Tutorials for changing pickups?

OK... I'll reveal my technical ignorance here... try not to laugh at me.

I've never swapped out pickups from a guitar before. I've never even switched pickguards on guitars that have pickups attached to them. Never used a soldering iron in my life...

Does anyone know a good site/thread that would serve as a tutorial for doing this? Sort of a "Changing Pickups (or Pickguards) for Dummies"? :oops:

Thanks for not laughing... or at least not laughing too hard, anyway.

Hi from LaGrange, Ga. Here is a little help.
http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/how_to_install_a_pu.shtml
Make sure when you resolder.... that the solder "flows" nice and flat and looks shiny, not dull.

I'd love to get my hands on a wiring diagram for that tele he works on in the video - 5 way switch for tapped bridge.

Sounds like the positions (not sure in what order) are:

Bridge (full)
Bridge (tapped)
Neck
Bridge + Neck (full)
Bridge + Neck (tapped)

And here it is:

Tapped 5-way (http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/schematics/tapped_tele_5way.html)

Hi from LaGrange, Ga. Here is a little help.

Thanks!!!

Sweet, thanks. I'll add it to my collection.

The tapped 5 way looks easy to wire. Who's heard what this sounds like? Can someone give me a rundown Plz. With regard to the red 'tapped' wire on the bridge p/up, is this another earth? Where does it go on the p/up? Another run down would be appreciated. Thanks

A tapped single-coil pickup (usually the bridge pickup in the case of telecasters) is a single coil pickup that has two output leads, one at the end of the coil wind - and one somewhere in between. For example, you could have a single coil bridge pup that is tapped at around 6k, but the coil continues to about 10k, giving you the option to switch between these two different spots in the coil wind. In essence - it allows you to get extra output from the pickup - but the tone will also change as well. The 6k tap will probably sound brighter and twangier, while the end of the coil (usually anywhere between 7 & 10k) will sound 'rockier' with more mid-range.

The other wire you see coming off the bridge pickup is not another ground wire, but is the lead wire from where the pickup has be 'tapped'.

Is it possible to do a similar kind of wiring using a single output pup and a five way switch? If so, how?

Bob

Is it possible to do a similar kind of wiring using a single output pup and a five way switch? If so, how?

Bob

I'm not sure I understand the question. Do you mean a 5-way switch wiring with an untapped bridge pickup? I'm not sure what the point would be, there are still only 4 possible pickup configurations - bridge, neck, bridge+neck in parallel, bridge+neck in series; so you'd be better off just getting a 4-way switch.

The only other reason I can see for the five-way switch with standard pickups would be to add some capacitors in series on some of the positions for extra-muddy jazz tone.

Adding a capacitor would add a darker toned position. Hmmm, just rolling back the tone control would do the same thing, wouldn't it?

I am just thinking out loud trying to find new possibilities.

Yes it would. With the capacitor, you would just have a fixed value so you would consistently be getting the same tone with the flip of a switch.

I personally think that, with standard pickups, the 4-way switch is the way to go. Another additional component could be a phase mini-toggle in between the tone and volume knobs. I've had this wiring before and it's very versatile, you add two more out of phase positions to the 4 original settings, and the out of phase, in series position can be quite fun. Or you can do tricks like quickly toggling the switch and releasing a steel bend at the same time for a literal phase effect.