I need help replacing my pickups!

[patchadams]

I've been playing guitar for a while, but only recently have I decided to stray from the stock pickups that came with my guitars. The problem is that I don't have the knowledge to do it myself, so the few replacement pickups I've bought I've had installed by a guy at a store...this gets expensive really fast, and I'd rather be spending my money on pickups. I've looked on the web for help, and there are websites that give wiring diagrams, but I'm not educated in electronics so I just get frustrated.

To get to the point, I need some help gaining the knowledge I need to perform my own pickup replacements. Can anyone point me in the right direction to a book, or website, or just give me some good advice?

[Thoraby]

Re: I need help replacing my pickups!

I had only worked with a soldering iron once before, and I was able to change the volume pot and 3-way switch on one of my guitars. Changing pickups isn't as hard as every one thinks.
Replacing pickups isn't really that hard once you learn how to solder. Just remove all the strings, unscrew and unsolder the pickup. Then yank it out. Insert the new pickup in the place of the old one, and solder the right cable to the right place.
BAM! You're done. The hard part usually is soldering the right cable to the right place, since the color-codes of different pickup-manufacturers differ from eachother. So the ground will be green on one pickup and red on the other, etc..
Just make sure you have a schematic of your guitars electronics, and that you know what colours are used for what cables.

I suck at explaining. Someone more qualified will be along shortly...

[patchadams]

Re: I need help replacing my pickups!

Yeah, it's the part where you have to solder the right wire to the right place that I get confused. I'd really like an explanation as to why certain things go to 'ground' and all that. I look inside my guitar and I see a mess of wires going everywhere and I can't tell what's really going on. I suppose that I could look up what the colors of the wires mean and copy the pickup config that's in my guitar, but I really want to know more about the theory behind it so I'd know what I was doing and I could try different wiring schemes to find out what I like best.

Another thing, one wiring diagram I have that came with my Seymour Duncan tells me sort of what to do, and it says to switch the hot wire if the two pickups are out of phase...what does that sound like? (please forgive my ignorance)

[EvDog]

Re: I need help replacing my pickups!

I hadn't touched a soldering iron until I decided to try to change pickups in my guitar. I read a couple of books on it, and decided what the hell, it was at least worth trying on my own. I was able to get the pickups switched and reconnected without a problem.

One thing I do, is look and write down how the existing pickups are wired. I make notes of what color goes where. The hot wire seems to be different on the different pickup brands, but the ground are usually the same. If you hook a pickup out of phase, it will sound really thin and trebly. I did that once and noticed immediately that it sounded like crap.

I first attempted on a "cheap" guitar, just in case, and after I'd done it once, as long as I don't burn something, or start a fire with the soldering iron, there's not really too much you can damage by trying.

[MetalMedal II]

Re: I need help replacing my pickups!

Here's a good website I refer to when I change pickups. It's got a bunch of different wiring diagrams:
http://guitarelectronics.zoovy.com/c...ringresources/

Stewart MacDonald's got some good pickup wiring info too here:
http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/
and go down to the Electronics, pickups area

Regarding soldering tips and instructions, I haven't come across any websites for it. Just make sure you use electronics-grade (60/40-type) solder and not the acid kind for mechanical work.

[etaeniura]

Re: I need help replacing my pickups!

TO simply change out a pickup is very simple as long as you know how to solder. When removing the original pickup, snip the wires close to where they are attached, leaving a small piece of the wire there-this will tell you where your new wires need to go. The ground wire will typically be soldered tot he back of a pot, and the hot will go to the switch (if there is one). Wiring a whole guitar is a different story-different switches and pots can be confusing. TO put it simply-follow the path of the hot wire through the switch and pots and it will alwayts end up at the jack, soldered to the tab for the tip. THe ground will connect all of the pots and the bridge tot he tab for the sleeve, but may make several stops along the way-usually connected to the shielding paint on the cavity walls at some point. www.guitarelectronics.com has good schematics for almost any situation you might come across. Good luck!

[little0x]

Re: I need help replacing my pickups!

so..did you get it done?


ox

[patchadams]

Re: I need help replacing my pickups!

I just finished! I replaced my Seymour Duncan TB-4 with a DiMarzio Tone Zone, and I couldn't be happier! (That TB-4 just wasn't right for me.) Thanks to everyone that helped me with advice!