Extending pup wires

[gkelm]

On pups with short wire leads, any problem with stripping the ends, soldering longer wires, and covering with electrical tape?

I can't figure out why peple cut them so short in the first place!
Greg

[Kevan]

I don't see a problem with it, but....I'll recommend a few things:

1. *Use the same (or close to the same) gauge wire for each lead.
2. *Solder the splices; don't just twist them together.
3. *Avoid electrical tape. *Try some thin heat shrink tubing.

I don't know why people cut them so damn short either. *:-)

[jeff l]

What Kevan said. *I had to do it myself when I re-located the volume knob to the tone position to get it out of the way......I've had no problems.

[Project Guitar]

Yup what Kevan said works best :thumbsup:

Another way to seal the joint is take a Q-tip and some Dip-it (the stuff for making rubber handles on tools) and cover your solder joint.

[gkelm]

Thanks guys.
Greg

[Josh Blagg]

The reason they are cut so short is because it sounds better. *The shorter the wire, the less resistance it offers, and everyone knows a lower resistance from the pickup gives a better tone. *You've gotta figure EJ's pickup wires are less than an inch.

Ok, I'm just kidding, but wouldn't be surprised if I was right.

[stratoskier]

Hey lookey here! Reviving an old thread! With regards to extending PU wires: A guy I bought a used pickup from said he checked with "his tech" who said that rather than splice on a new wire, you should go back to where the wire starts and work from there (clip off the old lead completely). Is that even accessible? I don't have a PU in front of me, but I can't recall seeing where the leads start at the pickup and thought they were buried in the coils somewhere.

So is that bad advice? I've got some PUPS with really short wires and I need to extend them. Soldering on a wire of the same gauge as per Kevan's suggestion sounds a lot easier than the other plan.
Thanks,
Bert

[darren wilson]

It doesn't make any difference where the wires are soldered. An extra solder joint is an extra solder joint, whether it's 1/8" from the coil or 1" from the pickup selector.

I would advise against trying to solder anything near the coils, unless you are extremely skilled with a soldering iron and completely confident in your abillity to not screw it up completely.

[stratoskier]

Therein lies the rub: I SUCK at soldering. Last night I succeeded in burning a hole in my finger and sticking 2 wires on a switch that both popped off when I wiggled it. We need a Remedial Soldering tutorial somewhere. Damn, gotta quit typing: the big blister on my finger hurts.
Bert

(Thanks for answering, Darren)