Plug N play

[solspirit]

I'm seriously thinking about creating a plug in system for a strat pickup swaps, has anyone done this? Got any tips?

 

[Mincer]

You mean, like Molex connectors or something like that? I install those on wired-up pickguards, which makes it easy to swap.

 

[solspirit]

Yes exactly.

 

[solspirit]

Where do you get them?

 

[Artie]

I would think the Liberator system would be as close as ideal you could get for this.

 

[solspirit]

I would think the Liberator system would be as close as ideal you could get for this.

Is that an SD product?

 

[Artie]

Is that an SD product?

Yup. https://www.seymourduncan.com/single-product/liberator-potentiometer

 

[solspirit]

Yup. https://www.seymourduncan.com/single-product/liberator-potentiometer

Thanks Artie

 

[Artie]

It was initially designed for 2 humbuckers. But it works equally as well for three singles once you see how it works.

 

[solspirit]

I want to be able to swap back and forth between single coils and humbuckers

 

[Artie]

It will do that. The Liberator just provides a screw terminal block for the wires. The screw terminal, (upper tier, red arrow), is simply connected to the lower tier wires, (green arrow). Just wire up the lower tier wires wherever you want them to go, then make your temp connections to the corresponding screw terminals. For example, you might use those first three wires, (black, white, red), for your 3 single-coil hots. The middle 4 terminals are just ground. When you buy the Liberator, the wires are much longer.

 

[solspirit]

Excellent, that's exactly what I was thinking of.

 

[idsnowdog]

If I were to create a quick change system I would just wire the pots, switch and jack to a molex header and then use molex connectors for each pickup.

 

[Mincer]

I used the Molex connectors for the jack and ground. It makes it easy to swap pickguards. The Liberator is a good product, too, although the terminals are very small, so it might take a little longer. Not as long as firing up the soldering iron.
It is amazing to me that after 70 years of electric guitar, there isn't a universal system for this yet.

 

[JOLLY]

https://madhatterguitarproducts.com/

 

[Artie]

One of the reasons that I don't think too much of quik-connects on a Strat, is that by the time you loosen the strings, remove all the pickguard screws, and unscrew the pups themselves . . . my iron is more than hot enough and unsoldering a properly done connection is a fraction of the total swap time. By "proper" connection I mean, I just do an "L" shape on a tinned wire. It's just a touch of the iron to take off and then put on a wire. It just isn't a big deal.

On something like an LP, I could see it though.

 

[ehdwuld]

I used the Molex connectors for the jack and ground. It makes it easy to swap pickguards. The Liberator is a good product, too, although the terminals are very small, so it might take a little longer. Not as long as firing up the soldering iron.
It is amazing to me that after 70 years of electric guitar, there isn't a universal system for this yet.

I have gone to these

 

[Mincer]

I have gone to these

Hadn't seen those before. The size is kinda big to fit a few in the pickup cavity, though. But I can see them working. While soldering isn't a difficult skill, I know from talking to many people that the unwillingness to learn that skill has kept a lot of people from pickup swapping.

 

[beaubrummels]

I've been using these and just cut the number of terminals I need, but really could use smaller ones like the Liberator/MadHatter connectors.

 

[Liam1963]

I think Kinman pickups have a harness that accomplishes what you're looking for...