thomann harley benton User manual

Electric Guitar Kit DC Style
do it yourself kit
user manual

Thomann GmbH
Hans-Thomann-Straße 1
96138 Burgebrach
Germany
Telephone: [phone]
Internet: www.thomann.de
20.01.2022, ID: 255975 (V2)

Table of contents
1 Safety instructions................................................................................................................. 4
2 Scope of delivery..................................................................................................................... 5
3 Assembly instructions.......................................................................................................... 6
3.1 Painting body and neck................................................................................................ 6
3.2 Mounting the machine head...................................................................................... 7
3.3 Mounting the guitar neck............................................................................................ 9
3.4 Wiring pots, pick-ups and switch............................................................................ 11
3.5 Mounting the pickguard............................................................................................ 18
3.6 Mounting the tailpiece and bridge........................................................................ 19
3.7 Mounting the potentiometer knobs and strap buttons................................. 20
3.8 Strings, neck relief and the position of the strings........................................... 22
4 Protecting the environment........................................................................................... 26
Table of contents
Electric Guitar Kit DC Style
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1 Safety instructions
DANGER!
Danger for children
Ensure that plastic bags, packaging, etc. are properly disposed of and
are not in the reach of babies and young children. Choking hazard!
Ensure that children do not detach any small parts (e.g. knobs or the
like) from the product. They could swallow the pieces and choke!
Never let children play unattended with the product.
CAUTION!
Risk of injury to the hands
When assembling and screwing the individual parts, pay attention to
sharp edges on tools, screws and components.
Safety instructions
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2 Scope of delivery
Thank you for buying this guitar assembly kit. All wooden parts, hardware and elec‐
trical components are contained in this package.
The picture below shows the individual items included in the delivery.
The assembly is described in detail in the following sections.
Scope of delivery
Electric Guitar Kit DC Style
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3 Assembly instructions
Provide the following tools and materials for the assembly of the guitar:
nPhillips screwdriver
nRubber mallet
nRing wrench
nPliers
nVarnish and accessories
nSandpaper
Body and neck should by all means be painted before assembly.
When applying spray lacquer or paint, you must wear a dust mask.
3.1 Painting body and neck
The solid wood of the guitar body is sealed and prepared for various types of lacquer
coating. A wide variety of nishes can be procured from DIY, timber and automotive
outlets in aerosol cans making nishing straightforward without requiring specialist
skills.
The rst step is to check the t of the body to the neck joint. These components are
machined from high-grade tonewoods to ensure optimum alignment. Since wood is
a natural material, however, its shape changes slightly over time. If the t is too tight,
you can adjust it using a sharp chisel or sandpaper. Please remember that the addi‐
tional lacquer coat will make the neck t a little more tightly into the cutout.
Before coating the body, ensure that all surfaces are clean and free of dirt and dust.
Carry out all painting operations in a well-ventilated, dust-free environment. Consid‐
ered and careful working is a key factor for a qualitatively satisfactory result. It is
highly recommended that you rst try out the colour and technique on another
piece of wood.
Paint the body edges rst and let them dry. If the edges are dry, go on with front and
back side. By layered, successive application you can achieve a uniform coating struc‐
ture. If you notice surface irregularities, wait until the paint has dried completely and
correct them with ne sandpaper (e.g. 800+) before proceeding to paint. For full cov‐
erage apply three or more layers.
Wait another two to three days to dry until the paint is fully cured. Polish or burnish
the body until it meets your expectations. Take care not to bu too vigorously as this
may remove the nish.
Useful tools and materials
Painting the body
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The guitar neck is sealed with a thin layer of matt lacquer before delivery and is ready
to use. If you still want to treat the neck with coloured or clear lacquer, proceed as
follows.
Carefully mask o the ngerboard and all frets before painting. Make sure that all sur‐
faces are free of dust and dirt. Carry out all painting operations in a well-ventilated,
dust-free environment.
For the neck, use a clear or slightly tinted wood paint of good quality. Start on the
front and at the edges of the headstock. Apply a thin layer evenly, let it dry and
repeat the process two or three times. If you notice surface irregularities, wait until
the paint has dried completely and correct them with ne sandpaper (e.g. 800+)
before proceeding to paint.
