Pickup wiring

[JD01]

Mutt,

Can check something for me. SD standard wiring colours is this:
GREEN = start of adjustable/south coil
RED = finish of adjustable/south coil
BLACK = start of stud/north coil
WHITE = finish of stud/north coil

Your notes say

Screw coil:
Start-Black
Finish-Green
Slug coil:
Start-Red
Finish-White

Can you just confirm what's what. If Screw or slug is north or south. Start and finish should be self explanatory then. I can't get a luthier to do this for me, they all want me to drop my guitar off for a few days and they'll fit it in. I can't bare to be without my guitar for more than a day!

I've got better solder this time so it should be easier. I'm also going to stick tape over the adjustable roller bridge so I don't accidentally mess with with string spacing or intonation while I'm working on it like I did last time.

[muttley]

His adjustable coil is my screw coil. His stud coil is my slug coil so with my colours first.......

Mine/His

Screw or adjustable coil (the one which would be best to use for coil split).

Start = Black/Green
Finish = Green/Red

Slug or stud coil

Start = Red/Black
Finish = White/white.

Dont worry about the polarity. That is just the magnet orientation. If you get phasing issues when using the two pups together get back to me but you should be good.

[muttley]

Gerg and others can check my working but I think that is right..

[JD01]

Thanks. I might try wiring this in later this afternoon.

[muttley]

OK mate, let me know how you get on.. You wont do any damage by getting the wires wrong so have at it..

[Bubba]

OK mate, let me know how you get on.. You wont do any damage by getting the wires wrong so have at it..

I loved the fact that you had exactly the same wire coding as my Bare Knuckle. I just snipped it out leaving about 2mm of insulated wire on my coil tap lugs for reference.

[muttley]

OK mate, let me know how you get on.. You wont do any damage by getting the wires wrong so have at it..

I loved the fact that you had exactly the same wire coding as my Bare Knuckle. I just snipped it out leaving about 2mm of insulated wire on my coil tap lugs for reference.

Yeh, thats the most common colour coding. For the life of me I don't understand why other pup makers feel the need to switch them...

[JD01]

Well, trip to Bude is delayed till next week cos of the weather. Time to break my best guitar.

[JD01]

The guy who invented soldering was a three handed twat.

[Bubba]

The guy who invented soldering was a three handed twat.

You can use a bit of sticky tape or a clip to hold the wire where you want it, you know. Plus, if you tin both surfaces you might not have to hold the solder reel at all - just melt them together.

[JD01]

That's what I've done. But as soon as I hold it in place the solder refuses to fucking melt. Out now. Gonna go back and give it another go later.

[Bubba]

That's what I've done. But as soon as I hold it in place the solder refuses to fucking melt. Out now. Gonna go back and give it another go later.

Make sure there's a quantity of molten solder on the tip - it conducts the heat into the job more efficiently and also flows into the joint.

[muttley]

Clean the tip, Tin the tip hold the tinned wire on the tinned lug with the tinned iron. Once it has all flowed remove the iron and blow on the join.

You can use clips but they tend to draw heat off the lug.

Its a knack. You'll get it..

[JD01]

What to you mean by tin the tip/wire etc?
Is the black wire and the straggly wire I'm struggling with cos there the black wire and straggly wire for the bridge pup already there so it's all acting as a pretty big heat sink. I'll get there though. Just think I needed a break cos I'd been messing with it for ages.

[Bubba]

What to you mean by tin the tip/wire etc?

Flow fresh solder onto it . Wipe your heated soldering iron tip on a damp sponge or cloth, then melt a small amount of fresh solder onto it. Hold the tinned tip of your soldering iron to the bared end of the wire you want to tin and touch your solder wire to it. Fresh solder should flow into the wire strands. You need to take the old wire off the lug as well. Do them one at a time so you don't get lost.

[JD01]

Solder won’t stay on my iron. It just runs off.

[muttley]

Solder won’t stay on my iron. It just runs off.

Clean the tip first. You can do that by rubbing it on a piece of fine sandpaper or wet and dry and/or with a wet sponge, just wipe it a few times quickly.

If solder still refuses to stay on the tip then it is too hot. What iron are you using?

[muttley]

you dont want any more than a light covering of solder when you tin the tip. If you are getting blobs thats too much...

I'm definitely going to do a pup swap out video for you guys this week which will go in the muttpups section...

[muttley]

In the meantime if you have time just watch these.. They explain the basics of what we are talking you through..

[BBvideo=560,315]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-O2TGoArrY[/BBvideo]

This one is good for all round advice.

[BBvideo=560,315]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUVX_RTS-Z8[/BBvideo]

[Greg_L]

What the hell are you trying to do anyway? Change a pickup? I thought you've done that before?

One thing I like to do with tiny wires and difficult connections is tin the wire and bend a tiny "J" into the end with pliers. Hook the J into wherever it's going and then close the J with pliers so it pinches. Then it's easy. Solder.