soldering
- Thread starter eric22rr
- Start date
rspst14
Tone Cat
Re: soldering
I would strongly suggest using a 40 watt iron for guitar work. As long as you don't overdo it and leave the iron tip on the joint for too long, you won't burn anything, and you'll get much better results. Soldering became much less frustrating when I moved up to a 40 watt iron. As for solder, I like the silver bearing solder they sell at Radio Shack. I've always gotten cleaner, shinier joints with it than I did using 60/40. I generally find the thin diameter solder to be easiest to work with, but it doesn't hurt to have a bigger size for soldering to the back of pots.
Ryan
I would strongly suggest using a 40 watt iron for guitar work. As long as you don't overdo it and leave the iron tip on the joint for too long, you won't burn anything, and you'll get much better results. Soldering became much less frustrating when I moved up to a 40 watt iron. As for solder, I like the silver bearing solder they sell at Radio Shack. I've always gotten cleaner, shinier joints with it than I did using 60/40. I generally find the thin diameter solder to be easiest to work with, but it doesn't hurt to have a bigger size for soldering to the back of pots.
Ryan
Re: soldering
I agree ++ to the 40 watt iron.
There are lots of good solderig tutorials on the net..if you want to perfect you skills.
I was told to always use a heat sink on the pot lugs (just below the joint to be soldered) and to get the iron on and off of these joints as quickly as possible, while still making a good solder connection. A heat sink will also help prevent cooking the cap.
Practice, as always, will gradually give better results.
It is also a good idea to have a small fan ( e.g., computer power supply size) sucking the fumes away from you (NOT BLOWING TOWARDS THE JOINT BEING SOLDERED) as the fumes can irritate your eyes after a while and are hazardous to your health if you breathe them.
A "solder sucker" or soldering braid is also helpful for desoldering, especially if you have got globs of solder where you only need/want a small amount.
Just some ideas for you to consider.
Good luck with the new pups !!
I agree ++ to the 40 watt iron.
There are lots of good solderig tutorials on the net..if you want to perfect you skills.
I was told to always use a heat sink on the pot lugs (just below the joint to be soldered) and to get the iron on and off of these joints as quickly as possible, while still making a good solder connection. A heat sink will also help prevent cooking the cap.
Practice, as always, will gradually give better results.
It is also a good idea to have a small fan ( e.g., computer power supply size) sucking the fumes away from you (NOT BLOWING TOWARDS THE JOINT BEING SOLDERED) as the fumes can irritate your eyes after a while and are hazardous to your health if you breathe them.
A "solder sucker" or soldering braid is also helpful for desoldering, especially if you have got globs of solder where you only need/want a small amount.
Just some ideas for you to consider.
Good luck with the new pups !!
Re: soldering
sounds good... i haven't used a heat sink, but I have one. Do i attach that to the wire I'm soldering to the lugs, or do i clamp it onto the lug below the soldering point? (the lug is the loop that i insert the wire into, and where i solder them together, right?)
From what you guys said, I'm definitely moving to a 40-Watt soldering iron. I've been practicing with my 25-Watt iron on small resistors. I should actually move up to bigger components to practice on. I can waste a few bucks practicing with a PCB board and cheap resistors, but when it comes to lug-type connections, what is good to practice on? When I get around to opening up my guitar, I want it to be second-nature by then, so how should I practice for guitar soldering without actually opening up my guitar?
greco said:
sounds good... i haven't used a heat sink, but I have one. Do i attach that to the wire I'm soldering to the lugs, or do i clamp it onto the lug below the soldering point? (the lug is the loop that i insert the wire into, and where i solder them together, right?)
From what you guys said, I'm definitely moving to a 40-Watt soldering iron. I've been practicing with my 25-Watt iron on small resistors. I should actually move up to bigger components to practice on. I can waste a few bucks practicing with a PCB board and cheap resistors, but when it comes to lug-type connections, what is good to practice on? When I get around to opening up my guitar, I want it to be second-nature by then, so how should I practice for guitar soldering without actually opening up my guitar?
nahfuten
New member
Re: soldering
i use eutectic soldier (63/37) because its just plain easier. this claim has been shot down here a few times, but if you have a good electronics store nearby (NOT radioshack), they should have it. it really makes soldering and de-soldering a hell of a lot easier. also, you don't need as hot of an iron to produce the same results (less chance of burning up pots, caps)
i use eutectic soldier (63/37) because its just plain easier. this claim has been shot down here a few times, but if you have a good electronics store nearby (NOT radioshack), they should have it. it really makes soldering and de-soldering a hell of a lot easier. also, you don't need as hot of an iron to produce the same results (less chance of burning up pots, caps)
Re: soldering
2:30 AM and can't sleep.
