Good tips. The alligator clip heat sink is really only needed on diodes and other semiconductors. Caps and resistors can take the heat - unless you're holding the iron on there waaay too long. Certainly can't hurt, tho.
If any needs a helping hand a lump of blutack will hold a wire in place to free-up your hand. The alligator clip as a heatsink is essential and will save you replacing cooked pots and caps, Thanks for your help, it really makes a difference.
Good tutorial, (most on you tube are bad teaching and you'll end up burning up your work) Note the tip in this video is a CHISEL TIP. Do not use a round tip for guitar work. The chisel tip aids in efficient heat transfer. Also not mentioned, a 25 watt iron is just right. Avoid hotter irons as this will only burn up your work. (Hotter irons are for heating amplifier steel chassis for making grounds) Feed the solder simultaneously as the tip is applied to your work. Do not pre-heat more than a second, or even less than that. Feed solder on the tip AND your work simultaneously, as the melted solder will transfer heat much faster, solder flow into and along your work almost immediately. If your method takes any longer than about 2 seconds, you're doing it wrong. Good soldering appears exactly like it does in this video! Good work!
I'll take your advice. I'm having problems with the my volume pot (volume stays the same between 10-4 then abruptly goes down from 3-0) and I'm thinking maybe because the way I soldered it. I'm using a 30W-70W soldering gun, and I think that's frying up my pot. Thank you man for your insight and advice 😊
Awesome! I didn't know about pre-tinning the tip of the soldering iron. This would explain why it takes me 1/8 of a solder coil to make one, lumpy, ugly connection. Lol. Getting ready to install new pickups & wiring harness in my newest project. Thank You SO much for this instructional video. You Guys at Stew/Mac are absolutely "THE" Best. This is just ANOTHER GREAT reason to keep buying my parts from You Guys. Please, keep up the EXCELLENT work.
I don't know why anyone didn't recommend it but I use a high quality liquid flux to coat my parts before I begin to solder. It cleans the parts and greatly aids in the solder flowing and adhering to the parts. Worth the investment.
Good basics makes for solid foundations. It takes practice, but do not let the work move after you remove the heat. The momentary shifting causes the dull finish and weakens the joint. Clamps holding the work in place is recommended. Harbor freight has them or you can shape the tips of clothes pins to a point and screw them to bailing wire attached to a board. You can revive tips with steel wool or extra-fine sandpaper.
Very helpful video with some great close-up shots! I just finishied my first ever soldering job with little more than this video and the wiring diagram as help, and everything seems to be working properly. The joints didn't turn out quite as tidy as in the vid, but at least they're holding.
The most idiotic parts of guitar electrical components are the pots. Why manufacturers don't put solder post for ground is beyond basic intelligence. Even with a high or variable power solder gun, the amount of heat needed to properly flow the solder on the back of the pot is ridiculous. In addition you are risking damaging the variable resistor inside, and melting wire insulation even when adding the wire to the mix after the solder has flowed. The solder does not naturally flow to a specific place on the pot thus creating the potential for too much solder. Why after nearly 100 years there has not been a universal improvement is a shameful example of living in the stone age. There are pure lugged pots out there but the industry continues to use and engineer around this poor design.
I agree. soldering to the casing is a big mess... however, with so many wiring options, it becomes essential to have all that space. sometimes I am soldering 3 or more grounds to the casing. a single ground lug would be useless. so I can see why the design is still used.
well-said. I lightly scratch the back of a pot so as to get a small pool of solder ready for melting wires into. But a factory pot can be made with 1 single strip of metal to solder to easily... but the cost is what factories avoid.
Still true after 2 more years. I destroyed a pot a few weeks ago because it got too hot. I saw people soldering a small wire or guitar string to the case of a pot to connect all groundings... maybe that's a solution.
@@jicklesjingles8134 - That is a valid solution although i wouldn't recommend using a guitar string. They can rust and corrode over time, causing circuit issues.
For almost all guitar electronics a 25 watt Weller would be about right. Don't start work until the solder melts EASILY on the tip. If you plan to solder a lot of different types of stuff, consider a station so you can vary the temperature of the tip to match the job.
I keep a small ball of extra fine steel wool handy to polish the tip periodically. Also never blow air on a solder joint to speed up the cooling process. It can cause a cold solder joint. Let it cool down on it's own naturally.
One common myth on you tube are the hobbyist solderers/ guitar techs who teach that solder flows to the heat. This is wrong. Note as the tech in the video does it the right way. The heat is applied to the pot case and braided shield, and almost immediately solder is fed and melts where the tip and wire and pot case intersect. Notice the solder flows AWAY from the tip (NOT to the heat) and flows quickly and wicks into the braided shield, a beautiful solder connection. No dull cold solder. If anyone follows the bad teaching that solder flows to the heat, (and pre-heats the work) you'll end up burning your work and have an ugly solder joint. If your solder is cold and dull, forget the other tutorials, do it as per THIS VIDEO! (and my advice)
Foil capacitors aren't heat sensitive, so I wouldn't worry about using a heat sink or alligator clips to protect them. Active devices like diodes, transistors and op-amps are sensitive to heat, but passive devices like caps, resistors etc, aren't. I use liquid flux to help the solder flow faster on the back of pots, also when soldering to lugs I touch just a little bit of solder to the iron tip to create a heat bridge to the part, then I "paint" the solder onto the lug. I also recommend 63/37 "eutectic' solder instead of the old 60/40. It melts at lower temperature and solidifies instantly when you remove the iron tip, so you reduce the chance of getting a disturbed solder joint.
