Wanna try mechanical connetion/crimp

[2DECADESSOFAR]

Lookin at a lotta alternative options for typical soldering as far as wire hookups in the cavity go.
Theres soldering, & believe it or not some guy used tiny screws & nut (screwed right thru the lugs) and someone also went with the old school wire crimp method with teh little blade style push on connectors. This method has been around since i was a toddler in all kinds of electronic applications.
Even though its not "typical" to use any other method in the cavity except "solder" for connections ...... Beings I have such TERRIBLE luck with soldering (I use patience,hot gun,tiny lead free flux solder & leaded with same results)
No matter what project & how careful I am, the end result after lets say 8-23 connections in the cavity .....by the end,I end up with a mediocre wiring job At Best.
SO........... strongly considering going to home depot ....buying a pack of little tab connector thingies to put on the end of each wire & sliding it onto the lug that they go to ....assuming they will slid on firmly that is ......THEN once its all done,go back & add a solder the connector to the lug,just as a "double sure" method. That way ,with my crappy solder skills,I know i will still end up with solid connections that will last for years.


any opinions? Sounds like a lotta work,but really its not. Its worth it to me to have solid connections.

[Algiman]

Why not just get a pile of wire off cuts and learn to solder properly? It'll be an hour well spent.

[2DECADESSOFAR]

If I totalled up all the hours ive spent soldering, or attempting to solder ... It would probably rack up to somewhere around ...40ish hours or so.

[Algiman]

Then you need to sit down with someone who can show you how to do it properly. Like most things, once you know how to do it it really isn't difficult.

[2DECADESSOFAR]

I wanna give an alternative appraoch a try. Ive been doing lil solder jobs on guitars since back in probably mid 90s,maybe even early 90s and they rarely turn out "good" without redoing some o fthe job several times,which in turn means thats much more moving around of wires thats been previously soldered,but now since theyve been moved a dozen more times,That solder joint may not be qiet as good as it was before wrestling all around with wires while working on another wire.
Emg has the new line out of Solderless hookups (pickups/pots/switches) and its way overdue. .... I will look next time Im at home depot & see if they carry small enough crimps that will snap down onto one of the lugs. If they do, Then I will be in business, because I will have a solid mechanical connection and then I can ad a solder on the connection/lug if I want to.

[moonlight]

I used to have trouble with soldering until I got a Weller WTCPT. With that set up soldering is so fast and easy I can't imagine messing around with mechanical connection would be an advantage.

[2DECADESSOFAR]

can I ask what made you decide to go with Weller as opposed to the typical pencil style gun?

[LonePhantom]

Get a tech or someone you know who can actually solder to install for you a Seymour Duncan liberator solderless pot. Once it's installed you can swap around pickups to your hearts content using just a small screwdriver.

[2DECADESSOFAR]

Im assuming the liberator just needs to be wired to the vol pot & output jack? I just have a 3 way, vol pot & thats all. may check into that,thanx.

[LonePhantom]

The Liberator IS a volume pot. You replace your stock one with it.

[2DECADESSOFAR]

well this Kent Armstrong is the best pickup Ive ever heard & most responsive so I dont see replacing it anytime in the next few years atleast,but ty. will still check into the liberator because im all for the mechanical parts side of things. Like plug & play stuff

[moonlight]

Originally Posted by 2DECADESSOFAR

can I ask what made you decide to go with Weller as opposed to the typical pencil style gun?

The WTCPT has very good temperature control which results in quick heating in the smallest area. I can usually hold the wire by the insulation very close to the solder joint with my fingers and not get burnt.

"Unique closed loop temperature control protects sensitive components
Ferromagnetic sensor in tip controls temperature, so no adjustment is required"

60 watts makes soldering to backs of pots and trem claws much easier. You can get a bunch of different tips for it. The one I like is tapered down to a fine point but is thick enough to really lay on the heat when needed.

The setup is a little spendy but I got one on e bay for a very reasonable price. They have a very good service record and parts are readily available.

[2DECADESSOFAR]

Yeh Ive heard of Weller before, just never made it to that level of soldering to wanna make the jump. thanx for the reccomendation though.

[AlaskaBat]

Practice soldering the right way.
Learn about disolder braid and pumps.
If you try to find a way around it--you're brushing off an invaluable tool.
There's only so much you can solve by going around it.
You obviously play guitar. Did you start out playing with the knowledge and technique of Vai, or like the rest if us--stumble along through the basics...hoping we'd eventually get it?

Learn soldering--there are great links in that sticky thread.

[RGTFanatic]

It doesn't make sense to me that, if you have problems with soldering, your going to use solderless connectors (witch BTW, will work on their own) and then solder them...... aren't you going to have the same problem?? Messy solder is messy solder no matter what you do it on.

The absolute best advice you can get has already been given......... Get a quality soldering iron. It's a game changer!!!

FWIW...... I use a Weller TB100pk for guitar work. An excellent tool for under $20. It's a 30 watt gun with a 100 watt boost (130w total) for quickly heating up pots. I'm on my second in three years......... not bad for $40 total!!