If you send me a private message with your email address I'll send you some info/pics,etc. re: soldering guitar parts.
Electronics is my hobby and I've done electronics work on several guitars. I'm not claiming to be an expert, but I've learned a fair amount by working on a variety of guitars.
It is easier to send the info. as attachments than it is to type it all out.
Iwould suggest that you buy or get an old used/dead potentiometer (pot) to practice on. It would help you more than PCB soldering. Even new, they aren't all that expensive. I put the pot. upside down in a small block of wood with a hole* in it (*for the pot. shaft). This acts as a quick form of stable holder for soldering and makes soldering the ground wire (shield) to the back/underside of the pot much easier.
Make sure that the surfaces being soldered are clean and all oxidation is removed from the metal. The cleaning can be done with emery cloth (someone will disagree here) or very lightly filed/scraped. Don't use steel wool , especially near pickup magnets.
It is helpful to heat the ends of the wires you intend to solder and run a small amount of solder onto them. Let them cool and then make the joints between the wires, onto the lug, etc.
You might also want to get used to working with single conductor shielded wire. This type of wire is often used because it helps reduce potential noise problems, and the nice thing is that you always have a source of ground going with the wire you are connecting. Less wires in the control cavity/body of the guitar also.
Wires without shields act as mini antennae.
The lug is the metal terminal extending from the pot. and it has a hole at the end. Put the sink on the lug just below the lug hole where you will be soldering. Try to make a simple "mechanical joint" by putting the wire through the hole, bend it around and crimp it gently. This helps to make the joint stronger and is the proper method. The stability of the joint should not be totally dependent on the solder.
After soldering, it is suggested to clean the cooled surfaces with a Q-tip and alcohol (rubbing alcohol...not beer, etc) or a similar type of solvent. This will remove the resin which is apparently corrosive to metal over the long term (probably over hundreds of years or something). Tedious work and maybe not all that essential.
Also, try not to handle lead alloy solder too much and wash your hands after. Especially if you put your hand to your mouth to smoke cigarettes. Although, probably the cigarettes are more of a hazard than the lead
(not a lecture...I smoke)
Heat shrink tubing is sold in various diameters and colors. This stuff is great for putting a layer of insulating material around a wire if needed or for protecting/helping to add extra stability/security to a soldered joint. You just cut it to length, slip it on the wire before you solder( if both ends are going to be soldered), move it out of the way, solder, slide it over the joint and heat it gently with a cigarette lighter/match.
I slide a piece of heat shrink tubing over the end of the ground/shield part of the wire from the insulated portion of the wire to about 3/16 of an inch from the end of the ground wire and then solder the ground to the back of the pot. This protects the shield from touching a terminal,etc.
Probably overkill.
Using small pieces of color coded heat shrink anywhere on the wires helps to keep you organized as to which wire is going where. This can be a big help. Tubing is a bit expensive, but worth it.
Some of the above will not be appropriate if you work with the pots. attached to the pick guard (e.g., putting the pot. upside down in a holder and some applications will not use shielded wire).
I await the comments of others. We can all learn more from each other.
What type of guitar do you have?
2:30 AM and can't sleep.
If you send me a private message with your email address I'll send you some info/pics,etc. re: soldering guitar parts.
Electronics is my hobby and I've done electronics work on several guitars. I'm not claiming to be an expert, but I've learned a fair amount by working on a variety of guitars.
It is easier to send the info. as attachments than it is to type it all out.
Iwould suggest that you buy or get an old used/dead potentiometer (pot) to practice on. It would help you more than PCB soldering. Even new, they aren't all that expensive. I put the pot. upside down in a small block of wood with a hole* in it (*for the pot. shaft). This acts as a quick form of stable holder for soldering and makes soldering the ground wire (shield) to the back/underside of the pot much easier.
Make sure that the surfaces being soldered are clean and all oxidation is removed from the metal. The cleaning can be done with emery cloth (someone will disagree here) or very lightly filed/scraped. Don't use steel wool , especially near pickup magnets.
It is helpful to heat the ends of the wires you intend to solder and run a small amount of solder onto them. Let them cool and then make the joints between the wires, onto the lug, etc.
You might also want to get used to working with single conductor shielded wire. This type of wire is often used because it helps reduce potential noise problems, and the nice thing is that you always have a source of ground going with the wire you are connecting. Less wires in the control cavity/body of the guitar also.
Wires without shields act as mini antennae.
The lug is the metal terminal extending from the pot. and it has a hole at the end. Put the sink on the lug just below the lug hole where you will be soldering. Try to make a simple "mechanical joint" by putting the wire through the hole, bend it around and crimp it gently. This helps to make the joint stronger and is the proper method. The stability of the joint should not be totally dependent on the solder.