In N.Y., we called it 'Sodda.' I bought, and still own and use a 1966 Weller sodda- ring gun. I made many slot car chassis with that. And, I really do use it today, Weller is the shit! Too hot for guitar wiring applications, but I made a nice pickup carriage for a Gibson Jazz guitar out of brass- and my 8200 was just right. I also use a Weller 40 watt iron to remove frets.
If the solder rolls off the tip because you 'cooked' it , you don't need to throw it out, just file the oxidation off and re-tin. Having some real flux on hand helps as well,instead of relying on the rosin core to tin the tip.
Kestor 44 says that indeed it contains a type of flux contained within: The Kester 24-6040-0027 high activity, rosin activated cored wire is excellent for instant wetting action. Although "44" is an RA-based material, the residues are non-corrosive if left uncleaned. Kester 24-6040-0027 Features: Wire diameter: .031" Alloy: Sn60Pb40 (60% Tin / 40% Lead) Melting range: 361-374°F (183-190°C) Core flux type: RA Core size: 66 Spool size: 1 lb.
Thanks for making the video Erick, Now I can refer my friends who don't know how to solder to your video instead of me having to to do the soldering for them or try to explain how to solder to them.
Thank you....very good video. You do a great job explaining the technique. It's all the grounds to the volume pot that always kill me. Now I have a better idea of how to solder to the pot without making a mess.
Soldering is definitely one of those tasks that one gets better at with practice. I've only done about five guitars now, but they get noticeably better and quicker each time. I have a question, though, how does one use flux properly?
If you need a heat sink to protect something as simple and durable as a modern capacitor, you're flowing the joint way too long. The stripped ends of stranded wire leads need to be twisted tight before tinning, but the solid leads of capacitors and resistors need not be tinned at all, and pre-loading a control's lugs with solder is also unnecessary. Trust me on this stuff -- I've been soldering for longer than Erick has been alive. I give him points for not recommending anything too harmful, though -- except perhaps soldering directly to the braid of shielded cable, because it's much safer to unbraid it, then twist together and tin the resulting strands before soldering rather than risk melting or burning the insulation.
I agree totally Bruce. Pre-tinning a control lug isn't necessary and can lead to burning out a pot. No need for it. Attach the wire first, bend to hold, solder both at once. Bam! Done.
Also: Use GUITAR solder. It's exactly the same as regular solder, but it's now called Guitar Solder, and has a drawing of a guitar on the packet. It costs 5x as much, but...it's GUITAR solder! If Stew-Mac aren't already doing this (And I'm sure they are), you can bet your ass they will be!
I find those pumps are good for opening up the lugs on potentiometers when they are covered in solder, but not much else. I use copper braid for desoldering small parts. For larger parts, just melt the solder and tap it off on the bench.
Decent video, and one would tend to trust Stewmac. However, pre-soldering the pot has to be done carefully or it can wind up burning out the pot. Instead run wire through the post and bend it for solid placement, then place the solder against the joint and melt the solder onto both. The solder melts quickly and transfers heat very quickly to the pot and wire. The result: everything heats at the same time, the solder adheres smoothly and well, and you don't risk burning out the pot. The source of this information is NASA (they have an entire manual on "spec" solder joints that will stand up in harsh conditions.) The video itself echoes this concept when soldering the ground wire: he lays the wire against the pot first, then applies the solder to both at the same time, applying heat to the solder and not directly to the pot. Consistency is key. Join the wire into the post first, bend for a stable connection, then solder. I've never burned a pot using that method.
Hi, Do you recommend to use soldering paste/ flux, and then clean the joint by thinner? Some told me it's the fastest way to do, but the joint is just not that shinny when clean it by thinner. Thank you.
Capacitors don't need to be shielded from heat, they are massively robust because they are passive -- assuming you get in and out within 5 seconds, which is normal when soldering.
If you want solder joints to last a good long time, don't use solder and the means to secure the wire/component. Wrap the wire/lead to the connection first, so even if the solder wasn't there, it would still be held in place. Then apply solder. That way, there is no effective mechanical stress that would work to break the solder joint over time.
If you are going to be soldering a lot, or doing occasional but fine work, then... Buy a GOOD soldering iron and not a $15 POS from Radio Shack. A nice Weller for example. I like Weller because it is easy and cheap to find/buy a wide range of tips. If you get insulation of other plastic melted on your tip, then sand it with emory cloth and re-tin it, to keep the melted plastic from gumming up your next few joints.
Nicely done, short and to the point! I have my own little tip to add. "Hey all you American folk! It's worth noting that when you're talking about Soldering just remember that despite what you all apparently seem to think, the word 'SOLDERING' does not actually have a silent 'L' in it. You are not 'SODDERING', you are 'soLdering'. Just say it as you see it........you know...the correct way! Next time we'll discuss another simple word from the English language, 'NUCLEAR'..... ;)
sol·der ˈsädər/ noun noun: solder; plural noun: solders 1. a low-melting alloy, especially one based on lead and tin or (for higher temperatures) on brass or silver, used for joining less fusible metals. This is the correct pronunciation for north america
Tip No 4: Remove the oily film from the casing using a sanding stick, or similar. If this film is not removed it's a lot harder for the solder to "take" to the casing.
