Quick Disconnects for Pickup Connection?

[Hyperborea]

I'm going to be changing the pickups on my semi-hollow body (ESP Edwards 335 clone) and while I'm reasonably sure of my choice I might want to change them again without the hassle of pulling apart a semi's wiring. So, I'm thinking that I'll run the wiring from the electronics up to the pickup cavities and put quick disconnects on the ends (hot, neutral, and ground). Then I'll do the same on the pickups. That way if I do change my mind I can easily swap the pickups.

I'm thinking either standard spade single wire quick disconnects or perhaps computer molex connectors. Does anybody have any experience doing this? Any advice?

By the way, the pickup swap is from a factory installed Jazz neck and Custom 5 bridge to a set of Seth Lovers.

 

[dominus]

Re: Quick Disconnects for Pickup Connection?

I've thought about doing it, the 4 pin power connectors would use a really thick gauge wiring. Go for the 3 pin fan style connectors if you're going that route. If you've got a hobby shop nearby, check with them, they've usually got all kinds of connectors.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Quick Disconnects for Pickup Connection?

XLRs!

I would use the fan style things. EMG uses them and they don't seem to cause trouble or treble.

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: Quick Disconnects for Pickup Connection?

I might have some ideas for you. If you haven't performed the install yet, contact me by sending me an email through this site (click on my name to the left)

Also remember the Triple Shot switching system is a great way to wire up a semi-hollow. You can cut and splice the existing pickup leads right to the triple shot's lead, and then all subsequent pickup changes can be done right at the Triple Shot. It still involves soldering, but saves the removal of the entire wiring harness.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Quick Disconnects for Pickup Connection?

This topic's come up before. You spend time on putting on connectors or soldering. Take your pick. No real time or work savings. Since manufacturers will never agree on standardized connectors and wire positions within a connector, it'll never be a universal thing in our lifetimes. Quick disconnects also have a reputation for eventually causing shorts, which can be a disaster on stage. More downsides than benefits. The consensus was that we'd rather solder, as it's very fast and easy, and much more secure. Most felt quick disconnects were a half-assed method, that you'd have to redo anyways. Why not do it right the first time.

Almost invaribly the guys who are attracted to quick disconnects have little if any experience soldering, but once they finally do some soldering, the appeal of quick disconnects quickly fades.

 

[Jeff5]

Re: Quick Disconnects for Pickup Connection?

I find that if I already have a pup soldered in, that changing it out for a new one is a very quick process. I like Frank's idea about the triple shot, I've thought of doing that too, but don't have that product...yet!

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: Quick Disconnects for Pickup Connection?

Quick tip for the Triple Shot, if you think you'll reuse it on another pickup(s) then take a razor blade and cut a strip on the adhesive back so that you're only removing a little bit of the paper. That adhesive tape is gnarly, and will take a lot of manhandling to get off of a pickup once applied. If you just cut part of the paper away, you'll still get good bite but it will be easier to remove. Then for the next pickup you can cut more away and have fresh adhesive. When it's worn away, you can add your own double stick tape or just put a piece of tape over it after soldering.

 

[dvadneau]

Re: Quick Disconnects for Pickup Connection?

Double-edged sword those Triple Shots. They help with the situation where you might get a pickup with short leads, but also promote the very act of shortening them.

Please don't cut the leads down. Tie them or something. Eventually pickups are swapped and someone tries to sell a pickup with 2-3" of lead and you end up trying to tack on another lead with maybe 2" of usable wire left. ... or maybe everyone should just get a set of Triple Shots!

I was swapping pickups in my LP so often I just ran a shielded set of wires to the neck and bridge and soldered the pickups outside of the body and slid the wires back in with the pickups (chambered/semi hollow - lots of room for the wires, no need to cut anything).

The Triple Shots came out mid-way through my tone quest for that guitar so, I didn't get a set for that. Still more guitars though

 

[Hyperborea]

Re: Quick Disconnects for Pickup Connection?

Thanks for a lot of great input. I think I'm going to be using XLRs! :biglaugh:

First, don't worry about me polluting the used pickup market with pickups having 2" leads - I have no plans to chop up the wiring to fit the Seths in. I will be pulling the whole wiring harness and might do an upgrade on the other components while I'm in. I will be running full new wires from the controls up the pickup cavities. I just don't want to do it again and am looking for alternatives to doing so. On the cavity end of the wires I'll either use some sort of connector or just solder the full Seth wiring on there and wrap the wires up.

As for the suggestion that I might be "afraid" of soldering that's definitely not the case. I've been doing it since the early 80's when I used to build computer circuit boards and have wired up a guitar or two since and poked about inside some tube amps too.

I'm surprised that there are reports of problems using quick disconnects. These are used in everything from computers to industrial equipment that has much more vibration than a guitar does. I can only guess that either a connector for the wrong gauge of wire was used or the pins weren't placed on correctly.

I hadn't thought of using a Triple Shot - I'm not sure how the Seths would sound split and I'm not sure that I'm looking for that in the semi. I do have Triple Shots in my Edwards LP that has PRails and the tones wired up using push-push pots for series/parallel and phase between the pickups.


P.S. Frank, I tried to send you a private message about your suggestions and I wasn't able to since your message box has gone over quota.

 

[formula73]

Re: Quick Disconnects for Pickup Connection?

Quick disconnects also have a reputation for eventually causing shorts

This. I think I might have made a thread about my 05 LPC and the EMG 18v mod, which, to me, was indecisive, but the big lesson I learned was that the whole solderless thing is crap. I thought it was a cool idea...a week later, every time I wanted to play the damn thing, I had to give it a solid knee to the control cavity or nothing came out.:smack:

 

[santellan]

Re: Quick Disconnects for Pickup Connection?

The solderless wiring concept is not the problem, what is the problem are poorly designed implementations of them. In engineering we have a saying - garbage in, garbage out. You just need to find a better designed product.

 

[Markk]

Re: Quick Disconnects for Pickup Connection?

Wiring it up that way shouldn't be a problem. I can see it coming in quite hand if you want to do multiple pup swaps as soldering the wires to whereever can become a tedious task.