Right there with both of you. And i think i’m ready to “turn up the heat” as the symptoms "@trained monkey…" describes below are the story of my soldering. And it makes perfect sense. Even if i have to watch my cheap tips go up in flames before i pull this together, i’m going to give this high heat approach a fair shake.
Dylan, thanks for all your videos. As someone with extensive electronics background, I'd like to expand on why high heat and quick soldering is better. When you use a lower temperature for soldering, yes the solder will melt but it takes more time for the component you are soldering to get hot enough for the solder to properly bond to it. If it does not properly bond you get a cold solder joint which is crystals that form within the joint that have increased resistance and break easily. The next negative with low heat soldering is heat soak. The longer you hold your iron on the component, the more time there is for the component to get hot an possibly cause damage. So the answer is higher temperature and working fast that Dylan uses alleviates all those issues. I like to have a little dab of solder on the tip before starting the process to act as a bridge between the tip and the component for quicker heat transfer.
Great vid! Another few things you didn't mention that I think are worth it are: - Using the standard "chisel" tip is all you need to transfer enough heat for guitar electronics. - The other big benefit to using high heat is to help with "cold solder joint" where the joint oxidizes over time. - You didn't mention how to clean up a soldering mess up. You can use the solder pump or soldering wick. Hakko is great! I grew up using the Weller and the Hakko is just as good and reliable! Get it from a good source though there have been fakes floating around.
thanks for the great soldering tips. you saved me from ruining pickups by using the wrong type of soldering tool. didn't know the "gun" type could de magnetize pickups
I remember you years ago from a video, about guitar pups😅. I remember being caught off guard because it was not just good. It was excellent. This is tops too. I'm a soldering virgin and just decided to give it a go. I'm one hundred percent positive you just helped me suck far less when I start. Trust and believe that's potentially a whole lotta suckiness avoided .😂 Great job!
Thank you so much for the video! If I may give unsolicited advice, for your overhead camera, which is usually at a fixed distance from your table, try turning off the auto-focus to avoid focus breathing when your hands need to enter the frame between the camera and the parts you are working on. This way you could keep the focus fixed on the parts and prevent eye fatigue.
A low watt iron will do damage a lot easier than a high temp iron that is in contact for a short time. I learned that lesson the hard way years ago trying to replace a power jack on a laptop. The iron I had at the time had to be in contact so long to get solder to flow the heat transfer damaged the board.
This is just what I needed for my "3rd Rail" JMI AC-10 copy head, so I can connect it to the Scuminco in the GA-40. Brian at 3rd Rail amps uses vintage components from the 1960's, including transformers, tubes, etc. Scuminco speaker is supposedly like the Celestion silver bell used by Vox back in the day, so it should sound authentic. Will my soldering chops allow me to connect a speaker wire? Easy peasy you say? You don't know me very well.........
I use that exact same yellow fume extractor fan. It works pretty well. And while it's not strictly necessary, I do complement it by having it sitting to one side of my work area, pulling the smoke towards it, and then a similar small desk fan on the other side of my work area pushing the air across in the same direction. So overall, there's a strong left to right airflow across where I'm working. It may be overkill, but that extra fan cost like $10.00 at Walmart and takes like 2 extra seconds to turn on when I'm soldering. I figure it worth it to avoid breathing some stuff that - while not exactly "OMG drop dead instantaneously" level dangerous - isn't exactly good to be breathing in.
I have the exact Hakko station. I love it! I have a Ryobi station that uses a 18v battery (same one for their drills) for on the go soldering. You can plug it into the wall too. It works just as good.
I totally recommend a Solomon SR-965 Soldering Iron. It's 40 watts and has plenty of heat and does a wonderful job if you don't want to spend huge amounts of money. I recommend the Solomon over most Weller irons you find in like walmart...they are 20-30 watts and the heat sucks.
Dylan, are you concerned about the heat being applied to the capacitor while you’re soldering it? I’ve seen others use a heat sink while soldering caps…
I'm not Dylan, but I learned soldering from electronic techs at work. Dylan used a hot temperature, so the time the leads were at soldering temperature was very short. Not enough time for the component to get very hot. If you use a low watt iron, it takes so long to get the parts up to soldering temperature that you will overheat them. I got a very high watt soldering iron when I started working on guitars, because a low watt iron can melt the innards of a potentiometer. Fast is good.