@@lonerider92 Thank you Easy Linux. I am very new to soldering. If I may ask, how hot does the iron need to be to melt lead free solder? I am trying to teach myself how to install pickups into a Gibson right now. I think I bought the wrong stuff.
@@SuperJiggawhat I honestly couldn't tell you that since I have a butane soldering iron and keep the gas level on 3 to solder. I don't think you bought the wrong stuff, but give your soldering iron a few minutes to heat up if it's an electric one.
hai thanks for video , i want to ask about pickup and pots wiring, is the voltage of caps like an 160v&200v&400v&600v take effect or not for sound or its important influence or notthing???
any abrasive material will leave grooves. those grooves will be counter productive to solder flow. just make sure you remove material with the direction of the tip. the direction solder flows.
If you file it you will remove the special coating on the tip and the solder/flux just eats away at the copper. Use tip cleaner or one of those brass wire scourer tip cleaners
for soldering guitar parts. how many watts should my soldering iron be? should i use solder that is mixed with lead or use lead free solder? do i use flux?
+overthemountain16 You do not really need above 50 watts for guitar parts and lead free solder is better for your health. You can use flux if you can't get the solder to stick but if you have a good quality solder you won't need it.
Tin/lead solder flows soooo much better than lead free. Just wash your hands after handling lead and you'll be fine. I have several co-workers who have been soldering 5-6 days a week with tin/lead solder for 20+ years.
You will need to apply heat with your soldering iron to re-flow the solder. Then, you can use a solder wick and/or solder sucker to remove the excess solder. The most difficult part of this process is heating the solder until it becomes liquid again without damaging the electrical components (i.e. pots, capacitors). We recommend using a heat sink to absorb the heat and prevent the component from being damaged. www.stewmac.com/SiteSearch/?search=soldering%20tools&o=Lowest
If you're removing a bad solder joint from the lugs on a pot, you can use an Alligator Clip Heat Sink. Clip this heat sink on the lug between the pot's housing and the solder joint. www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Tools_by_Job/Tools_for_Electronics_and_Pickups/Soldering/Alligator_Clip_Heat_Sinks_Package_of_10.html Unfortunately, there's not really a heat sink that will work well when removing solder from the back of the pot's housing. If you're removing a large glob of solder, you should work quickly with a hot iron so the solder liquefies without needing to apply heat to it for very long. The quickest way to re-flow a solder joint is to put a small melted drop of solder on it. We find that a solder sucker works best for removing large amounts of solder quickly.
Good lesson, DO you use a 60/40 ? When i've tried soldering, the solder rolls off the iron, and it won't stick to the bare wires.. it rolls off.. (like water on oil) I'm wondering if this is because of the percentage of "tin". I'm a beginner, but I know there;s different tin percentages depending on the job. I had to use the solder that was connecting the old pickups together in order for it to "bind" the stuff I had was useless.. Thanks
i actually use a dab of soldering paste plumbers use,, if course, you have to wipe out the excess off also.. how hot is your soldering iron? i use a soldering gun like this. www.princessauto.com/en/detail/fast-heat-pistol-grip-soldering-gun/A-p8650319e yes..it's 100 watts but as long as i am careful not to over heat the parts.. you'r e okay. last thing..use the right 60/40 solder .. i was using plumber's for a while but it took too much heat to get stick right..
klepetar I'm not sure how hot it gets. There's no adjustment as far as the Heat. It's a cheap one. I think another thing I was doing wrong, I wasn't pre heating up the object I was soldering to. ( apparently it if it's too cold or room temperature the solder will just run off? ). that was my problem, it wouldn't go into anything I was trying to solder together.
Anthony Lundell 15-20 watt irons are ok for doing work on electronic circuits but they aren't strong enough to solder on lugs because the heat dissipates too fast in the components.. you need : good heat + right solder+ soldering paste..which i sometimes in the middle of the solder or you can use some in a small can.. good luck
ciao,ho un problema nella mia greg bennet ,specificamente riguarda l'humbucker al manico..in quanto ha grossi rumori di sottofondo che spariscono quando tocco le corde,cosa che non si presenta quando splitto nel pickup al ponte (sempre humbucker).
Hi Joy Xy4JV, it sounds like there is an issue with the ground. You should check all your ground connections, starting with the neck pickup. It's likely an issue of the ground for the neck pickup not being connected to the player ground (this is why the noise stops when you touch the strings).
I've tried soldering countless times and I can never get a good solder flow, now I know I probably screwed up my tip from leaving the iron on with no solder on the tip and leaving it hot too long. I'll try this method with a new tip but I'm sure I'll screw it up anyways.
Peter Kane Have you actually used the stuff on guitar electronics or amps? I use some flux to make the solder flow, but then I'm good about cleaning up any excess because flux will introduce noise into a circuit. I always assumed that flux built-in to solder would create a noisy circuit that I might not be able to get rid of. I haven't tried it though.
Charles Seper I've been using it for years on guitars, pre amps, power amps, tv's, dvd's etc and it works a treat, very reliable..... Just make sure you tin both parts to be joined beforehand. It is faster cleaner & easier.
