A little wiring help

[HereForThePorn]

This is my first guitar I'm actually building from parts. So it's the first time I've actually had to wire anything. I think I pretty much understand where most things have to go, I just have some questions that may seem absolutely stupid to those of you who know what you're doing.

Okay, so here is my wiring diagram for my pickups (They're Seymour Duncan's)
http://www.seymourduncan.com/support...=standard_tele

1.) When it's talking about soldering the grounds (Where is says solder on the diagram) Where/what exactly am I soldering these to? The diagram shows them on the bottom of the pot, do I solder them to the bottom of the pot? Or somewhere else?
My pots are standard 250K pots with the 3 terminals and small piece of metal around the side. (I'm sure you guys know what I mean here, but if you need a picture just ask.)

2.) On the pot with only 2 terminals straight out and one bent back: is the terminal that is bent back soldered to the pot as well? Or elsewhere?

On to my second topic.
I have a couple feet of .22 gage shielded wire. this is the wire I was told to use for the most part. However, it has 2 wires in the shielding, not one.

3.) Is this normal? Or do I need a different kind of wire? What do I do with the second wire in the shielding that I don't use?

4.) do I need to use the shielded wire for the grounds, or just a typical .22 gage unshielded wire?


Third topic. This one doesn't have so much to do with wiring.
How do I adjust the height/install my pickups? My pickups both came with a short length of wire to use for grounding, a couple of screws (3 lead, 2 rhythm) and rubber spacer looking things. To be completely honest I have no Idea what to do with the spacers. And the holes in my pickups are a little too small for the screws that came with them. Am I expected to just widen the holes?

I know these seem like stupidly simple questions, but all the guides I've read omit this kind of stuff because it's expected you just know it. I'm new to building though, so I need to learn.

Thanks in advance for the help. If anyone wants me to clarify anything or need photos to see what I'm talking about just ask.

[robt57]

1 & 2; yes back of a pot.

3; use the wire or just leave it be unused for future things.

4; the shield on the wire could be the ground, if the wire has a braided outer ground. Do you have/need to have a shield around the ground wires, no you do not.

The rubber spacers act as springs that go between the back of the pick guard and the PUP. The screws will need to thread into the plastic, if they are way too big opening up the hole could be needed. If this is the case drill in a scrap, like a spackle bucket lid or something with the bit and test the screw in that hole before drilling the PUP.

If you can take some pictures and post them of the screws and the PUPS that may help us help you. You can also try to thread the screw into the bobbin from the bottom to kind of tap out the bobbin with the screw as well, so your top operation goes easier.

Ciao, Robt

[Chris Leger]

The rubber tubing are spacers. Simply slide the screws through your bridge/pickguard/whatever, and screw your pickups on. The rubber is what maintains your spacing.

Why your screws don't seem to fit your pickups, I can not say.

To your other questions:

1. Yes, solder all your grounds to a single spot on the back of your volume pot.

2. Yes, the "bent back" terminal is soldered to the pot. Alternatively you can use a short pice of jumper wire.

3. You can get fancy and use shielded wire. If it's 2-conductor, you could twist them together and use them as a single wire, or else simply ignore the second wire (but take care in that case that you insulate it well enough to prevent shorts from bare wire hanging around.)

4. If shielding is a good thing (and it is) then what's good for your hot leads is good for your grounds. You might as well use your shielded wire there as well. Most of us use ordinary hook-up wire in combination with shielding foil or paint, as the plain wire is less bulky - the shielded stuff takes up more space in a sometimes crowded control cavity.

[HereForThePorn]

Thanks for the help guys, I really appreciate it!

Also, the ground wire I run to the bridge. Do I just run it under the bridge, set it there, then screw the bridge into place? Or do I secure the wire somehow?

How exactly do I go about using the braid as the ground?

EDIT: I just realized PUP it the shortened version of pickup, haha.

[robt57]

Originally Posted by HereForThePorn

Also, the ground wire I run to the bridge. Do I just run it under the bridge, set it there, then screw the bridge into place? Or do I secure the wire somehow?

How exactly do I go about using the braid as the ground?

Open the braid like loosening a Chinese handcuff and pull the center wire(s) through like 3/4 to 1" in from the end and tin the braid together. Not too much heat and/or too close to the inner wires or you could/might/will melt into them through the insulator on the inner wire potentially.


If it in a Tele with a base plated pickup and metal screws threading into the metal baseplate on the brideg PUP you do nit need to ground the bridge additionally, although some folks like to. It can cause a ground loop if both are grounded though.

[HereForThePorn]

Okay, I finally got all my parts together and I'm planning on wiring tomorrow so I have some questions.

1.) How exactly do the spacers work? Do I put them on top of or beneath the pickup on the screw. To clarify what I mean, see the picture and tell me which method is correct. (00001 shows the spacers; 00002 shows the ways to put them on)

2.) My pickguard does not have holes on the neck pickup slot to be screwed in. So I'm assuming that the actually screws in the pickup go below the pickguard. Is this correct? Do I screw these screws right into the guitar? What I mean by this is, underneath the pickguard I drill the screws into the body? Or do I just kind of set it in there? I'm confused, because If i don't screw into the body then the pickguard is not flush to the guitar.

