# [Tech] Soldering Pickups 101



## Digital Black (Aug 1, 2005)

This is taken from some old guides I wrote on another forum. 

It seems that a lot of people ask the same questions about this stuff. Rather than explain it every time, refer them here. This is aimed at the beginner to moderately educated guitar player. Seasoned pro's and players who have done it all (setups, rebuilding, ryv) won't get anything from it, though, you are more than welcome to comment.

So, you decided to change those old pip's? Firstly, wire colors and non-OEM wiring are beyond the scope of this thread post. To get into those areas I suggest these links.

www.guitarnuts.com

www.guitarelectronics.com

*Soldering for Dummies:*
First you must have some basic equipment. I'll quote Radio Shack part numbers because they are common stores. You don't have to buy from here and better deals can be found. A good soldering gun would be a 30 watt "pencil ", Radio Shack number 64-2067 for $7.69. *Any higher wattage is unnecessary and could possibly damage the components / wire if heated to long*. Stay away from the 100 watt "guns", with the hooked tip. This is *overkill* for a beginner and hard to use in small spaces. A good solder would be a rosin mixture ("rosin" is used to help the bonding process of metal to metal), RS # 64-013 $3.99 and is in roll form . This should last anyone a while. The most important piece is a multimeter. A small device with an analog meter/needle (or digital if you prefer to spend more) with two leads. Cheap ones measure DCv,ACv, Ohmic resistance / continuity and sometimes Amps ( RS # 22-218) ..Measuring ohm's is important for guitarists. Finding shorts or unconnected leads helps to solve many problems. To check for a short, measure two points of a circuit ( a wire for example, both ends) if the meter goes to zero(no resistance), it is short or open (on the wire, this would be normal to measured this since the wire is one piece, if it didn't then there is a break in the wire somewhere). Volts, amps and ohms can be confusing at first. 

To simplify, think of this water analogy.

Voltage :water pressure
Ac :water moving back and forth
Dc : water flowing in one direction
Amps :amount of water
Watts : force/work of water
Ohms : resistance of moving water

This is just to simplify for someone new at this. It's a little more complex than this, but enough to get one going.


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## Digital Black (Aug 1, 2005)

*Installing the pup's: How to solder*

Know what you are going to connect (have a plan of what needs to be done) before the old pip is taken out. Every guitar is different and every pip manufacturer uses different colors to determine what goes where. Use the above links if you having trouble.

Let the gun heat up. Have a wet sponge in a small dish. Before you apply solder, wipe the hot tip a little. This cleans it and gets rid of any impurities that might affect your connection. Don't bother wiping / cleaning the tip after you've made the connection, it will just dry up. Leave it till your ready for the start of the next connection. Don't worry if the tip rusts quickly, heat accelerates the oxidizing process. After you wipe the tip, apply and melt a little solder to the tip. This will aid in the heat transfer to the wire to be connected. (Just a small dab.)
On your connection to be made, leave at least a 1/4 inch wire exposed, twisted if possible - this keeps wire from splitting out all over as you work with it.

*HEAT THE WIRE AND OR CONNECTION, NOT THE SOLDER ITSELF! *

This is the #1 rule for a good connection. Have the tip on the bottom and the fresh solder on top. Let the newly heated wire melt the solder and it will flow onto the connection. Melted solder will always flow to the hottest point so try to make the wire the hottest point. It will try to get to the tip of the soldering iron. THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU WANT! Allow it to cool by itself, don't blow on it as this causes a poorly connected joint. Use a stand to hold the Soldering Iron, and be careful not to burn yourself, it's easy to do in the small guitar cavities.


