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Miopic Chitlin · July 8th, 2009, 10:57 PM

I have a short somewhere in my '78 Tele. I swapped out the pickups for seymour duncans about 15 years ago when my soldering skills left much to be desired. It's ugly in there, folks. So I just decided to redo the whole thing. I am the proud owner of 10 feet of nice tinned, marine grade #20 AWG wire. From what I understand, I should be using #26 and #28 or maybe #22, none of which I can find around here for some reason. I know I can order it from stewmac, and it's not an emergency or anything, but is the #20 a show stopper? Thanks!

originalmatthew · July 8th, 2009, 11:54 PM

20 is kinda big, but hey, if the electrons can find their way through it, you will be fine!
I use 22ga in all my guitars.

IggyT · July 9th, 2009, 09:47 AM

I think 22 AWG is the standard..will 20 work? sure..it will add a tiny bit of resistance..but see what the experts say..
iggy

Miopic Chitlin · July 9th, 2009, 06:55 PM

Thanks for the input guys, but today I stole some 22AWG from work. If the boss finds out, I'll be playing that Tele on a street corner for pocket change...but she will sound gooooooooood!!!

Buckocaster51 · July 9th, 2009, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IggyT

I think 22 AWG is the standard..will 20 work? sure..it will add a tiny bit of resistance..but see what the experts say..
iggy

ahh...Houston...we have a problem...

20 gauge is a larger diameter than 22 gauge...

Bigger wires = less resistance

my tables show

20 gauge has a resistance of 10.15 kΩ/foot
22 gauge has a resistance of 16.14 kΩ/foot

I know of now reason that 20 gauge could not be used in, and work in, a guitar.

Shoot...paper clips would work if they were insulated.

Oldschoolwax · July 9th, 2009, 07:21 PM

I use cloth covered paper clips, it gives me that vintage tone!

~Michael

tdowns · July 9th, 2009, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckocaster51

........

my tables show

20 gauge has a resistance of 10.15 kΩ/foot
22 gauge has a resistance of 16.14 kΩ/foot

wink:

Hello my friend,
I'd just as soon stick rusted jagged knitting needles in my eyeballs as to say Buckocaster is wrong...but.....

20 gauge has a resistance of 10.15 Ω/1000 foot - or 0.01015Ω/ft
22 gauge has a resistance of 16.14 Ω/1000 foot - or 0.01614Ω/ft

maybe you meant to say 10.15Ω/kft ????

The gauge wire you use in a guitar has no electrical impact whatsoever, unless you think spitting in the ocean will make it bigger. Your pickups already have over a mile of 40AWG wire to start off with. It's all about what is easy to work with. I prefer stranded 24AWG.

Cheers....

Buckocaster51 · July 9th, 2009, 10:42 PM

Wow!

Give me those rusted, jagged knitting needles!

Why did I not catch that?

OMG! It makes a difference where that little "k" is placed, eh?

With skills like that I should be designing interplanetary space probes for NASA.

Thanks for keeping me on the straight and narrow.

tdowns · July 9th, 2009, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckocaster51

...............

Thanks for keeping me on the straight and narrow.

Noooooooo. THANK YOU for making Red White & Blue Buck Owens guitars and all the other major contributions you provide here!!!

jivetrain · July 10th, 2009, 10:42 PM

tdowns should be allowed to make a sticky thread stating how pointless it is to tinker with your internal wiring, before anyone else gets the idea to try it. i know it would have saved me ten minutes of my life...

IggyT · July 11th, 2009, 01:56 PM

my dyslexia was also on display...bottom line..the 20 will work just as Buckocaster pointed out...unless the wire went around the planet...
iggy

July 8th, 2009, 10:57 PM	#1 (permalink)
Miopic Chitlin TDPRI Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: South Florida Age: 56 Posts: 54	Correct wire guage? I have a short somewhere in my '78 Tele. I swapped out the pickups for seymour duncans about 15 years ago when my soldering skills left much to be desired. It's ugly in there, folks. So I just decided to redo the whole thing. I am the proud owner of 10 feet of nice tinned, marine grade #20 AWG wire. From what I understand, I should be using #26 and #28 or maybe #22, none of which I can find around here for some reason. I know I can order it from stewmac, and it's not an emergency or anything, but is the #20 a show stopper? Thanks! __________________ "Bernie, what's that awful sound? Are those cats in heat again?" "Nah, Miopic Chitlin is torturing that poor Telecaster again. Hand me my shotgun."

July 8th, 2009, 11:54 PM	#2 (permalink)
originalmatthew Tele-Holic Join Date: May 2009 Location: Riverside, California Age: 49 Posts: 764	20 is kinda big, but hey, if the electrons can find their way through it, you will be fine! I use 22ga in all my guitars. __________________ Let someone else do the white paint job!

July 9th, 2009, 09:47 AM	#3 (permalink)
IggyT Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: toronto Age: 53 Posts: 830 12 Photos	I think 22 AWG is the standard..will 20 work? sure..it will add a tiny bit of resistance..but see what the experts say.. iggy __________________ I must have had music lessons...." Reverend Jim from Taxi

July 9th, 2009, 06:55 PM	#4 (permalink)
Miopic Chitlin TDPRI Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: South Florida Age: 56 Posts: 54	Thanks for the input guys, but today I stole some 22AWG from work. If the boss finds out, I'll be playing that Tele on a street corner for pocket change...but she will sound gooooooooood!!! __________________ "Bernie, what's that awful sound? Are those cats in heat again?" "Nah, Miopic Chitlin is torturing that poor Telecaster again. Hand me my shotgun."

July 9th, 2009, 07:21 PM	#6 (permalink)
Oldschoolwax Tele-Holic Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: LI New York Posts: 957	I use cloth covered paper clips, it gives me that vintage tone! ~Michael __________________ Matter cannot be created or destroyed, nor can it be returned without a receipt.

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Forum Sponsor Sponsored posting Join Date: March, 2003 Location: Forum HQ Age: Posts: N/A	Sponsored by...

July 9th, 2009, 10:42 PM	#8 (permalink)
Buckocaster51 Super Moderator Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Iowa USA Age: 61 Posts: 15,711 1 Photos	Wow! Give me those rusted, jagged knitting needles! Why did I not catch that? OMG! It makes a difference where that little "k" is placed, eh? With skills like that I should be designing interplanetary space probes for NASA. Thanks for keeping me on the straight and narrow. __________________ "If you can't say something nice... don't say nothing at all." - Thumper the Rabbit "She's not only merely dead, she's really most sincerely dead." - The Munchkin Coroner

July 10th, 2009, 10:42 PM	#10 (permalink)
jivetrain Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: iowa Posts: 610 2 Photos	tdowns should be allowed to make a sticky thread stating how pointless it is to tinker with your internal wiring, before anyone else gets the idea to try it. i know it would have saved me ten minutes of my life...

July 11th, 2009, 01:56 PM	#11 (permalink)
IggyT Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: toronto Age: 53 Posts: 830 12 Photos	my dyslexia was also on display...bottom line..the 20 will work just as Buckocaster pointed out...unless the wire went around the planet... iggy __________________ I must have had music lessons...." Reverend Jim from Taxi

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