Need some help...

[Larson]

Hey guys, I have decided that I'm going to do a little project. I'm going to try and install some new pickups. I decided that I'm going to buy everything that is necessary such as: a new pickguard (SSS), new knobs, a wiring kit, and well obviously some new pickups.

I would like to have the cost of some new pickups be under $100 and I've been reading all about GFS pickups on these forums. I went to their website to check them out... and holy **** there are a lot of them. I mostly play rock/blues so if I were to explain the tone I'm looking for it would be a not so trebley sound. I would like to have more bass / mids. And also a crunchy sound with distortion would be key.

I hope this helps...

[melody]

The Jimmy Staggers...If there still offering them. As far as the "not so trebley sound" learn to use your tone knobs...


HTH

[Larson]

Are you talking about these?

http://store.guitarfetish.com/jrestalprpis.html

Just making sure.

[Larson]

Just ordered them. Can't wait for all of these supplies to come in.

[phantomman]

+1 on all the comments thus far. If you find the bridge pickup has too much bite, you might consider adding a steel base plate to it. Fralin offers one and it's a reasonably-priced accessory.

Best of luck

[Larson]

+1 on all the comments thus far. If you find the bridge pickup has too much bite, you might consider adding a steel base plate to it. Fralin offers one and it's a reasonably-priced accessory.

Best of luck

Thanks. If I notice the bridge pickup to be too tinny, I'll definitely consider this.

Do you guys have any tips when installing new pickups. Maybe some tips with soldering?

[melody]

Are you talking about these?

http://store.guitarfetish.com/jrestalprpis.html

Just making sure.

Yes.. My buddy put that set in a strat great sound..

[phantomman]

Do you guys have any tips when installing new pickups. Maybe some tips with soldering?

I'd recommend Weller's 40-watt soldering station with the pencil tip. Use a good quality flux and tin your leads prior to attaching.

Let us know how it turns out.

[melody]

I'd recommend Weller's 40-watt soldering station with the pencil tip. Use a good quality flux and tin your leads prior to attaching.

Let us know how it turns out.

Great advice!

[Larson]

I actually ordered this DVD off eBay which shows you how to wire a stratocaster, and the guy said to 'tin your leads' before attaching them. I saw him 'tin' the wires, but what does tinning actually do?

The guy also recommended using Rosin Core 60/40 solder. So I ordered that off eBay.

Also, I will definitely take some pictures of the project. I just ordered some copper shielding for the pickguard and pickup cavities .

Here's a list of all of the supplies that I bought:
GFS Jimi Stagger Pickups
Black Pickguard for my Blizzard Peal Guitar
White Knobs
Copper for Pickguard
Copper Shielding for Pickup Cavities
Solder


-Larson

[phantomman]

"Tinning" the leads pre-positions some solder on the wire's end which will decrease the time it takes the iron to heat the lugs on a switch (or other device) to the proper temperature, lessening the opportunity for thermal damage to the switch. Both the lug and the wire must be sufficiently heated to produce a solid kinetic bond to ensure the conductivity of the circuit. Poor bonds (known in the bidness as "cold solder joints") usually result in unwanted signal attenuation and -- periodically -- intermittent conductivity within the circuit.

The 60/40 solder is a good choice, assuming a small diameter for controllability as you apply it to the iron's tip. A can of flux and a flat nylon-bristle brush to apply it will be handy as well. The flux acts as a "primer" to attract heated solder.

You may be disappointed with the copper shielding tape......others here have reported a loss of "chime" and "sparkle" when lining the body cavity. I have no basis for an opinion although the theory behind such a potential loss is not without merit. You can always peel the tape off though, unlike those shielding paints.

Good luck an' let's see the pics when you're done.

[wingnut1]

Make sure you tin the tip of your soldering iron as well and wipe it on a wet sponge to clean it before soldering each joint. I've heard someone say that to reverse the loss of sparkle from the copper tape to reduce the size of the tone cap.

