.Also the screw in the Volume bakelite knob is rusted in now thats a real hassel have to try and drill it out and re tap I guess.Kelvin |
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Kelvin Monaghan
From:
Victoria, Australia
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Posted 11 Jun 2010 2:06 am
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Some photos of C244x New Yorker.The Pics show the oxidisation I referred to any help or ideas would be very appreciated.Cheers Kelvin
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Kelvin Monaghan
From:
Victoria, Australia
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Posted 13 Jun 2010 10:47 pm
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Well I managed to get the frozen pot up and working and by using a tuning fork and bypassing the switch found all pickups giving a strong signal even the old caps are ok.Big problem though in trying to free up the frozen switch the rusted shaft snapped off,can anyone help with finding a replacement, photos below,maybe someone has one sitting around I am trying to keep this old girl as original as possible. Cheers Kelvin
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 14 Jun 2010 6:34 am
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Finding another leaf-type switch like that may be a real problem, but maybe a more modern multi-pole rotary switch might be made to work.
Another idea may be to disassemble the leaves in that switch and clean & polish them individually to restore it.
Hard to imagine why anyone would let a New Yorker, which is one of the best looking guitars ever, get into that condition. Really makes ya wonder don't it... |
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Ron Simpson
From:
Illinois, USA
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Kelvin Monaghan
From:
Victoria, Australia
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Posted 14 Jun 2010 11:43 pm
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| After searching the net it seems like a very long shot to find an original switch.I have a 3 way 4 pole rotary in my bin which will work so will go with that until such time I may find a leaf style one.By the way normal guitar pickup selectors dont work this one needs multiple poles to select the various combinations.Bill the problem is not the leafs themselves they are fine the problem is the main shaft for the switch snapped off.Next question can someone tell me the correct pickup combinations for the Hawaiian,Chimes,Harp setting I think I have it right but would like to make sure before wiring up. Cheers Kelvin |
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Fred Kinbom
From:
Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.
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Posted 15 Jun 2010 2:35 am
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Kelvin,
Here is what Basil wrote in the thread I linked to above after fixing my 1937 New Yorker:
| basilh wrote: |
If you try to measure the DC resistance with a multimeter you won't get a reading in the first switch position because the pickups underneath the fretboard are feeding the signal THROUGH the capacitors, (Which incidentally had dry joints) I re-soldered them and cleaned the switch contacts with a diamond faced spatula. I kept ALL of the original wiring, just remade the joints that were suspect and cleaned the volume pot.
Switch position:-
1 = the fretboard pickups
2 = the bridge pickup and
3 = the bridge and the bass side of the fretboard pickups.
That's the ORIGINAL way the switch is wired. |
Hope that helps!
Fred
_________________
www.fredrikkinbom.com - New lap steel album out now - listen here: fredrikkinbom.bandcamp.com/album/songs-for-lap-steel-and-harmonium |
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Kelvin Monaghan
From:
Victoria, Australia
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Posted 15 Jun 2010 2:50 am
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| Thanks Fred I had thought that's how it was but wasn't sure of the No 2 position I thought the bridge pickup may have had some other combination added.By the way I got into New Yorkers after seeing and hearing your videos,I love these laps,pity about my switch oh well.Cheers Kelvin |
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Kelvin Monaghan
From:
Victoria, Australia
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Posted 15 Jun 2010 2:51 am
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| Thanks Fred I had thought that's how it was but wasn't sure of the No 2 position I thought the bridge pickup may have had some other combination added.By the way I got into New Yorkers after seeing and hearing your videos,I love these laps,pity about my switch oh well.Cheers Kelvin |
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