Mmm, 'sodder' your Strat, whole diffo meaning in the UK, how do you sod a guitar? Or is that sod as in turf? Here in the westcountry pronounced 'souldur'. Personally I solder (with an 'l'), and I use a 100w trigger style soldering gun for the back of pots, after abrading the soldering point, smaller style e.g. 40w pencil type soldering irons just don't have enough heat from my experience. Solder on.
500k pots are usually used for humbucker pickups, while 250k are used for single coils. 500k will give you a slightly brighter tone because of the higher resistance, which is sometimes good because a humbucker can have an overly dark/warm tone that you might want to brighten up and give it more treble. I don't think it's that much of a difference though, as my cheap Strat with single coils came with 500k pots and single coils, and it's not too bright at all, so I guess it's all just personal preference. If you like the sound you're getting, I'd not worry about it at all.
Correction: A higher resistance pot won't *give* your pickup more treble, it'll just prevent more of the higher frequencies from escaping to ground, in other words it will let the pickup *keep* more of its treble.
dzamija922 thanks for the information its so help, but how for the caps like 0.022 0.047 0.050 0.068 0.104 what de difrent is? and how to the voltage of caps like an 125v 400v 600v?
I'm not sure about the voltage but capacitors are usually gauged by their capacitance which is measured in farads. The most common gauges for guitar capacitors are 27 nanofarads (nF) or 47 nanofarads, or as you put it, 0.022 or 0.047 microfarads (same thing, just a matter of which unit of measure you want to use). The principle is the same, the higher the capacitance, the more treble you will get. Even when your tone is turned all the way up, some of the treble will leak to ground, because the components are not perfect. I personally use 47 because it came with my guitar, but it's totally up to you and no matter how you set it up it is really not that much of a difference, so don't worry about it. :) Tone nazi's will *swear* that they hear a *massive* difference just by switching out capacitors, but between you and me, these people are full of shit. Or they have golden ears that can hear a 0.1 dB difference at any given frequency across the spectrum like a fucking superhuman. But nah, they're actually just full of shit. So don't worry about it bro, in my opinion get either 22 or 47 nanofarads because those are pretty much the standards, and you'll be fine. You can't go wrong. :)
dzamija922 which the lower sound we can get is a 0.018 or 0.068nf? i ask a electro part store he say more hight nano farad is more bass frequency will turn
![АЛАУДИНОВ у Скабеевой: эти их ВСУ нас НЕ ДОГОНЯТ 😁 [Пародия]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/an0anqU4WGQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Keeping the tip clean is just good life advice.
Hahahahaha
the more if you're uncut.
As soon as I heard him say that I came straight to the comments…
Pre heat the lugs
The gator clip heat sink is a new one on me. Thanks!
Good tips. The alligator clip heat sink is really only needed on diodes and other semiconductors. Caps and resistors can take the heat - unless you're holding the iron on there waaay too long. Certainly can't hurt, tho.
Shoot ! I just soldered my cell phone to my guitar. Damn it !
haha
Lol
Guess you shoulda kept your tip clean!
ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!
@@tatialo37 !! Lmao
If any needs a helping hand a lump of blutack will hold a wire in place to free-up your hand. The alligator clip as a heatsink is essential and will save you replacing cooked pots and caps, Thanks for your help, it really makes a difference.
Good tutorial, (most on you tube are bad teaching and you'll end up burning up your work) Note the tip in this video is a CHISEL TIP. Do not use a round tip for guitar work. The chisel tip aids in efficient heat transfer. Also not mentioned, a 25 watt iron is just right. Avoid hotter irons as this will only burn up your work. (Hotter irons are for heating amplifier steel chassis for making grounds) Feed the solder simultaneously as the tip is applied to your work. Do not pre-heat more than a second, or even less than that. Feed solder on the tip AND your work simultaneously, as the melted solder will transfer heat much faster, solder flow into and along your work almost immediately. If your method takes any longer than about 2 seconds, you're doing it wrong. Good soldering appears exactly like it does in this video! Good work!
I'll take your advice. I'm having problems with the my volume pot (volume stays the same between 10-4 then abruptly goes down from 3-0) and I'm thinking maybe because the way I soldered it. I'm using a 30W-70W soldering gun, and I think that's frying up my pot. Thank you man for your insight and advice 😊
@@gitaramaker101 It seems most volume controls go from like 0-100 :p At least the cheaper ones.
@@SmugSuspenders haha I guess that's also one reason why, I do bought my pots online and buying the most affordable one.
@@gitaramaker101 Nice :P I'm just about getting into soldering, gonna start with some old guitar cables.
Awesome! I didn't know about pre-tinning the tip of the soldering iron. This would explain why it takes me 1/8 of a solder coil to make one, lumpy, ugly connection. Lol. Getting ready to install new pickups & wiring harness in my newest project. Thank You SO much for this instructional video. You Guys at Stew/Mac are absolutely "THE" Best. This is just ANOTHER GREAT reason to keep buying my parts from You Guys. Please, keep up the EXCELLENT work.
I don't know why anyone didn't recommend it but I use a high quality liquid flux to coat my parts before I begin to solder. It cleans the parts and greatly aids in the solder flowing and adhering to the parts. Worth the investment.
Good basics makes for solid foundations. It takes practice, but do not let the work move after you remove the heat. The momentary shifting causes the dull finish and weakens the joint. Clamps holding the work in place is recommended. Harbor freight has them or you can shape the tips of clothes pins to a point and screw them to bailing wire attached to a board. You can revive tips with steel wool or extra-fine sandpaper.