Once the headstock has dried, place the neck on the ngerboard and paint the back
of the neck as described.
Wait another two to three days to dry until the paint is fully cured. Polish or burnish
the neck until it meets your expectations. Take care not to bu too vigorously as this
may remove the nish.
3.2 Mounting the machine head
Insert the four machine heads from the rear side of the headstock into the bores.
Align the machine heads so that the tuning pegs are perpendicular to the top of the
headstock.
Fix the machine heads as shown in the gure in this position hand-tight with the sup‐
plied screws.
Neck nish
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Turn the neck and fasten all the machine heads nger-tight to the front of the head‐
stock with the washers and nuts provided.
Tighten the nuts on the front with an appropriate spanner, then tighten the screws
on the back rmly to fasten the tuners.
Assembly instructions
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3.3 Mounting the guitar neck
Place the body on a suitable work surface. Use a soft pad in order to avoid damage to
the surface. Insert the neck into the neck cutout. If necessary, use a sharp chisel or
sandpaper to adjust it. Be very careful when removing material. The neck should be
tight and never have too much clearance in the cutout!
Assembly instructions
Electric Guitar Kit DC Style
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Turn the guitar over, position the mounting plate over the four screw holes on the
back of the body and screw the four supplied long wood screws through the holes in
the mounting plate into the body and neck until the connection is rm.
Assembly instructions
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3.4 Wiring pots, pick-ups and switch
The pickups, potentiometer and jack socket are wired using connectors.
Thread the cable for the string earthing (after stripping the insulation, and without
the connector) through the channel from the opening in the back into the hole to
fasten the tailpiece.
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Pull the cable far enough out of the hole that there will be sucient contact with the
metallic surface when the tailpiece is installed. Earthing the strings reduces noise
(humming).
Then insert the potentiometers into the opening in the back as shown and wire the
potentiometers to the switch. Guide the switch from the back of the body com‐
pletely into the opening provided for it.
Assembly instructions
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Screw the potentiometers nger-tight to the body surface with a washer and a hex
nut each.
Screw the switch to the body surface with the plastic cover provided, a washer and a
hex nut. The neck pickup is generally activated with the switch in the upper position,
and the bridge pickup in the lower position. This conguration can be changed at
any time simply by swapping the two connectors.
Assembly instructions
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Tighten the hex nuts of the potentiometers onto the body surface using an appro‐
priate ring spanner until the potentiometer housings can no longer be turned.
Insert the output jack into the hole provided on the edge of the body. Guide the con‐
nector cable through the channel into the opening in the back for the electronic and
plug in both connectors.
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Set the holder for the output jack in place and check whether the jack protrudes. It
should stick out over the holder enough that it can be screwed rmly in place with
the nut provided, but no further than necessary. Correct the position if necessary by
turning the counter nut inside appropriately.
Then screw the output jack holder onto the body.
Assembly instructions
Electric Guitar Kit DC Style
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Thread the pickup cables through the channels from the front opening into the back
opening. The neck pickup is somewhat atter and is inserted into the opening nearer
the neck of the guitar. Insert the somewhat taller bridge pickup into the opening
closer to the bridge.
Fasten both pickups into their openings using the screws provided.
Assembly instructions
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Connect the plugs to the potentiometers: The upper tone and volume potentiome‐
ters are generally connected to the neck pickup, and the lower tone and volume
potentiometers to the bridge pickup.
Then screw the plastic cover for the regulator and switch openings into place by
inserting the screws provided into the pre-drilled holes on the back of the body.
Assembly instructions
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3.5 Mounting the pickguard
Screw the pickguard onto the body using the screws provided as shown in the pic‐
ture below.
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3.6 Mounting the tailpiece and bridge
Use a rubber mallet to drive the bolt fasteners for the tailpiece and bridge into the
body as shown. Be sure there is sucient contact between the stripped end of the
earthing wire and the bolt for the tailpiece.
Assembly instructions
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Place the tailpiece and the bridge on the fastening bolts. These two components are
still loose, and will only be fastened when you string the guitar.
3.7 Mounting the potentiometer knobs and strap buttons
Push the knobs onto the shafts of the individual potentiometers.
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