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## Digital Black (Aug 1, 2005)

A few secrets: 

If you're a vintage/OEM freak and want everything perfect, then don't bother with what follows here. For someone who changes pip's a lot, wants to try out a lot of different pickups quickly or wants an easier time with their "junker" guitar. Here are some shortcuts:

A lot of time you will find that there is a lot a junk all soldered at one point. When installing a new pip, all this stuff comes loose and has to be reconnected. You don't have to use all of the new wire on the new pickup. You can splice it in the middle or near the old pickup wire pickup itself. For someone who changes pickups a lot this is good. This connection can be used over and over, just remember to wrap the bare wire in some black tape to prevent any shorts. The sound quality loss is minimal if a good connection is made.

If you just bought a new pickup and you are really not sure if it's going to work for your sound, add a little bit of wire and use some auick connects (solderless connectors). You can compare pips very fast by changing them. Once you settle on a plan, you can go in, remove the wire extension, and solder them in. Sound quality loss will be minimal if a good connection is made, but I wouldn't leave it like this unless you change sound a lot.


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## Digital Black (Aug 1, 2005)

One thing to remember, and this is crucial. Do not buy ACID CORE solder. This type is used for plumbing. Most k-mart or hardware type stores put each type right next to each other, so it's easy for a newb to make that mistake.
Also, after you solder a connection, you may seem some brownish residue ( espicially on the back of the pots ). This is called "flux" and is perfectly normal. There is no need to use Flux remover on these type of connections.


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## JPMDan (Sep 19, 2006)

Solder iron 64-2067 is no longer offered by Radio Shack would this kit be a better alternative?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062758&cp=&pg=2&origkw=soldering+iron&kw=soldering+iron&parentPage=search


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## D-EJ915 (Sep 19, 2006)

also flux is for plumbing, you don't need it for electronics.


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## Digital Black (Sep 19, 2006)

D-EJ915 said:


> also flux is for plumbing, you don't need it for electronics.


Not true , flux is used in electronics in some instances.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049774&cp=2032058.2032236.2032313&allCount=48&fbn=Type%2FFlux&f=PAD%2FProduct+Type%2FFlux&fbc=1&parentPage=family

From wiki, cause I'm too lazy: 
Solder often comes pre-mixed with, or is used with, flux, a reducing agent designed to help remove impurities (specifically oxidised metals) from the points of contact to improve the electrical connection. For convenience, solder is often manufactured as a hollow tube and filled with flux. Most cold solder is soft enough to be rolled and packaged as a coil making for a convenient and compact solder/flux package. The two principal types of flux are acid flux, used for metal mending, and rosin flux, used in electronics, where the corrosiveness of the vapours that arise when acid flux is heated could damage components. Due to concerns over atmospheric pollution and hazardous waste disposal, the electronics industry has been gradually shifting from rosin flux to water-soluble flux, which can be removed with deionised water and detergent, instead of hydrocarbon solvents.

I didn't think anybody read these guides I wrote. I wrote these way back before ss.org existed, when I was slumming around on HC..


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## JPMDan (Sep 19, 2006)

so what about the solder iron I found? Also would you like me to search for new part numbers to update your post? I'm a do it yourself kind of guy and rather solder my own shit


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## D-EJ915 (Sep 19, 2006)

Really any soldering iron that's at least somewhat powerful 20 watts or more will do you just fine, get a feel for how it works and you'll be fine. I know guys use 100 watt irons but they're so used to it they'll never damage a component.


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## Black Watch (Nov 6, 2006)

One thing I would like to add on the soldering front. The choice of solder should be a subject of some consideration. In many cases you will want to use some manner of flux to help the heat spread well, and you may be using some heat sinks to help keep the wrong parts from getting too hot and possibly damaging plastics (such as insulation).

Having soldered several dozen circuit boards in the last few years, you need to keep in mind the fact that you will have to wash whatever you solder after it cools to remove the excess flux and the impurities that come out as you cook the connections. Failing to do so will leave nasty chemicals in your circuit that can oxidize and change the electrical nature of the connection, or corrode some parts.