I have to put on a new input jack and I've never soldered before.Thanks for the great advice.
Finally somebody who knows how to solder! Good job! How about flux and lead free solder?
Very helpful video with some great close-up shots! I just finishied my first ever soldering job with little more than this video and the wiring diagram as help, and everything seems to be working properly. The joints didn't turn out quite as tidy as in the vid, but at least they're holding.
The most idiotic parts of guitar electrical components are the pots. Why manufacturers don't put solder post for ground is beyond basic intelligence. Even with a high or variable power solder gun, the amount of heat needed to properly flow the solder on the back of the pot is ridiculous. In addition you are risking damaging the variable resistor inside, and melting wire insulation even when adding the wire to the mix after the solder has flowed. The solder does not naturally flow to a specific place on the pot thus creating the potential for too much solder. Why after nearly 100 years there has not been a universal improvement is a shameful example of living in the stone age. There are pure lugged pots out there but the industry continues to use and engineer around this poor design.
I agree. soldering to the casing is a big mess... however, with so many wiring options, it becomes essential to have all that space. sometimes I am soldering 3 or more grounds to the casing. a single ground lug would be useless. so I can see why the design is still used.
@@jeffreymadden759 connect the three wires together and solder one extension lead to the pot
well-said. I lightly scratch the back of a pot so as to get a small pool of solder ready for melting wires into. But a factory pot can be made with 1 single strip of metal to solder to easily... but the cost is what factories avoid.
Still true after 2 more years. I destroyed a pot a few weeks ago because it got too hot.
I saw people soldering a small wire or guitar string to the case of a pot to connect all groundings... maybe that's a solution.
@@jicklesjingles8134 - That is a valid solution although i wouldn't recommend using a guitar string. They can rust and corrode over time, causing circuit issues.
Quick, concise, and to the point. Well done sir! Thanks for sharing! 2 thumbs up.
For almost all guitar electronics a 25 watt Weller would be about right. Don't start work until the solder melts EASILY on the tip.
If you plan to solder a lot of different types of stuff, consider a station so you can vary the temperature of the tip to match the job.
It's amazing that this man has the time to work on guitars and upload it to the internet while also running Microsoft
I keep a small ball of extra fine steel wool handy to polish the tip periodically. Also never blow air on a solder joint to speed up the cooling process. It can cause a cold solder joint. Let it cool down on it's own naturally.
Best thing that ever happened to my soldering: liquid flux. I won't solder without it anymore.
One common myth on you tube are the hobbyist solderers/ guitar techs who teach that solder flows to the heat. This is wrong. Note as the tech in the video does it the right way. The heat is applied to the pot case and braided shield, and almost immediately solder is fed and melts where the tip and wire and pot case intersect. Notice the solder flows AWAY from the tip (NOT to the heat) and flows quickly and wicks into the braided shield, a beautiful solder connection. No dull cold solder. If anyone follows the bad teaching that solder flows to the heat, (and pre-heats the work) you'll end up burning your work and have an ugly solder joint. If your solder is cold and dull, forget the other tutorials, do it as per THIS VIDEO! (and my advice)
mama always told me, "keep your tip clean"
ClamsAnonymous I was looking for this comment.
Foil capacitors aren't heat sensitive, so I wouldn't worry about using a heat sink or alligator clips to protect them. Active devices like diodes, transistors and op-amps are sensitive to heat, but passive devices like caps, resistors etc, aren't.
I use liquid flux to help the solder flow faster on the back of pots, also when soldering to lugs I touch just a little bit of solder to the iron tip to create a heat bridge to the part, then I "paint" the solder onto the lug.
I also recommend 63/37 "eutectic' solder instead of the old 60/40. It melts at lower temperature and solidifies instantly when you remove the iron tip, so you reduce the chance of getting a disturbed solder joint.
this is the most pro soldering tips vid from all the pro soldering tips vids out there
In N.Y., we called it 'Sodda.' I bought, and still own and use a 1966 Weller sodda- ring gun.
I made many slot car chassis with that. And, I really do use it today, Weller is the shit!
Too hot for guitar wiring applications, but I made a nice pickup carriage for a Gibson Jazz guitar out of brass- and my 8200 was just right. I also use a Weller 40 watt iron to remove frets.
If the solder rolls off the tip because you 'cooked' it , you don't need to throw it out, just file the oxidation off and re-tin. Having some real flux on hand helps as well,instead of relying on the rosin core to tin the tip.
Kestor 44 says that indeed it contains a type of flux contained within:
The Kester 24-6040-0027 high activity, rosin activated cored wire is excellent for instant wetting action. Although "44" is an RA-based material, the residues are non-corrosive if left uncleaned.
Kester 24-6040-0027 Features:
Wire diameter: .031"
Alloy: Sn60Pb40 (60% Tin / 40% Lead)
Melting range: 361-374°F (183-190°C)
Core flux type: RA
Core size: 66
Spool size: 1 lb.
Thanks for making the video Erick, Now I can refer my friends who don't know how to solder to your video instead of me having to to do the soldering for them or try to explain how to solder to them.
Thank you....very good video. You do a great job explaining the technique. It's all the grounds to the volume pot that always kill me. Now I have a better idea of how to solder to the pot without making a mess.
