Tips getting quick connect pickups into cavity?

[UnderTheFlame83]

I removed quick connect pickups out of my SG and it was a pain just to get them out. I have another set that also uses the quick connect that I am having a hard time getting them in. Any tips? I tried taping them together and they still won't go through. I am getting frustrated and feel like throwing my SG across the room.

 

[UnderTheFlame83]

Quick connect. HA! There isn't anything quick about these. I could had changed out pickups in 3 guitars by now the old fashioned way. Last time I am buying this crap.

 

[UnderTheFlame83]

Got em in. Tape worked and tweezers. Had to take off volume pot, because wasn't enough room. After a struggle, they're in after 3 hrs.

 

[Mincer]

Tweezers were going to be my suggestion. Or tying string or fishing line over the connector, and sending that through the hole first.

 

[UnderTheFlame83]

Tweezers were going to be my suggestion. Or tying string or fishing line over the connector, and sending that through the hole first.

Didn't think of using fishing line. I zip tied them together and didn't work. Had to put them in separately, too. Cavity was pretty small.

 

[Aceman]

Classic Les Paul style move

#1 Capo the strings and then loosen until you can pull the Stop par off the posts

#2 Remove wire from pots

#3 Tie a string (fishing line, whatever - I use plain white kite string)

#4 pull string through cavity as you pull pickup out. Be sure a decent length remains on each end

#5 Pull new end through (Connector in this case)

Attach pickup to guitar, and quick connect.

 

[AdrianSD]

From a practical perspective I find soldering easier, quicker and more reliable long term. This quick connect stuff would only make sense for me if:
- The pickups came with the connector attached. Which is problematic in itself because different vendors have different wiring codes and they'll all have to follow some standard wiring schema, e.g from left to right NthStart/NthEnd/SthStart/SthEnd, something like those lines.
- The connector should be small enough, or the guitar(s) should be routed accordingly so that the connector can easily travel back & forth through the hole between the pickup and the pot/switch cavities.
Can't see this happening anytime soon, so for me it usually goes like this:
- Heat up the soldering iron and pop a stubby white waiting.
- Unsolder the pickup.
- Unscrew the pickup, drop the trem (no hard tail) and pull the pickup out.
- Squeeze the replacement pickup wires through, drop the trem again and install the pickup.
- Solder.
About 10 minutes all up, including the stubby liquid to air swap and testing the DCR resistance to make sure I didn't mess anything up.
I'm not a pro guitar guy (got back into electric guitar last year after 28ish years of hiatus), but I'm mechanically inclined and don't shy away from building my own PC or servicing my own cars (engine / transmission oil change, brake disks / pads / fluid replacement, alternator & water pump swap etc). Sometimes I f^&* things up monumentally - still have a '59 neck sitting around with one dead coil (( - but otherwise it's good fun, learning new things every day. Jack of all trades, master of none.

 

[alex1fly]

I enlarged the wire tunnel on a bass for some quick connects. Still a tight as heck fit. I've considered selling the pickups but worry I'd rip the connector off when pulling them out.