The solder spool will say how to clean up, but my recommendation would be to use an organic core solder, such as Kester "Red Box" organic core solder. The benefit of this is you don't have to use alcohol to clean up (which can do nasty things to paint finishes on guitars) but uses water instead. You can usually get this from places like Mouser.


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## mEtAlORc (Jul 12, 2007)

For removing an old pickup to be replaced, do you need a desoldering iron just for removing it? Like this one: The Source By Circuit City : Soldering Tools - NEXXTECHâ¢ 45W DESOLDERING IRON

Or can you just use a normal solder?


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## Zepp88 (Jul 12, 2007)

You don't NEED a desoldering iron, you can just heat up the solder and pull the wire away.

I personally prefer to use a desoldering iron. It's easier and cleaner to me.

You can also use desoldering braid, which takes some practice.


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## ChrisPcritter (Jul 31, 2007)

I'm not trying to step on any toes, just offering another point of view.

Just a quick note. I was a reapair tech for air force communications equipment and was trained on electronic soldering for "hole through", surface mount" and "microscopic soldering" by "Pace" which is a company that makes high end soldering equipment. 
We always used a small amount of flux, but not the kind you buy for plumbing. It allows for the best and cleanest connections. "Tin" the wire and connection if possible, which means a small coating of flux and then solder to get rid of impurities. Connect the two, then heat from one side and apply solder from the other. 
(which can be left and right or top and bottom). 
Clean the flux residue with denatured alcohol and a small rag being very careful not to get any on your guitars finish.


Also before I intall a new pot, I clean all connections with an eraser which works very well for cleaning circuit board connections as well (like the ones on your sound or video card on your computer).


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## ChrisPcritter (Aug 6, 2007)

Also as some have said have a small wet sponge for cleaning the tip. And I find it useful to have an aluminum can smashed so that the bottom is still intact. Put some flux in it to help clean the soldering iron tip. Contaminants lead to bad solder joints and poor connections. 
When you've finished soldering, coat the tip of the iron with solder to prevent rusting. When you go to use it the next time clean the old solder off and the tip will last much longer and work better..


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## Minto Took (Jan 13, 2008)

ChrisPcritter said:


> Soldering advice



Very true with the procedures you stated.

I'd like to add in some work area things you can do as well. I like to have a sheet of cardboard or the backing from an old clipboard between my project and the table to help prevent burning said table and it makes clean-up easier. Also, if you need to work with leads on a pre-amp outside the guitar, grabbers like mentioned earlier work very well for this. Lastly, a drafter's lamp (the kind with a built-in magnifying glass) really helps see into tight places. You can usually get those at the local office store starting around $20 USD.

I'm working on my senior design project for my degree in EE, so I'll be huffing flux from now until August.


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## JBroll (Jan 14, 2008)

Just a note...

In my experience with Radio Shack solder, the 63/37 works much, much better than the 60/40.

Jeff


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## jaxadam (Jan 14, 2008)

JBroll said:


> Just a note...
> 
> In my experience with Radio Shack solder, the 63/37 works much, much better than the 60/40.
> 
> Jeff



Huh, I'll have to check that out, because I use 60/40, and don't ever really seem to have any problems.


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## JBroll (Jan 14, 2008)

I didn't have problems, but things just seemed to get... cleaner.

Jeff


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## zombietime (Sep 22, 2008)

JBroll said:


> I didn't have problems, but things just seemed to get... cleaner.
> 
> Jeff



It has a lower melting point and has a higher tin content than 60/40. Anyway, i'm IPC certified in soldering .... IPC 610, J-STD, blah blah blah. Been working for an electronics manufacturer for about 4 years. I do technical documentation now but still solder once in a while.

What we use are Water Soluble solder, No Clean solder and Rosin. Flux can and will corrode electronics if you use the wrong kind for your application. I recommend using a no clean solder if you aren't going to run your guitar through an industrial SMT cleaner. Water soluble cleans in plain water, Rosin and No Clean need a chemical additive to the water to clean them. Flux more or less cleans your pad/contact area of oxidation to promote proper adhesion and solder flow. 

