Replacing lead wires on humbucker -- how hard as DIY or how much should it cost?

[krm27]

I have a couple SD humbuckers (well, P-rails actually, but same wiring) with short leads. I currently have spliced extensions on the four wires & bare ground and put these in my guitar and they work fine, but it isn't pretty and there's some hum. Some one suggested replacing the leads and I've been mulling this over, as it would be a lot cleaner and might lessen the hum. I think I'd like to do it, and I'm not sure whether to tackle it myself or pay a guitar tech to do it. What would be a reasonable price to pay to replace the leads on two pickups? In case I try this myself, does anyone have good links to "how to" articles or videos for this process (I saw the Seymour Duncan article on replacing leads, but I was hoping to find others to help me really wrap my head around the process).

Ken

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Replacing lead wires on humbucker -- how hard as DIY or how much should it cost?

It's not hard to replace them.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Replacing lead wires on humbucker -- how hard as DIY or how much should it cost?

Just takes tidy soldering work and careful handling of the conductor wires.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Replacing lead wires on humbucker -- how hard as DIY or how much should it cost?

What you want to avoid is breaking the connection between the coil lead and the coil wire. Having to solder one of those back on it a pita. Soldering new 4 conductor onto the leads attached to the coils is no more difficult than any other guitar rewiring. Just don't overheat the wires. Tin them, then just tap them together on the tip of the iron. Oh, and mind your colors.

 

[firebirdguy72]

Re: Replacing lead wires on humbucker -- how hard as DIY or how much should it cost?

Yep it's not too hard. The hardest part I think is getting all the wires routed just right so everything fits correctly again. Although as Demanic said it is a serious PITA to re solder the coil wires onto the lead wires so be careful if you decide to do it yourself.

 

[orpheo]

Re: Replacing lead wires on humbucker -- how hard as DIY or how much should it cost?

I never did a replacement on prails but on other humbuckers it's easy.

 

[krm27]

Re: Replacing lead wires on humbucker -- how hard as DIY or how much should it cost?

Thanks, I'm going to go for it.

-Ken

 

[blueman335]

Re: Replacing lead wires on humbucker -- how hard as DIY or how much should it cost?

Yep it's not too hard.

'Not too hard' in the sense that the average 12 year old would have no problem doing it.