Thanks for these great tips. Did you know you look like Clark Kent? (Chris Reeves)
Soldering is definitely one of those tasks that one gets better at with practice. I've only done about five guitars now, but they get noticeably better and quicker each time. I have a question, though, how does one use flux properly?
If you need a heat sink to protect something as simple and durable as a modern capacitor, you're flowing the joint way too long. The stripped ends of stranded wire leads need to be twisted tight before tinning, but the solid leads of capacitors and resistors need not be tinned at all, and pre-loading a control's lugs with solder is also unnecessary. Trust me on this stuff -- I've been soldering for longer than Erick has been alive. I give him points for not recommending anything too harmful, though -- except perhaps soldering directly to the braid of shielded cable, because it's much safer to unbraid it, then twist together and tin the resulting strands before soldering rather than risk melting or burning the insulation.
I agree totally Bruce. Pre-tinning a control lug isn't necessary and can lead to burning out a pot. No need for it. Attach the wire first, bend to hold, solder both at once. Bam! Done.
Also: Use GUITAR solder. It's exactly the same as regular solder, but it's now called Guitar Solder, and has a drawing of a guitar on the packet. It costs 5x as much, but...it's GUITAR solder!
If Stew-Mac aren't already doing this (And I'm sure they are), you can bet your ass they will be!
Haha, too right.
Ash Scott just get 60/40 rosin core solder from any hardware store
GuitarFetish.com now on sale for $1.59 or regularly $4.45 lol
Great refresher.
I find those pumps are good for opening up the lugs on potentiometers when they are covered in solder, but not much else. I use copper braid for desoldering small parts. For larger parts, just melt the solder and tap it off on the bench.
Great advice from Master Joda 😺🎸
Decent video, and one would tend to trust Stewmac. However, pre-soldering the pot has to be done carefully or it can wind up burning out the pot. Instead run wire through the post and bend it for solid placement, then place the solder against the joint and melt the solder onto both. The solder melts quickly and transfers heat very quickly to the pot and wire. The result: everything heats at the same time, the solder adheres smoothly and well, and you don't risk burning out the pot. The source of this information is NASA (they have an entire manual on "spec" solder joints that will stand up in harsh conditions.) The video itself echoes this concept when soldering the ground wire: he lays the wire against the pot first, then applies the solder to both at the same time, applying heat to the solder and not directly to the pot. Consistency is key. Join the wire into the post first, bend for a stable connection, then solder. I've never burned a pot using that method.
or file the tip to clean metal...re tin works like a charm
Approximately how long a soldering tin needed for one standard Strat model guitar?
Thanks
Very helpful video thank you
My soldering sucks.... that's for the help. What temp do you use? What type solder?
Hi,
Do you recommend to use soldering paste/ flux, and then clean the joint by thinner?
Some told me it's the fastest way to do, but the joint is just not that shinny when clean it by thinner. Thank you.
Capacitors don't need to be shielded from heat, they are massively robust because they are passive -- assuming you get in and out within 5 seconds, which is normal when soldering.
awesome words of wisdom.
GREAT VIDEO, AND ADVICE THANK YOU!
Dang, I wish I would have watched this before I soldered up my board. I needed a refresher... 😯
Hi, the shielded wires- is it recommended for all guitar circuit connection or just use it on the volume to output jack?
Maybe also add that flux is the thing that makes the joint shiny and smooth, not just a clean and well-tinned tip
Thanks for the advice.....very handy
Hi, can you do a rewire bypassing / eliminating all volume and tone controls and going straight to the jack?
Additional flux would be a good idea as well.
very useful
01:26 A cellphone just for holding a cable?? Never come to my mind for last 30 years😂😂😂
Halid, are you saying you don't want to risk dropping hot solder on your cell phone? I cannot imagine why! ;D
don't forget to get a solder sucker. they're cheap and help a lot. I never knew I needed one until I got it.
Thanks for posting this!
Thanks a lot, you look like an older Luke Skywalker.
KX5Kat lol, but with hispter glasses xd
Its Christopher Reeves cousin
very nice cover!
Can you use a magazine full of ammo to hold down that braided wire when soldering to the pot? Asking for a friend.
Great video; very useful! Thanks guys!!
Thanks, I want to put a pickup from an epi electric that I smashed, into my epi acoustic.
finally, some quick simple advice.
whats the repair cost at Guitar center?
So many euphemisms in one video. Well done sir for keeping a straight face..
If you want solder joints to last a good long time, don't use solder and the means to secure the wire/component. Wrap the wire/lead to the connection first, so even if the solder wasn't there, it would still be held in place. Then apply solder. That way, there is no effective mechanical stress that would work to break the solder joint over time.
That's the biggest thing I see done wrong in nearly all of the guitar soldering videos. No mechanical connection at all...
Exactly right. Solder the post and then insert the wire? I don't think so. Good way to burn out a pot.
you do not always need to replace the tips... you can use tip refresher/tinner from termaltronics or hakko or weller
If you are going to be soldering a lot, or doing occasional but fine work, then...
Buy a GOOD soldering iron and not a $15 POS from Radio Shack. A nice Weller for example.
I like Weller because it is easy and cheap to find/buy a wide range of tips.
If you get insulation of other plastic melted on your tip, then sand it with emory cloth and re-tin it, to keep the melted plastic from gumming up your next few joints.
What is the best temperature for soldering on a guitar?