Real world example of flux issues... we used no clean solder paste on a customers pcba and after a few months coils were failing. It was traced back to the no clean flux working up into the component and eating away at it. 

I'm going to keep this short but be aware of what type of solder you use as it does make a difference. We use Kester and I only really use Hakko irons and rework stations as they've been bullet proof.

Oh and be cautious of Lead Free solder. It requires much more heat and is not fun to rework. You don't need to be RoHS compliant in your own home. 

(i'm no engineer or anything and ymmv as always)


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## 7StringedBeast (Jan 14, 2009)

A good advice: when soldering stuff like capacitors it is good to use alligator clips attached to it, close to the part that will be soldered. This helps preventing heat from damaging the capacitor.

My


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## brae2009 (Feb 11, 2010)

nice man keep going


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## Digideus (Apr 19, 2010)

Im surprised that no-one mentioned good ventilation when Soldernig. The white smoke caused when melting solder is actually hazardous, an in California (i believe) its a legal requirement that some solder is registered as a hazardous substance because the fumes are believed to aid the onset of cancer.

ALWAYS TIN YOUR WIRES BEFORE SOLDERING!!!

One other thing, its good practice to heat the exposed wire from insulation to tip as you can leave a blob of solder on the end of the wire while tinning it and cut it off with a pair of clippers. Not essential for installing pickups, but if youve ever tried to push a tinned wire through a small hole and it wont go, youll know what I mean!


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## dhanypartner (May 28, 2010)

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Well... what can I say? I've seen some nasty solder joints in my days - by "professionals" as well as DIY Joe - and quite frankly they sometimes scare me. I frequently find myself wondering how on earth someone can make a complete mess of a <layer id="google-toolbar-hilite-1" style="background-color: Yellow; color: black;">soldering</layer> joint and then say "Good job - it's sorted." It scares me even more when I know that almost all of the nightmare <layer id="google-toolbar-hilite-2" style="background-color: Yellow; color: black;">soldering</layer> jobs I've seen have been performed on other people's stuff...[/FONT]


<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 487pt;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="649"><col style="width: 487pt;" width="649"><tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt; width: 487pt;" height="20" width="649">Lexus LX450 Parts</td> </tr></table>


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## evil toki (Jun 13, 2010)

dhanypartner said:


> [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Well... what can I say? I've seen some nasty solder joints in my days - by "professionals" as well as DIY Joe - and quite frankly they sometimes scare me. I frequently find myself wondering how on earth someone can make a complete mess of a <layer id="google-toolbar-hilite-1" style="background-color: Yellow; color: black;">soldering</layer> joint and then say "Good job - it's sorted." It scares me even more when I know that almost all of the nightmare <layer id="google-toolbar-hilite-2" style="background-color: Yellow; color: black;">soldering</layer> jobs I've seen have been performed on other people's stuff...[/FONT]
> 
> 
> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 487pt;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="649"><col style="width: 487pt;" width="649"><tbody><tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt; width: 487pt;" height="20" width="649">Lexus LX450 Parts</td> </tr></tbody></table>



Dude you would probably shriek if you saw my cavity right now lmao. Luckily I found this thread and my pickups came with two extra pots though, so I plan on doing a much cleaner job when I get the time and a little more insight. For my first time I don't think I did too bad...The joints are a tad messy but the wires are routed cleanly.


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## drgordonfreeman (Jun 15, 2010)

Digideus said:


> Im surprised that no-one mentioned good ventilation when Soldernig. The white smoke caused when melting solder is actually hazardous, an in California (i believe) its a legal requirement that some solder is registered as a hazardous substance because the fumes are believed to aid the onset of cancer.