[Larson]

Make sure you tin the tip of your soldering iron as well and wipe it on a wet sponge to clean it before soldering each joint. I've heard someone say that to reverse the loss of sparkle from the copper tape to reduce the size of the tone cap.

I'm going to be putting on a .05 microfaret(sp?) tone cap on. Would you recommend getting a smaller one?

[wingnut1]

It sounds like it's going to be a very bright guitar to start with, maybe the copper shield will be just what it needs.

[Larson]

I'd recommend Weller's 40-watt soldering station with the pencil tip. Use a good quality flux and tin your leads prior to attaching.

Let us know how it turns out.

I have a Weller 100/140 watt solder gun... my guess is that this may be a little too much for the project? If so I guess I'll just ask a few neighboors if they have a solder gun I could borrow or just buy one.

[Larson]

I just have one little question, am I supposed to tin both the grounds and the hots? Or only the hots?

[Mesotech]

First off, you probably won't want to use a soldering gun for this project. A soldering iron is what you'll be wanting to use. Guns get way too hot and either melt the wires insolation, or ruin the component you're soldering to (pot, cap, ect...). A 40 W iron is plenty larege enough, and often is still too much heat. Inexpensive soldering irons can be had at places like Radio Shack for around $10. One of these can meet your needs, but a good quality Weller iron is always my first choice.

As for tinning, you will want to tin the tip of the iron, tin the wire to be soldered, and tin the component/lug/pot that you'll be soldering the wire to. Tinning is the process of adding a little solder to the part before you actually solder it to something else. This helps to speed the heating process, because when you are tinning, you're only heating one component item at the time, instead of trying to heat two items at the same time. Solder flows easier onto other solder than it does onto a bare component.

Tinning also helps to control stranded wire and keep it from splaying out while you're attempting to push it through a small hole (in the case of a pot lug or switch lug. The "lug" is the little terminal sticking out away from a switch or pot with a small hole in it.

Before tinning stranded wire, after stripping it to length, exposing only the amount of wire you need to make the connection, tightly twist the loose strands together. To tin the wire, hold the iron beneath the exposed wire (heat rises) and apply the solder to the exposed metal. You will see the solder wick up the wire and in between the strands. Don't overheat the wire, it *will* get hot.

A good tip is to use a heat sink on components (such as an alligator clip) to reduce the amount of heat between the solder point and the actual component. This is not a requirement, and certainly many guitars have been rebuilt without the use of a heat sink, but it is a good practice to get into, regardless of whether it's actually necessary or not.

Earlier it was mentioned to tin the tip of the iron. This is an often overlooked but important step. Having good thermal coupling between the iron and the solder joint is critical to obtaining a good connection. Omitting this step is one of the major reasons for cold solder joints. Tinning the tip of the iron is easy. When the iron seems hot enough to melt the solder, test it by touching some solder to the tip of the iron. It should flow smoothly over the tip. Use a wet/damp piece of sponge to wipe away the excess solder, so you don't accidentially drip hot solder onto the ginish of the guitar (or yourself). You will hear a slight sizzle as the hot iron touches the sponge, and be left with a clean shiny tip, ready for soldering.

When soldering to the back of a pot, keep in mind that the surface area of the pot will act as a large heat sink, making the heating process more difficult. It often helps to brush the back of a new pot with some fine sandpaper or steel wool beforehand to roughen the surface. These small abraisions in the metal will heat more rapidly than a smooth metal surface, and make applying solder easier. Apply enough solder to the back of the pot to form a small pool of solder. This is where you will later attach the wire, directly into the solder pool. The pool of solder will heat up faster than the pot itself, making the attachment of the wire easier, thus reducing the potential of ruining the pot.

