Hookup wire

[Dylpickle]

Hi guys. I'm. About to wire my new guitar with my custom/59 hybrid but I was wondering if the below wire would do the job or if there was something better?

https://www.jaycar.com.au/light-duty-hook-up-wire-pack-8-colours/p/WH3009

I believe the wire is 13x0.12 which is 26 awg. Is this too thin and if I use it will there be any sound degradation or problems you can think of?

Cheers

Dylan

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Hookup wire

Hi Dylan, welcome to the forum.

You can get away with that, but it is thin and your iron will eat it alive. All you need is a 22AWG stranded wire in black and white. If you can source the vintage cloth covered wire, even better.

I searched the site you linked, but not many options there.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Hookup wire

Here you go

https://www.littlebirdelectronics.com.au/hook-up-stranded-wire-black-22-awg

https://www.littlebirdelectronics.com.au/hook-up-stranded-wire-white-22-awg

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Hookup wire

Many (probably most) folks prefer shielded cable. But shielded wire does add capacitance. I'll wire with standard, unshielded wire sometimes if all the controls are located inside a single cavity. If I'm wiring a guitar with a long run, like a LP where the switch cavity is separate from the pot cavity, then I'll use shielded for sure. Most of the small diameter shielded cable used for guitar wiring has a small, probably 24 - 28 gauge, conductor. You should be fine with 26 gauge if you are going to use non shielded. If you have any hum/buzz issues with the hook-up wire, you can always try shielded.

 

[Dylpickle]

Re: Hookup wire

Thanks mate. I thought as much. I was trying to follow the colour coding on the schematic as I've got a few tap/split/parallel options going with the 4c wires. Should I bother or just use black and white.

Thanks heaps

 

[Dylpickle]

Re: Hookup wire

It's all in one. I have used copper tape in the cavity as it's a rear routed telecaster

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Hookup wire

If it makes it easier to follow in case you have to open it back up down the road, use colored wire. But it really doesn't matter.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Hookup wire

Shielded wire is unnecessary, but people use what they use.

Black is for your grounds and white for your hots. What diagram are you using? The leads from your pickups are the green/white/black/red.

 

[Dylpickle]

Re: Hookup wire

I've got a custom one drawn up from guitar electronics. It's got 2 push pulls so it got a little more complicated. It's all good though I'll just use the black / white and just pay attention
��

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Hookup wire

And shielding the cavities in humbucker equipped guitars doesn't do anything ...

Opinions are like a certain body part. We all got em'

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Hookup wire

And shielding the cavities in humbucker equipped guitars don't do anything ...

Opinions are like a certain body part. We all got em'

It doesn't do anything in any guitar. Most of the time it is installed wrong, and the tape dampens vibration. Unless you are getting serious RF interference, you can skip the shielding.

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Hookup wire

It doesn't do anything in any guitar. Most of the time it is installed wrong, and the tape dampens vibration. Unless you are getting serious RF interference, you can skip the shielding.

I have done two guitars, just within the last year or 2, that prove (to me) otherwise. I'll keep doing what I do and you can keep thinking I'm a fool for it. I'm completely cool with that. :bigok:

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Hookup wire

Now now boys...

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Hookup wire

I have done two guitars, just within the last year or 2, that prove (to me) otherwise. I'll keep doing what I do and you can keep thinking I'm a fool for it. I'm completely cool with that. :bigok:

I don't think you are a fool at all. I am sorry you took it that way.

This is not my opinion versus yours; it is science. You would have to completely encapsulate the circuit to reduce RF interference. You can read for days on wrapping the coils, shielded wire, star grounds, Faraday cages, sacrificing chickens, blah blah blah.

All of those things will affect the sound, and not in a good way. You can seal off the circuitry but the amount of tape involved dampens resonance and still fails to fully enclose the circuits. You can use shielding paint if you prefer, but most do not apply enough even to be remotely effective even IF they manage to fully enclose the circuit.

Then you get into the confusion of interference and 60 cycle hum, but that is for another time.

By all means, don't just believe what I or anyone on forums tells you when you can read up on it yourself.

Free science experiment for you. Cover the back of your guitar with gaffers tape and hear how the sound changes.

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Hookup wire

I didn't take it negatively. I was just having fun with it.

The science is great and all. Regardless, in practice, it works for me. Extremely well too.

 

[ChAoZ]

Re: Hookup wire

That wire is fine, Jaycar even do a pack with lengths of different coloured wiring, perfect for separating wires in a complex circuit

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Hookup wire

The same place has this if you want/need more colors.

https://www.littlebirdelectronics.com.au/hook-up-wire-assortment-stranded-22-awg

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Hookup wire

I use old network cables
The there are 4 pair of 24 gauge wires in each cable
To wire a guitar , you will only need about six inches of one pair

The solid wire works just as well as stranded
It shouldn't move much