I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and soldering)

[Artie]

I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and soldering)

I just took in a very rare old 1983 Fender Elite Stratocaster. One of these, although this pick is from the 'net: (Note the push-button pup selector.)



Strange, beautiful axe. Under the pickguard is this:



Lord have mercy! Circuit board, dummy coil, and TBX-ish tone pot.

The ground wire is broken off on the lug at the red arrow:



Here's the problem: That's 30-something year old varnish covering everything. My soldering iron won't even make it sweat, and it's a nice temp-controlled shop-class iron. I really don't want to break the varnish on that old screw.

I think I can figure this out, but I sure wouldn't mind advice and council from any of you "old" techs who've actually done this before. I do not want to screw up this sweet old, and rare, vintage axe.

When I get this done, I'll post pics. Beautiful "rootbeer" finish, with strange fine tuners at the nut. Film@11.

Artie

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

Good one Artie. April Fools.

 

[kilphody]

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

WTF? Just get a new screw. Put the iron to 800. Get a micro torch and burn the crap off.
PC

 

[kramersteen]

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

Artie fools day. Shadow..........:werd:

 

[Artie]

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

Dang. I didn't even notice the date when I posted this. :smack:

This isn't an April fools gag. This is a customers guitar. And my iron, set on max, (850 deg's), won't even budge that varnish.

I'm going to take it into work with me today, to the industrial-sized iron, and see if I can melt it off.

Wish me luck.

Artie

 

[AlexR]

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

er, razor blade.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

Scrape lug with X-Acto knife or similar scalpel. Or put drop of acetone into head of screw.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

Scrape lug with X-Acto knife or similar scalpel. Or put drop of acetone into head of screw.

This

*(Sent from my durned phone!)*

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

I know a guy who has one of those. He sold the neck and trem on ebay and the body is just sitting around.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

I had a 1983 Am Std Stratocaster with the Freeflyte Bridge Disaster. I swiftly realised that the spring cavity would accommodate a Kahler Pro flatmount vibrato. Four drilled holes and that was one problem fixed. (Still had the silly pick guard mounted jack socket.)

If cleaning up the screw head doesn't free things up, turn the immobility of the earthing lug to your advantage. Drill out the soldering hole.

 

[Artie]

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

Thanks for the tips guys. But the heavy-duty station at work did it. Even then, took some work. I was able to get it off without disturbing the coating on the screw.Its actually some kind of poly-something coating. Like they put on cheap bars.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

My 82/83 had a similar grounding lug and screw arrangement but the metal was bare. I wonder whether somebody added the varnish-like substance later to prevent shorting against a pot or the back of the bridge position pickup?

 

[Artie]

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

Re: I need some tech help from the "old school" tech's here. (Old tarnish and solderi

That's definitely possible. Someone else has been in here before. The wiring and soldering looks awful.