Wire pick-up directly to 1/4" jack?

[Greyum]

I'm building a guitar and I want to do an initial setup test prior to finishing the guitar, I'm wondering if there is any reason not to wire a pickup directly to the 1/4" jack for a quick test.

I'm assuming it's okay, because that is exactly what a jack-pot or volume at 10 (or 11) does... yes I know I need to ensure the pickup and bridge grounding wires are grounded.

Saves me time connecting a bunch of stuff that I would then have to unwire...

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Wire pick-up directly to 1/4" jack?

Do it all the time.

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: Wire pick-up directly to 1/4" jack?

Go for it! As with SK I often do this for quick tests as well.

I used to use a setup with a jack and a kill switch already in line, so I'd just wire to the switch so I could still have an off position incase microphonics etc were an issue.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Wire pick-up directly to 1/4" jack?

Its fine.....its the recommended way of testing if there are pot issues.

FWIW, its not what the pot does at 10, and there are tonal differences with a vol pot in there.

 

[Artie]

Re: Wire pick-up directly to 1/4" jack?

FWIW, its not what the pot does at 10, and there are tonal differences with a vol pot in there.

Exactly. The pot adds a "load" that affects its overall character. But you can just solder either a 250k or 500k resistor across the output jack terminals to simulate that load.

 

[metalchurch79]

Re: Wire pick-up directly to 1/4" jack?

KK and Glenn's tour guitars are supposedly wired this way. Im not sure if there is a kill switch, but id imagine so. Their reasoning is less stuff to go wrong, cant say as I disaree.

 

[dave74]

Re: Wire pick-up directly to 1/4" jack?

Karl Sanders from Nile is another, having his Invaders wired raw.

 

[Greyum]

Re: Wire pick-up directly to 1/4" jack?

Super, that saves me from having to do the wiring twice!