Re: Soldering tips
Make sure you use 60/40 alloy (tin/lead). I tried the lead-free and it didn't work.
Yup, I always forget there are lead free alloys in use all over the world (militaries, and aerospace are exempt). It's no big deal, but even my Duncan P-Rails have a RoHS compliant label on the bottom. Seymour has to sell product all over the planet (Europe), and lead free solders are a minimal issue with the
actual manufacture of pickups themselves.
Installation is our issue here. Lead free solders are harder to work with, need special fluxes, require substantially higher working temps, and not as "sweet" when one has work and rework the solder joint, which can be common with pedal mods, and amp builds. Too much heat can destroy a solder pad, and this is even more of a problem, as the PC board metallic traces used in nearly all electronics get thinner and thinner for economics sake.
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There is really no need to buy 60/40 solder in one pound rolls for a typical guitar player! First, the amount of solder a typical guitar player might use in a lifetime is VERY low. Second, smaller amounts might be more expensive by the foot, but if those parts are split up...it protects one from losing the entire roll!
What I am getting at, is there are really convenient 1/2 ounce hand-held dispensers for .031" solder. The actual size of the tube is about 5" long:
These are great! They might cost $4 each, but buying a $18 pound of the same solder is silly! I am a bench tech, and it takes YEARS and YEARS to use up a pound of solder. If you want a solid pound of the stuff, getting a freind or two to split the cost makes far more sense.
Also, one could make their own hand-held dispenser from any number of empty plastic tubes and markers, as long as a they are cleaned out and a hole made to dispense. Wrapping the solder around a dowel or rod will get you the form you need to fill the dispenser, if have/insist on the one pound roll.:bigok: