If it ain't broken then don't fix it! (When will I learn?)

[wiggy]

The pups in my Dot Studio have sort of been temporarily fitted using quick release plugs for a while now and, whilst working fine, had a rather large amount of spare wiring wrapped up in the body. As this occasionally picked up a bit of hum I decided that I would fit them correctly.

 

Now this would seem to be a fairly reasonable course of action but my soldering skills are awesome (that's awesome in the literal sense i.e. the sight of me with a soldering iron in my hands is enough to terrify all and eveyone - )

 

I should have called it quits when unsoldering the existing wires from the selector switch I managed to get solder between two terminals and ended up having to dismantle it to clean up the mess but no, on I ploughed!

 

Having reassembled the switch it took me about 10 mins to prep the wires, drop the pups into place and get everything ready.

 

Nearly 3 hours later I'd finally managed to attach the all the wires (all 6 of them) - that's an average of 30 mins a wire

and the finished result looks like someone has randomly spat solder at it from a great distance.

 

Next time I'm going to get my local shop tech to do it for me.

 

A couple of things that did come out of it though

 

1. Before I took the original wiring out I did a quick A/B between the Gibson 57, a GFS 59 and an original Epi pup.

There was little to chose between the GFS and the OEM pickups but the Gibson 57 was a world apart. Clearer, more articulate, far better string to string definition and a far greater dynamic range.

 

2. Whilst soldering, the cloth I'd placed over the guitar top fell off and hot solder dropped onto the wood. God knows what finish they use on the Dot Studios but it didn't leave so much as a hint of a mark.

[jonnyg]

Nearly 3 hours later I'd finally managed to attach the all the wires (all 6 of them) - that's an average of 30 mins a wire and the finished result looks like someone has randomly spat solder at it from a great distance.

Congratulations, that's exactly how the wiring on my Wilshire looks. You are now fully qualified to work at the Indonesian Epiphone plant as wireman, first class.

[RobinTheHood]

Hehe...sounds like the first time I ever soldered...and the 2nd time, and the 3rd and 4th, and 5th, 6th...

[audiomitch]

This is how you get better. Doing it as opposed to reading about how to do it.

[The.Traffic.Lights]

Hm... I was pretty much confident of my soldering skills after I mended my chandelier. After several failed attempts I used terminal blocks instead.

I plan to change pups and maybe electronics in my LP Std in some time, and no way I'm going to do that myself!

[wiggy]

This is how you get better. Doing it as opposed to reading about how to do it.

 

Yeah but I've been doing it for 30 odd years now and still haven't got any better. Oddly enough I can gas and arc weld reasonably cleanly but I've never managed to get the hang of soldering.

[audiomitch]

Yeah but I've been doing it for 30 odd years now and still haven't got any better. Oddly enough I can gas and arc weld reasonably cleanly but I've never managed to get the hang of soldering.

 

You may not be using a hot enough soldering iron. That's usually what happens. If it's too hot it will destroy whatever you're soldering, so you learn to work quickly. Once it "flows" you're done!

[Cheeks]

The pups in my Dot Studio have sort of been temporarily fitted using quick release plugs for a while now and, whilst working fine, had a rather large amount of spare wiring wrapped up in the body. As this occasionally picked up a bit of hum I decided that I would fit them correctly.

 

Now this would seem to be a fairly reasonable course of action but my soldering skills are awesome (that's awesome in the literal sense i.e. the sight of me with a soldering iron in my hands is enough to terrify all and eveyone - )

 

I should have called it quits when unsoldering the existing wires from the selector switch I managed to get solder between two terminals and ended up having to dismantle it to clean up the mess but no, on I ploughed!

Next time used "desoldering braid" to cleanup the mess between the switch terminals.

You set the end of the clean copper braided wire on the terminal and apply heat with the

soldering pencil... that will soak the braid with the solder that was in excess on the terminal.

You buy the braided desoldering wick by the roll... Rat Shack usually has it.

Having reassembled the switch it took me about 10 mins to prep the wires, drop the pups into place and get everything ready.

 

Nearly 3 hours later I'd finally managed to attach the all the wires (all 6 of them) - that's an average of 30 mins a wire

and the finished result looks like someone has randomly spat solder at it from a great distance.

 

Next time I'm going to get my local shop tech to do it for me.

 

A couple of things that did come out of it though

 

1. Before I took the original wiring out I did a quick A/B between the Gibson 57, a GFS 59 and an original Epi pup.

There was little to chose between the GFS and the OEM pickups but the Gibson 57 was a world apart. Clearer, more articulate, far better string to string definition and a far greater dynamic range.

 

2. Whilst soldering, the cloth I'd placed over the guitar top fell off and hot solder dropped onto the wood. God knows what finish they use on the Dot Studios but it didn't leave so much as a hint of a mark.

That's because the solder-splash was hair-thin and instantly cooled so as to do no damage.

 

CHEEKS

[RobinTheHood]

Ah yes. desoldering braid. Good stuff. Good for cleaning the tip of your iron as well.

[Cheeks]

Ah yes. desoldering braid. Good stuff. Good for cleaning the tip of your iron as well.

 

Yes.

I am a ham operator (amateur radio) and am military retired communications

from morse code through satellite. Also I restored antique radios as a hobby for

nine years as well... and built and designed many circuits.

 

I know electronics.

 

CHEEKS

[RobinTheHood]

Wiggy, Cheeks' post got me thinking. Were you using flux when soldering? I didnt see any mention of it, and seeing as it took 30 minutes per wire, I'm wondering if maybe that is why. Flux helps bring down the melting point of the solder, making it flow quicker. I've found that the best soldering jobs are done in a matter of seconds (per solder)...and you cant do that without flux.

 

If you were using flux, pardon me for a dumb question. Its hard to tell what peoples' skill levels are, but I fugured I should ask.

[wiggy]

You may not be using a hot enough soldering iron. That's usually what happens. If it's too hot it will destroy whatever you're soldering, so you learn to work quickly. Once it "flows" you're done!

 

Don't think the iron's the problem as my 14 year old daughter uses exactly the same one at school in her DT class and her solder work is immaculate on everything from wiring to PCB tracks (makes me sick!) Oh and before you suggest it - she wants more than the local guitar shop tech to redo it once you factor in the cost of the petrol, parking and lunch let alone the item of clothing she's got her eye on (mercenary little horror she is - lol. Will go far that one!!)

 

Cheeks - Yep - desoldering braid (or a solder sucker) would have been a sensible thing to have on hand. Trouble is there was nowhere locally (i.e within walking distance or <2 mile) which stocks either and the car's off the road at the moment due to a lack of ability to afford to tax/insure/put petrol in her since my job went south 18 months ago so anywhere further than walking distance tends to be out of the question (public transport here in the sticks is mega expensive past a couple of stops.)

 

Actually - as a postscript, I don't know what's happened but obviously the wiring has moved and shorted across somewhere as now both pickups seem to be on no matter where the selector switch is. The only difference going from positions 1,2 & 3 seems to make is a difference in volume plus the volume controls seem to be dependent on each other. Both pickups are working as can be verified by tapping each one.

 

Thing is I'm loathed to touch anything because it appears to be a real serendipity moment. It now sounds better than ever with the blend of the P90 and the 57 working in perfect harmony.

[wiggy]

Wiggy, Cheeks' post got me thinking. Were you using flux when soldering? I didnt see any mention of it, and seeing as it took 30 minutes per wire, I'm wondering if maybe that is why. Flux helps bring down the melting point of the solder, making it flow quicker. I've found that the best soldering jobs are done in a matter of seconds (per solder)...and you cant do that without flux.

 

If you were using flux, pardon me for a dumb question. Its hard to tell what peoples' skill levels are, but I fugured I should ask.

 

Yep - was using flux. The 30 mins per wire wasn't the time it took to actually solder the wire it was the average time it took me to get each wire soldered sufficiently acceptably (i.e only a 90% rather than a 100% s**t job i.e 10 or 12 attempts with swearing time in between!)

[RobinTheHood]

Don't think the iron's the problem as my 14 year old daughter uses exactly the same one at school in her DT class and her solder work is immaculate on everything from wiring to PCB tracks (makes me sick!) Oh and before you suggest it - she wants more than the local guitar shop tech to redo it once you factor in the cost of the petrol, parking and lunch let alone the item of clothing she's got her eye on (mercenary little horror she is - lol. Will go far that one!!)

 

 

 

HA! So make her teach you how to do it. Tell her its payment for the fouteen years of your life that you've sacrifced on raising her properly.

[wiggy]

HA! So make her teach you how to do it. Tell her its payment for the fouteen years of your life that you've sacrifced on raising her properly.

 

And from that suggestion I'm assuming you don't actually HAVE a daughter - LOL

 

The day she was born she looked up at me, opened her big brown eyes and the message came through loud and clear 'Just accept it - you've lost ALL the arguments from now on!'

 

So far she doesn't seem to have been proved wrong

 

Love her to bits though!

[Cheeks]

The type of solder to use is electronics or radio solder.

Do not use plumber's solder... as it has NO FLUX inside

the solder.

 

Radio solder is hollow with flux inside the solder.

 

Also, solders come in different melting temperatures too...

that may a problem if you don't know what you are using.

 

You don't have to BUY desoldering braid.

You can scrounge some up...

find some old communications coaxial cable

or old shielded audio cable that has the

braided shielding inside.... cut off a hunk

of that wire and strip the vinyl outer covering

off and pull off YOUR NEW SCROUNGED desoldering braid.

On the cheap... like owning a Epi...

 

CHEEKS

[RobinTheHood]

And from that suggestion I'm assuming you don't actually HAVE a daughter - LOL

 

The day she was born she looked up at me, opened her big brown eyes and the message came through loud and clear 'Just accept it - you've lost ALL the arguments from now on!'

 

So far she doesn't seem to have been proved wrong

 

Love her to bits though!

 

 

I do have a daughter...but shes only 8. I still win the arguments...for now.

[wiggy]

The type of solder to use is electronics or radio solder.

Do not use plumber's solder... as it has NO FLUX inside

the solder.

 

Radio solder is hollow with flux inside the solder.

 

Also, solders come in different melting temperatures too...

that may a problem if you don't know what you are using.

 

You don't have to BUY desoldering braid.

You can scrounge some up...

find some old communications coaxial cable

or old shielded audio cable that has the

braided shielding inside.... cut off a hunk

of that wire and strip the vinyl outer covering

off and pull off YOUR NEW SCROUNGED desoldering braid.

On the cheap... like owning a Epi...

 

CHEEKS

 

It is electronics solder (40/60 if memory serves correctly). No idea what the melting point is, just bought as generic lead/tin solder.

 

Great tip re the desoldering braid - I've got plenty of old shielded audio cable lying around which I can strip.

[Gordy01]

My daughters are now 29, and 32.

Soldering is WAY easy compared to daughters!!

Need I mention wives?

 

OK Shiela, I'm waiting.......