Undoubtably, you will come to the conclusion that having three hands is a requirement for soldering. Rest assured, it is not, but if possible, having a small alligator clip stand handy will make most any freehand soldering job easier. Otherwise, you have to find a way to hold the part with one hand, and the soder and iron with the other. Ive seen some people hold the solder in their mouth, this is not recommended for obvious safety reasons.

Soldering isn't a difficult task, but will take a few moments of practice to obtain the basic skills. By the time you get the wires and other components tinned, you'll probably be ready to get to work connecting everything.

One other point to make, soldering is not like welding, meaning "the bigger the glob" is not "the better the job". Good solid solder joints require very little solder. Fat nasty solder joints are prone to breaking, and even more prone to being cold joints.

One other item in your shopping supply list should be "Solder Wick/Braid" or a "Solder Sucker" of some form. These items help remove unwanted solder. It will come in handy, especially if this is your first soldering job.

[Larson]

Hey Mesotech, thanks a bunch for clearing up a lot of small things for me.

In the DVD that I bought, the guy used alligator clips when he was soldering the .05 cap. Would you recommend me just place alligator clips on the wires and everything that I plan on soldering?

[Mesotech]

Normally I wouldn't, but you might want to - to preserve your fingertips from the heat of the wire as you get used to doing this. If you were dealing with braided wire, then yes, use a clip.

[cdw2000]

+1 On not using a soldering gun. These things are way to hot for electronics.

One thing that I didn't notice mentioned above - make sure you buy rosin core solder for electronics (If you live in the states, Radio Shack is a good source for this).



For difficult areas like the back of the potentiometers, you can help things by brushing a small amount of soldering flux on the area before soldering. The solder flux helps transfer heat better and shortens the time it takes for the solder to flow, thus reducing the chance of overheating the parts inside the pot.

If you buy soldering flux make sure its rosin flux (Radio Shack again), not the acid flux you find at a hardware store for soldering copper pipe.



Enjoy! Hopefully all of our collective advice hasn't scared you off. Once you get the hang of soldering, then you can try building your own effects pedals. Lots of kits available!

[Larson]

+1 On not using a soldering gun. These things are way to hot for electronics.

One thing that I didn't notice mentioned above - make sure you buy rosin core solder for electronics (If you live in the states, Radio Shack is a good source for this).



For difficult areas like the back of the potentiometers, you can help things by brushing a small amount of soldering flux on the area before soldering. The solder flux helps transfer heat better and shortens the time it takes for the solder to flow, thus reducing the chance of overheating the parts inside the pot.

If you buy soldering flux make sure its rosin flux (Radio Shack again), not the acid flux you find at a hardware store for soldering copper pipe.



Enjoy! Hopefully all of our collective advice hasn't scared you off. Once you get the hang of soldering, then you can try building your own effects pedals. Lots of kits available!

Wow, building your own effects pedals would be awesome.

BTW, I just got back from work and I saw 4 packages outside. I'm about to open them up. I'll be sure to take some pictures.

[Larson]

Hey guys. Of course right when I get on my camera it gives me a 'battery is dead' popup so I'm charging the battery right now.

On the black pickguard that I got, I didn't even know that it came with aluminum foil already on it. I also got my copper sheet in. Is putting the copper on the pickguard as easy as it seems?

1) Take off the aluminum foil that came installed on the pickguard
2) Clean off pickguard
3) Take copper off sheet
4) Put 12"x12" copper sheet on pickguard
5) Make sure the copper is on flat
6) Take a razorblade and cut out the holes where pickups / pots need to go.

Is that it?

[Mesotech]

That's it. Just that easy.

[Larson]

That's it. Just that easy.

Cool. Looks like I'm about to get started .

The pickups look awesome by the way!

[Larson]

Hello everyone! I just got done shielding and putting the pickups in, because that's the most I can do tonight!

Here are some pics of the beginning of the project!

Here is a picture of the pickguard on the front. Looks perdy don't it?


Here's the aluminum foil shielding job that came on the pickguard which I did not know about, which also made the job about an hour longer than I expected lol. GETTING THAT SHIT OFF IS HARD!


