How would you work on this Ibanez RG7620 tiny cavity?

[PRScu]

Hi,

I would like to replace my stock bridge pickup (new7) on my Ibanez RG7620 (7 strings) with a D Activator. This is my first time doing a pickup replacement. I read many articles covering the subject and watched videos on youtube. When I decided to take the plunge, I opened the back of my RG7, I was puzzled by how tiny the cavity is... and it's very hard to imagine myself working with a soldering iron in this tiny space.

When I see how it's done in the Seymour Duncan vid posted on youtube, the working space seems quite bigger and easy to work in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-rk9ZEJsUdg

Here's mine:


Here's the pickup I would like to install in the guitar:


I'm lucky that the wire colors are the same as the new7 stock pickup, so this is the easy part. But I honestly have no clue how to solder in a such tiny cavity without burning/cutting/soldering wrong cables, especially while working on the volume knob. Everything is packed there!

Do you guys have any tips that could make the job easier? Remember it's my first time changing pickups.
Thanks

 

[LonePhantom]

Re: How would you work on this Ibanez RG7620 tiny cavity?

It's really not as hard as it seems. Just keep your hand steady and don't rush things. Carefully move wires out of the way. Remove one wire at a time. Again just take your time, you'll be right.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: How would you work on this Ibanez RG7620 tiny cavity?

Work out in advance an order of soldering that always gives you clear access to the joint that you are about to make. Solder ground wires to pots before you start soldering output conductors to the selector switch.

 

[wroughtdog]

Re: How would you work on this Ibanez RG7620 tiny cavity?

Let us know how it works out.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: How would you work on this Ibanez RG7620 tiny cavity?

Looks like a lot of space there to work with compared to most guitars I've worked on.

Just be careful when soldering. Always.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: How would you work on this Ibanez RG7620 tiny cavity?

I'm lucky that the wire colors are the same as the new7 stock pickup, so this is the easy part.

Nearly all pups have the same colors, but they don't represent the same wiring patterns. You may need to test the leads to make sure before you install.

 

[LonePhantom]

Re: How would you work on this Ibanez RG7620 tiny cavity?

Nearly all pups have the same colors, but they don't represent the same wiring patterns. You may need to test the leads to make sure before you install.

New 7 pickups are DiMarzio made, and the wiring is the same as a standard DiMarzio pickup, which I think is what the OP is going to install.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: How would you work on this Ibanez RG7620 tiny cavity?

New 7 pickups are DiMarzio made, and the wiring is the same as a standard DiMarzio pickup, which I think is what the OP is going to install.

Certainly, if he's replacing one DMZ pup with another DMZ pup, the wire colors will be the same. Didn't realize his guitar already had a DMZ in it.

 

[jake_xms3_punk]

Re: How would you work on this Ibanez RG7620 tiny cavity?

If the wires are long enough, you could take the pots and switch out of the guitar and solder everything on to them outside of the guitar. Just put a cloth on the back of your guitar and work on there.