3.) I have no idea what a base plated pickup is or if my guitar has a baseplate, are you talking about the screw underneath the bridge pickup cavity? See the attached photo to see what I mean. (picture 000003)

4.) With regard to capacitor, I'm supposed to use a .047uF capacitor. I have 3 different .047uF caps each with a different voltage rating. A small 24v, medium 220 and a large 600. Which one am I supposed to use?

I really appreciate the help on this guys!

[robt57]

Base plate: The copper plated metal plate on the bottom of this pickup... Most Tele bridge pickups and all good Tele bridge pickups IMO.

Notice that the plate is soldered to the black wire and that the screws are both threaded into the baseplate and will be touching the bridge plate, thus grounding it.

[robt57]

The tube act as springs and go between the Pickup and the pick guard or bridge plate.

On the neck pickup if you have no hole in your guard, the tube/springs go between the pickup and the bottom of the pickup route, make sure you have it centered where the hole in the Pickguard is so it peeks out like you want it to.

Also it is suggested you do not put the pickguard on until after you tweek the heights of the pickups. Then, especially when the neck pickup is the the desired height and you will not need to get to the screws antmore, put the guard on.

Be careful not to scratch the guard, I use a thin cutting board so it does not get scratched by the strings when putting it on while the guitar is strung. A piece of thin carboard woud work too.

The caps depend on what you are lookign for tone circuit wise.

[robt57]

BTW, some bridge pickups have no conductive baseplate and the screws go into the plastic bobbin, in this case you will need to run a ground wire through that angled hole and make sure the bridgeplate touches it and solder the other end to the back of the pots. Some folks do the ground wire even with a grounded baseplated bridge pickup. I do not do both to ward off ant potential ground loops/hum etc.

[HereForThePorn]

This is awesome, thanks so much. One last question, my neck pickup screws have pointed end, so do I actually screw those into the body when setting height? or did the pickup just come with the wrong screws? Do I need flatter screws that I just rest against the bottom of the cavity?

[robt57]

Originally Posted by HereForThePorn

This is awesome, thanks so much. One last question, my neck pickup screws have pointed end, so do I actually screw those into the body when setting height? or did the pickup just come with the wrong screws? Do I need flatter screws that I just rest against the bottom of the cavity?

Yes, they screw into the body in the bottom of the pickup route. Pay close attention to how long the screws are, and how thick the wood which is from the bottom of the route before you are through to the back of the body.

If you decide to drill pilot hole for those screws try not to drill through the back of your guitar from inside the neck pickup route.


How do you plan to figure out the placement of the neck pickup screw holes so the pickup is centered in the hole in pickguard ?

[HereForThePorn]

Perfect, thank's so much robt57, I really, really appreciate this! I'm having my girlfriends dad who was a tech back in the day help me out with the wiring and whatnot, so hopefully I shouldn't screw up. At least now I wont look like an idiot when we start putting things together. haha. I'll be sure to post a pic of it when it's done.

Thanks again.

[HereForThePorn]

Originally Posted by robt57

How do you plan to figure out the placement of the neck pickup screw holes so the pickup is centered in the hole in pickguard ?

I don't know, I haven't really thought about it. I'd probably place the pickup through the guard with the screws in and press it down slightly so It leaves small indents then put in guide holes.. Is there a better way to go about it?

[robt57]

Do you happen to have the other type pickguard with the hole just for marking??

[HereForThePorn]

No, I don't I only have the one without the holes.

[HereForThePorn]

To be honest, if it's that big of an issue then I'll just drill through the pickguard. I'm not really too big on aesthetics. The body is blizzard pearl anyways, so it's not like it's amazingly beautiful to look at.

[robt57]

If you drill it, you will need to put the tubes/springs between the pickguard and the pickup. The adjustments to tweek it are a lot more convenient this way FWIW.

[HereForThePorn]

Actually, I just thought of this. I'll flip the guard upside down and place the screws through the pickup holes, press it against the bottom and set little guide holes then just screw through the thing. Aesthetically it wont make a difference because the screws will cover it. Also, this way I wont have to unstring the thing to adjust pickup height.
You're right, thanks for the advice!

[Alamo]

Also, this way I wont have to unstring the thing to adjust pickup height.

huh? You don't have to unstring the guitar for that. just unscrew the pickguard (which is also referred to as "Scratchplate") and slide it sideways underneath the strings.
...and how often are you gonna adjust the height anyway?

it seems a lot of fuss is created to put 2 screws into the body cavity.
its not that hard to align the pickup and guard. drop it in and mark it.

Imho it is more fiddley when the wired pickup is attached to the guard.
there would be more chances you'd have to unstring the guitar if you want to change something. (pickup or scratplate)

also I prefer 5-hole guards, not 8 or even ten.
just my 2 cent of course.

[robt57]

"Fiddly" ;)

Do you have a 22 fret neck or a 21? Cause the 'fiddly' is directly proportional to getting the guard on and off with a 22 fret neck from my experience. ;)

FWIW, I pull necks all the time with the strings on, I simply tape the string around the nut and the12th or so fret and lay it over to the bottom of the body. I should not have to mention I loosen the striings before this exercise.

A combination of body mounted neck Pickup and a 22 fret neck, although uncommon, get the neck pulled every time in my shop.