Brand new tip, tinned it, but unable to heat the casing to get old solder off, any advice?
What wattage do you need for soldering to the POTS?
Is it necessary to use flux on pots before soldering?
Thanks for the tips--
Nicely done, short and to the point!
I have my own little tip to add.
"Hey all you American folk! It's worth noting that when you're talking about Soldering just remember that despite what you all apparently seem to think, the word 'SOLDERING' does not actually have a silent 'L' in it. You are not 'SODDERING', you are 'soLdering'. Just say it as you see it........you know...the correct way!
Next time we'll discuss another simple word from the English language, 'NUCLEAR'..... ;)
sol·der
ˈsädər/
noun
noun: solder; plural noun: solders
1.
a low-melting alloy, especially one based on lead and tin or (for higher temperatures) on brass or silver, used for joining less fusible metals.
This is the correct pronunciation for north america
Tip No 4: Remove the oily film from the casing using a sanding stick, or similar. If this film is not removed it's a lot harder for the solder to "take" to the casing.
Excellent tutorial!
Which is the good soldering paste
subscribed!
keep the tip clean..
My whole shaft is clean my dude..
seams like pods thin better than pickups, any idea why?
what about flux and ground loops?
Ground loops sure, but I think flux might gunk up your pot then you're in for a world of hurt.
60/40 rosin core solder is what I think they say to use. someone correct me of I'm wrong.
@@SuperJiggawhat That's what I've always used for soldering my instruments' electronics. Never liquid flux tho.
@@lonerider92 Thank you Easy Linux. I am very new to soldering. If I may ask, how hot does the iron need to be to melt lead free solder? I am trying to teach myself how to install pickups into a Gibson right now. I think I bought the wrong stuff.
@@SuperJiggawhat I honestly couldn't tell you that since I have a butane soldering iron and keep the gas level on 3 to solder. I don't think you bought the wrong stuff, but give your soldering iron a few minutes to heat up if it's an electric one.
hai thanks for video , i want to ask about pickup and pots wiring, is the voltage of caps like an 160v&200v&400v&600v take effect or not for sound or its important influence or notthing???
Julio Cavalera it doesn't matter at all in a guitar.
Why replace the tip when you can just clean it up w/ emery or a file?
YES!
I usually use some fine sandpaper (400+) till the tip looks slightly shiny all over
any abrasive material will leave grooves. those grooves will be counter productive to solder flow. just make sure you remove material with the direction of the tip. the direction solder flows.
If you file it you will remove the special coating on the tip and the solder/flux just eats away at the copper. Use tip cleaner or one of those brass wire scourer tip cleaners
for soldering guitar parts. how many watts should my soldering iron be? should i use solder that is mixed with lead or use lead free solder? do i use flux?
+overthemountain16 You do not really need above 50 watts for guitar parts and lead free solder is better for your health. You can use flux if you can't get the solder to stick but if you have a good quality solder you won't need it.
Tin/lead solder flows soooo much better than lead free. Just wash your hands after handling lead and you'll be fine. I have several co-workers who have been soldering 5-6 days a week with tin/lead solder for 20+ years.
hi , thanks beautiful video! about 0:04 " see the mess right here" ... is there a way to fix it? clean it?
thanks
You will need to apply heat with your soldering iron to re-flow the solder. Then, you can use a solder wick and/or solder sucker to remove the excess solder. The most difficult part of this process is heating the solder until it becomes liquid again without damaging the electrical components (i.e. pots, capacitors). We recommend using a heat sink to absorb the heat and prevent the component from being damaged.
www.stewmac.com/SiteSearch/?search=soldering%20tools&o=Lowest
hi thank you so much , what head sink could i use?
If you're removing a bad solder joint from the lugs on a pot, you can use an Alligator Clip Heat Sink. Clip this heat sink on the lug between the pot's housing and the solder joint.
www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Tools_by_Job/Tools_for_Electronics_and_Pickups/Soldering/Alligator_Clip_Heat_Sinks_Package_of_10.html
Unfortunately, there's not really a heat sink that will work well when removing solder from the back of the pot's housing. If you're removing a large glob of solder, you should work quickly with a hot iron so the solder liquefies without needing to apply heat to it for very long. The quickest way to re-flow a solder joint is to put a small melted drop of solder on it. We find that a solder sucker works best for removing large amounts of solder quickly.
Good lesson, DO you use a 60/40 ?
When i've tried soldering, the solder rolls off the iron, and it won't stick to the bare wires.. it rolls off.. (like water on oil)
I'm wondering if this is because of the percentage of "tin". I'm a beginner, but I know there;s different tin percentages depending on the job. I had to use the solder that was connecting the old pickups together in order for it to "bind" the stuff I had was useless.. Thanks
Anthony Lundell It has happened me too. You need to use some Flux so It will stick to metal easier
cool thanks
i actually use a dab of soldering paste plumbers use,, if course, you have to wipe out the excess off
also.. how hot is your soldering iron? i use a soldering gun like this.
www.princessauto.com/en/detail/fast-heat-pistol-grip-soldering-gun/A-p8650319e
yes..it's 100 watts but as long as i am careful not to over heat the parts.. you'r e okay.
last thing..use the right 60/40 solder .. i was using plumber's for a while but it took too much heat
to get stick right..
klepetar I'm not sure how hot it gets. There's no adjustment as far as the Heat. It's a cheap one.
