[Xtremevillan]

I viewed the vids on YouTube, I read the post of Digital, I'm still scared fucking out of my mind.

Is it easy or will I be in trouble?

I work at Sears, here is what I will be picking up:

Craftsman Solder Iron, 30 watt - Model 54041 at Sears.com
Craftsman Lead Free Solid Wire Solder .125 dia. 8 oz. - Model 80071 at Sears.com

Are these OK? Do I need anything else (besides the pickup)? (Tone Zone replacing a V7 in the bridge)


From what I saw in videos, I'll need to deslacken my strings (just put on new strings <_< ) pull out the bridge, then unscrew the rings and open the back cavity.

And this is where I stop, because I am not sure what the fuck I'm doing.

[turmoil]

maybe some wire strippers if you need to pull back some more cable from the pickup your installing? they're not expensive but you may/may not need them at all.

as far as installing is concerned, if you're than unsure about it maybe just take it to a local shop and pay to have it done the right way.

...but if you're like me you'd say F-that and figure it out yourself and probably drive yourself nuts for a few hours in the process lol

if you have a wiring diagram from Dimarzio and a good idea of what your control cavity on your guitar looks like it should seriously be a very simple, easy, and quick install. it's just a matter of figuring out what wire goes where and soldering it up.

[Xtremevillan]

Oh duh, forgot the wire strippers, there's a shitton at Sears. I can pick'em up. Any gauge I would need?

if you're than unsure about it maybe just take it to a local shop and pay to have it done the right way.

This is what I'm trying to AVOID: they charged me 60 dollars for a setup. Now I know it was worth it, but seriously...not gonna pay for that shit. If I do mess up, I'll run to them and pay the 40 dollars it costs to get a pickup changed.

And I also have to buy that Ohm meter or whatever.

[turmoil]

i'm not sure what gauge my wire strippers are, but obviously something that's pretty thin.

i'm pretty sure you'll be able to do it yourself. for my first install ever/first time using a soldering iron i installed an EMG 81/85 combo with 2 vols, 2 tones, and 1 input jack. boy it was a headache but it made me decent enough to attempt other stuff.

i guess just get the wiring diagram from dimarzio and try to figure out ahead of time what wires go where and go for it. I don't have much experience with dimarzio's but i'm sure other members on here do.

[Xtremevillan]

Alright. I'm pretty fucking n00bular, although I managed to switch EMG 81/85 on my pickguarded 550 without much incident

[7 Dying Trees]

First time is always the worst, just take it easy!

Clip the ground wire that was running to the pickup you were unsoldering, this'll make it easier to solder the new ground as you just have to solder together two wires, soldering to the pots is a right pain in the arse.

Unsolder the old pickup (warm up the joint, then pull the wire out, one by one)


Clean the contacts, if you haven't got a solder sucker, simply heat up the solder, and blow sharply and powerfully which should then reveal a hole that's relatively fresh for you to go off and put the new wire in

Be prepared to curse and swear and for it to not work right.

Be prepared to sit down and figure out what you have done wrong

Once you've done this once or twice it does become a lot easier, it really does!

[HamBungler]

Soldering is pretty simple dude,just gotta make sure you know which wire goes where, kinda like hot, dangerous legos, but instead of making a castle you're making a guitar more awesome! If you know someone who can solder okay, have them supervise you so you know what you're doing a bit better, I have my dad sit over me sometimes when I go through something like this and he always helps me out if I need it!

[Xtremevillan]

That's the thing, no one knows how to solder around here

What's this about the grounding wire?

[AMS-Ryans]

I would really recommend bringing it in, However I do like to do projects like this. Just make sure that your solder does not overlap....use the least amount of solder that you need...... It is very easy to get more solder on your project then you want. I suggest practice on something old. If you house is anything like mine you can find an old phone or remote to practice on. Something with small wires that you don't care about. This will give you the feel of soldering.

[Xtremevillan]

I'm thinking I'll do it on some wire first.

I mean, like I said...they charge 40 dollars per pickup. I was going to get a TZ with a large amount of lead for that price, shipped to my house. I don't want to be a slave and keep paying for it, especially when I get Bare Knuckles in.