After soldering, it is suggested to clean the cooled surfaces with a Q-tip and alcohol (rubbing alcohol...not beer, etc) or a similar type of solvent. This will remove the resin which is apparently corrosive to metal over the long term (probably over hundreds of years or something). Tedious work and maybe not all that essential.
Also, try not to handle lead alloy solder too much and wash your hands after. Especially if you put your hand to your mouth to smoke cigarettes. Although, probably the cigarettes are more of a hazard than the lead
(not a lecture...I smoke)
Heat shrink tubing is sold in various diameters and colors. This stuff is great for putting a layer of insulating material around a wire if needed or for protecting/helping to add extra stability/security to a soldered joint. You just cut it to length, slip it on the wire before you solder( if both ends are going to be soldered), move it out of the way, solder, slide it over the joint and heat it gently with a cigarette lighter/match.
I slide a piece of heat shrink tubing over the end of the ground/shield part of the wire from the insulated portion of the wire to about 3/16 of an inch from the end of the ground wire and then solder the ground to the back of the pot. This protects the shield from touching a terminal,etc.
Probably overkill.
Using small pieces of color coded heat shrink anywhere on the wires helps to keep you organized as to which wire is going where. This can be a big help. Tubing is a bit expensive, but worth it.
Some of the above will not be appropriate if you work with the pots. attached to the pick guard (e.g., putting the pot. upside down in a holder and some applications will not use shielded wire).
I await the comments of others. We can all learn more from each other.
What type of guitar do you have?
Last edited:
Artie
Peaveyologist
Re: soldering
I'm surprised that anyone would shoot that down. 63/37 is the perfect electronics blend. Since its now readily available, there's no reason not to use it.
I'll mention, (one 'mo time), my hesitation to use solder with silver content. Most silver solder only has a very small percentage of silver. It isn't enough to improve the electrical connection. Its only purpose is to raise the melting point of the solder, which is the last thing in the world you need in guitar electronics.
Its intended for use in high heat applications - like jet engines.
Just my 2-cents worth.
Artie
nahfuten said:
I'm surprised that anyone would shoot that down. 63/37 is the perfect electronics blend. Since its now readily available, there's no reason not to use it.
I'll mention, (one 'mo time), my hesitation to use solder with silver content. Most silver solder only has a very small percentage of silver. It isn't enough to improve the electrical connection. Its only purpose is to raise the melting point of the solder, which is the last thing in the world you need in guitar electronics.
Its intended for use in high heat applications - like jet engines.
Just my 2-cents worth.
Artie
Re: soldering
I have a Gibson LP studio... black I got it a few months ago, so it hasn't been modified at all.
I'm noticing some pretty sloppy soldering in it. There is a wire that goes from the bridge to the back of one of the pots, right? (this wire is disconnected, but I see a depression in a pool of solder where it looks like the wire should be) This is to ground the bridge/rest of the guitar? Also, where is the primary path to ground? I know basic electronics, so I'm just conceptually applying it to the guitar. I understand how some lugs are soldered to ground, and that the plate that holds all of the pots is attached to ground. I'm assuming that guitar cables aren't coaxial (or are they?) I guess they would have to be if the main path to ground is back through the guitar cable, and then to ground through the amp.
greco said:
I have a Gibson LP studio... black I got it a few months ago, so it hasn't been modified at all.
I'm noticing some pretty sloppy soldering in it. There is a wire that goes from the bridge to the back of one of the pots, right? (this wire is disconnected, but I see a depression in a pool of solder where it looks like the wire should be) This is to ground the bridge/rest of the guitar? Also, where is the primary path to ground? I know basic electronics, so I'm just conceptually applying it to the guitar. I understand how some lugs are soldered to ground, and that the plate that holds all of the pots is attached to ground. I'm assuming that guitar cables aren't coaxial (or are they?) I guess they would have to be if the main path to ground is back through the guitar cable, and then to ground through the amp.
octavedoctor
New member
Re: soldering
Yess that wire should be connected
I suppose you could say that the primary path to ground is via the pot casings and their interconnections.
Well, they sort of are; the term Co-axial is usually reserved for certain types of low-loss cable used in r/f applications: Aerial and satellite cable, for example, but a braided or lapped screen cable is a kind of co-axial cable as it has the main signal path running inside the earth/screen rather than side-by-side.
eric22rr said:
Yess that wire should be connected
eric22rr said:
I suppose you could say that the primary path to ground is via the pot casings and their interconnections.
eric22rr said:
Well, they sort of are; the term Co-axial is usually reserved for certain types of low-loss cable used in r/f applications: Aerial and satellite cable, for example, but a braided or lapped screen cable is a kind of co-axial cable as it has the main signal path running inside the earth/screen rather than side-by-side.
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