I think another thing I was doing wrong, I wasn't pre heating up the object I was soldering to. ( apparently it if it's too cold or room temperature the solder will just run off? ). that was my problem, it wouldn't go into anything I was trying to solder together.
Anthony Lundell 15-20 watt irons are ok for doing work on electronic circuits but they aren't strong enough to solder on lugs because the heat dissipates too fast in the components..
you need :
good heat + right solder+ soldering paste..which i sometimes in the middle of the solder or you can use some in a small can..
good luck
ciao,ho un problema nella mia greg bennet ,specificamente riguarda l'humbucker al manico..in quanto ha grossi rumori di sottofondo che spariscono quando tocco le corde,cosa che non si presenta quando splitto nel pickup al ponte (sempre humbucker).
Hi Joy Xy4JV, it sounds like there is an issue with the ground. You should check all your ground connections, starting with the neck pickup. It's likely an issue of the ground for the neck pickup not being connected to the player ground (this is why the noise stops when you touch the strings).
I've tried soldering countless times and I can never get a good solder flow, now I know I probably screwed up my tip from leaving the iron on with no solder on the tip and leaving it hot too long. I'll try this method with a new tip but I'm sure I'll screw it up anyways.
how do I clean up the mess
Look into desoldering wick or a desoldering pump
Dean thanks a lot! My only issue is that the bridge pickup volume cuts out around 4-6 and then comes back. Any sollution?
Have you tried contact cleaner?
No flux?
I agree. I thought this would be the top tip as it makes a huge difference.
Mike Dawkins It sure does for me. I have to admit he seems to be doing fine without it though.
***** In U.K. it's called resin core solder wire, meaning the flux is already inside the solder wire, perfect for small electronic work.
Peter Kane Have you actually used the stuff on guitar electronics or amps? I use some flux to make the solder flow, but then I'm good about cleaning up any excess because flux will introduce noise into a circuit. I always assumed that flux built-in to solder would create a noisy circuit that I might not be able to get rid of. I haven't tried it though.
Charles Seper I've been using it for years on guitars, pre amps, power amps, tv's, dvd's etc and it works a treat, very reliable..... Just make sure you tin both parts to be joined beforehand. It is faster cleaner & easier.
Mmm, 'sodder' your Strat, whole diffo meaning in the UK, how do you sod a guitar? Or is that sod as in turf? Here in the westcountry pronounced 'souldur'. Personally I solder (with an 'l'), and I use a 100w trigger style soldering gun for the back of pots, after abrading the soldering point, smaller style e.g. 40w pencil type soldering irons just don't have enough heat from my experience. Solder on.
Garin Linnington I live in the US and the pronunciation bothers me.
Heyyyy I recognize that Kalamazoo guitar!!!! ;)
This reminds me to get a new soldering iron they don't seem to last more than a few years :T
I ALWAYS KEEP THE TIP CLEAN...
1:43 wise words
I have a technique to get perfect soddening every time, I just pay someone with a lot of practice to do it for me. :) pro tip.
😂
KEEP YOUR TIP CLEEAAN!! now, solder
And you need a soldering iron that can get hot enough! I almost burned up my guitar. You need some type of temp control.
Invest in a good soldering iron for a long life shelf
the solder iron I bought only reaches about 400 degrees... damn does that mean i shouldn't try to solder ?
hello i wan to ask what difrent is pots 500k with 250k on precision bass
500k pots are usually used for humbucker pickups, while 250k are used for single coils. 500k will give you a slightly brighter tone because of the higher resistance, which is sometimes good because a humbucker can have an overly dark/warm tone that you might want to brighten up and give it more treble. I don't think it's that much of a difference though, as my cheap Strat with single coils came with 500k pots and single coils, and it's not too bright at all, so I guess it's all just personal preference. If you like the sound you're getting, I'd not worry about it at all.
Correction: A higher resistance pot won't *give* your pickup more treble, it'll just prevent more of the higher frequencies from escaping to ground, in other words it will let the pickup *keep* more of its treble.
dzamija922 thanks for the information its so help, but how for the caps like 0.022 0.047 0.050 0.068 0.104 what de difrent is? and how to the voltage of caps like an 125v 400v 600v?
I'm not sure about the voltage but capacitors are usually gauged by their capacitance which is measured in farads. The most common gauges for guitar capacitors are 27 nanofarads (nF) or 47 nanofarads, or as you put it, 0.022 or 0.047 microfarads (same thing, just a matter of which unit of measure you want to use).
The principle is the same, the higher the capacitance, the more treble you will get. Even when your tone is turned all the way up, some of the treble will leak to ground, because the components are not perfect. I personally use 47 because it came with my guitar, but it's totally up to you and no matter how you set it up it is really not that much of a difference, so don't worry about it. :)
Tone nazi's will *swear* that they hear a *massive* difference just by switching out capacitors, but between you and me, these people are full of shit. Or they have golden ears that can hear a 0.1 dB difference at any given frequency across the spectrum like a fucking superhuman. But nah, they're actually just full of shit. So don't worry about it bro, in my opinion get either 22 or 47 nanofarads because those are pretty much the standards, and you'll be fine. You can't go wrong. :)
dzamija922 which the lower sound we can get is a 0.018 or 0.068nf? i ask a electro part store he say more hight nano farad is more bass frequency will turn
Don't forget the FLUX!!
Are you Superman ?