Yep. First time I ever soldered pickup wires, which was actually just a few days ago (ha!), I read the warning on the side of the soldering iron box. It said something to the effect of, "Soldering fumes are known carcinogens in the state of California." I said, "Screw it! This isn't California!" Haha. I soldered inside. Yea... found out that hard way on that one. My sinuses are still seared with the smell of burning solder. Ugh. After that little incident, I solder outside now. Back in college, I was always under a ventilation hood when I soldered circuit boards for lab. I sort of forgot all about that little detail... 



evil toki said:


> Dude you would probably shriek if you saw my cavity right now lmao. Luckily I found this thread and my pickups came with two extra pots though, so I plan on doing a much cleaner job when I get the time and a little more insight. For my first time I don't think I did too bad...The joints are a tad messy but the wires are routed cleanly.



Yep, this is the way my first pickup soldering experience went a few days ago. I just finished desoldering everything and cleaning it all up. I'm about to resolder it all back together very nicely. I've taken some progress pictures, so I plan on posting a thread about what all I've done. Anyway, desoldering can turn into a real trying experience very quickly. The desoldering guns or pumps sold at Radio Shack simply do not cut it. I purchased a professional desoldering pump, and it made all the difference in the world. When you get to that point, and if you're interested in some suggestions for decent pumps to buy, then please let me know, and I will do my best to help you.


I have some advice I've learned very quickly, specifically related to pickup replacement, despite my newbie status here. 

It's really important to work with a badass soldering iron, as it makes all the difference in the world. I was using crap from Radio Shack that was rated at 45 watts or less, and I was quickly going nowhere. I jumped to a professional grade soldering iron rated at 260 watts, and all of a sudden, I was rocking and rolling all over the place. Too much heat can ruin components, so it's important that you're careful. However, from my experience soldering circuit boards (which is almost endless, as some of my science labs back in college were brutal), 260 watts will set the damn thing on fire. I have found that this is not the case with guitar components. Maybe it's because I have a more steady hand from the circuit board soldering training. I don't know. Nonetheless, I would offer the advice to go with more juice than less in your soldering iron. Feel free to rebut my advice.

As a side note, Bain Capital (a Harvard boys' club) is making a move to buy Radio Shack. Believe it or not, Guitar Center was once a great place to go for gear (A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... in the 1990's). Then Bain Capital bought them. Just a heads up of what's probably to come with Radio Shack.


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## ibznorange (Jun 21, 2010)

Radioshack has been invalid for years dude


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## guitarneeraj (Apr 2, 2012)

Just wanted to add a couple of notes:

1) Investing in a soldering kit, which comes with a soldering helper and heat sink tongs, is very useful when rewiring pickups, especially when you need to solder, for example, multiple wires to the back of the volume pot to ground them. 

2) When soldering pickup leads on switches, less solder can go a long way. Don't be tempted to keep on adding solder metal, as it can drip down the switch terminal and cause a short with the body of the switch!


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## conjurer_of_riffs (Jul 4, 2013)

What I have found the most useful is to tin the tip of the iron before and after each joint. What I do is tin the the tip, wipe it clean on the sponge, and then tin it again. At this point I make the solder connections. The components are pre-tinned. After the connections are made, I clean the tip on the sponge. Repeat process as needed.


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## metalhguitarist (Dec 19, 2013)

One thing I've done that helps massivley, was to take a cardboard box and punch holes in the top to stick the pots into, in the exact layout of the holes on the guitar. 

Very easy way to wire it as it exactly as it's laid out in the guitar, without the walls of the cavity getting in the way!!


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## gogolXmogol (Jan 26, 2015)

metalhguitarist said:


> One thing I've done that helps massivley, was to take a cardboard box and punch holes in the top to stick the pots into, in the exact layout of the holes on the guitar.
> 
> Very easy way to wire it as it exactly as it's laid out in the guitar, without the walls of the cavity getting in the way!!


I've heard this advice before, should make soldering much easier!


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## 7stg (Jan 26, 2015)

This is the best how to solder video I know of.


The rest of the series.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL926EC0F1F93C1837


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