Here's the pickguard after taking off the aluminum foil. Looks a little dirty, but I swear, that glue did not come off after soaking it with hot water / putting rubbing alcohol on it for an hour... I just said screw it, it's not going to make a difference


Here's the final product with the Jimi Stagger pickups on it! I'm pretty happy about the way it came out.


Why aren't my pictures showing?
If they aren't showing for you, just go to these links... they will be in order
1) http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/ima...9435a62c23.jpg
2) http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/ima...83ac4765e9.jpg
3) http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/ima...272d007fa3.jpg
4) http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/ima...817ec4f11a.jpg

[Mesotech]

Probably a little late now, but lighter fluid (like what goes into a Zippo style lighter), otherwise known as Naptha, would have taken the sticky glue off easily. Wipe it on, wipe it off.

[Larson]

Probably a little late now, but lighter fluid (like what goes into a Zippo style lighter), otherwise known as Naptha, would have taken the sticky glue off easily. Wipe it on, wipe it off.

Oh okay... well my guess is that it doesn't really make a difference, as long as the copper is on? I hope.

[Larson]

Hey everyone. On the instruction sheet that came with my pickups, it says that you should have all of the grounds meet at the same spot (on the top of the volume pot). Does this include the ground that is supposed to be soldered onto the tremolo?

[Mesotech]

Yes, if at all possible.

This is not a hard and fast rule, but is strongly recommended to aviod potential ground loops. If you have to ground the trem wire elsewhere because it's otherwise too short, then do so.

[chuckocaster]

fyi, your pickups are in backwards. the leads coming out of the pups need to go the other direction.

[Larson]

fyi, your pickups are in backwards. the leads coming out of the pups need to go the other direction.

Wow, I feel like a complete dumbass. Round of applause everyone

Thanks for the heads up.

[Larson]

What should I do if I filled up a lug hole with solder?

[Mesotech]

Heat it back up again and attach the wire. Solder can be heated, and reheated, multiple times.

If you don't want the solder there and want it removed, that's what the solder sucker or solder braid is for. With the sucker, you heat the solder up until it's liquid again, then suction it away. With the braid, you place the braid against the soldered point, then heat both the braid and solder at the same time and the solder will wick up the braid and away from the part. Braid is often preferable to suction when working with printed circuit boards, and suction is often more effective when working with components typically found inside a guitar. Either will work in a guitar, but suction is not recommended on PCB's because unless the amount of suction is controlled (as in a professional desoldering station), you could very easily lift a trace from the board (fairly bad news).

[Larson]

Yeah, after working with the solder for a while now, I'm starting to get some soldering techniques. I got my laptop right here at my workstation (obviously far away but still here). I got some pics of it, I'll upload them as soon as I'm done. I just finished soldering both ends of the jumper.

[Offshore Angler]

Man, I love these kinds of threads. A person takes on a challenge and gets all kinds of help. That's what makes this place great. Nice job everyone!

[Larson]

Yeah, I gotta thank everyone once again for helping me out. I've having a blast doing this project.

[Mesotech]

OA, my turn's coming.
My Weber 5e3 kit finally shipped today. I've never built one before, but don't expect any trouble putting it together. How nicely it ends up looking and sounding is another story.

[chuckocaster]

Wow, I feel like a complete dumbass. Round of applause everyone

Thanks for the heads up.

around these parts that's , and we use it as a term of endearment. looks like you're coming along. hope your project turns out well.

[Larson]

HELLO EVERYONE!

Everything is wired and everything works! These pickups sound great! I'm gonna try and get some sound clips up here tomorrow.

Here are some pics of the project
http://www.photoshow.com/watch/kt5GU6Vd

[chuckocaster]

congrats. pretty easy and fun right? now the bug will bite you and you'll off and on to doing other things like cutting nuts and the like. that's how it worked for me.