You can use a heat sink if it fits. However, I accidentally burned my Orange Drop capacitor without using a heat sink and with my terrible soldering technique. The capacitor was fine. No issues
To solder push back wire braid to a pot case quickly and completely, I would use a soldering station iron handpiece heater (either cartridge or shaft heater) at 50 Watts or above. The red Weller is only 40 Watts, and the Hakko is 65 Watts. My PACE PS-90 at 51 Watts works good, but my ADS200 cartridge handpiece at 120 Watts max with a high power cartridge is much faster and responsive. A flat tip is called a chisel tip. You select the size to match the solder joint requirement. If you have to use lead-free solder choose a soldering station that has cubby actuated temperature instant setback, this will help preserve the life of your tips. If you can use leaded solder use eutectic solder. The flux is important for soldering to a pot case. Clean the pot case (I use a grinder with a superfine scotchbrite pad, pot cases tend to have a lot of manufacturing scale and oxidation on them) before soldering wipe with IPA. Then you need a fairly active flux, I like to use RA flux, which will need to be cleaned off after soldering. In my experience RMA no-clean does not seem to be active enough for soldering to a pot case. Before soldering to a pot case always add additional liquid RA flux (match the added liquid flux to the same flux used in the wire). I have liquid flux in a small brush glass bottle. The sad truth to soldering to a pot case is to make a good solder joint the case will have to get to the temperature needed to flow the solder, this puts a lot of stress on the pot. After soldering each joint you should tin the soldering tip before returning to its holder (some call it a cubby) this will preserve the tips. This is where I like to use 0.062 inch diameter solder wire on a spool next to my soldering station. If you use a sponge use distilled water and not tap water. Most tap water has high mineral content. To jumper for point to point wiring it is common practice to use tinned copper bus bar wire of the same nominal size as the other wiring in the guitar. So, if the wiring is 22 AWG you would use 22 AWG bus bar wire. If 20 AWG like a lot of older Les Paul guitars you would use 20 AWG bus bar wire. You can insulate bus bar wire using Teflon non-heat shrink tubing if required. If you want to know the proper techniques and images of production level solder joints you should consult IPC standards. Really, any guitar wiring technician should be at least IPS J-STD-001 certified.
Great Video, Dylan.. well done! I, for one.. really appreciate all the work & dedication that you put into all the video's that you post for everyone to learn from... Thank You, sir! Myself, I have a Schneider Soldering "Station" from Harbor Freight. It has 80 watts of power & up to 896 degrees F tip temperature. It has a digital temperature readout, and an infinitely (up to 896 deg.) adjustable temperature control to precisely adjust the temps, then it automatically keeps the set temp (at the soldering tip), with a small variance of +/- 3.6 degrees F (similar to your Hakko FX-888D), regardless of how fast the heat dissipates. It's a great unit for the price ($119.) and compares to other "name brand" units that are in the $200. price range. It's always been reliable and has had no "issue's" whatsoever, in well over a years consistent use. HF also has a "smaller" Schneider station, without the digital readout, and rated at 50 watts of power, with the same maximum tip temperature of 896 degrees.... just takes a little longer to "get there" with 50w, compared to the 80 watts of the other unit. The 50 watt unit currently (11.5.2022) sells for $49.99... I also use the Schneider .8mm (1/32") 63/37 Lead/Tin Rosin cored solder (1/2lb spool for $19.99 retail).... which works great for my use... mostly doing "upgrade" work on my bass, and vintage Lap & Console Steel Guitars. Love your channel, and how your so willing to share your knowledge with so many, out here in "internet universe".... Subscribed a few years ago.
@UCQue6b-ha6TXPrCawkjWidg.... Hello, Dylan.... IF, you're "talking" to me, I'm Not on "Telegram" nor Any other "social platform" for that matter. Sorry... so I guess I can't "acknowledge my prize". Also, I do Not have, nor use Gen.5 type "open face" cell phones.... I only use a Gen.4 "flip top", so... no access to "Telegram to Text you there. I did try to "google" your site on Telegram, but it did Not take me to Telegram... just went directly to your internet website. Thank you, anyway.. Dylan.... I greatly appreciate it. The Only "social platform" that I do, is my email. : ) PS; Not sure what the "Flying Guitar" prize is... but, I would've appreciated it.
Great video. Many good points. What would also be great is showing how to solder several wires to the back of a pot ie. multiple pickups, grounds. Do you twist them all together or do a small spot for each? Thanks
My update on the Weller WLC100. You can (so far) still get them from Amazon for $65- but Weller has discontinued it, no website support at all, and in the Seattle area no replacement tips.
"Use good stuff"! That is the ticket, light and a lens for me because my eyesight goes fuzzo when I have to zoom in to a pot/cap/switch. Lastly "Be cool and calm" I used to get into a frenzy when I finished up and all was tested, put the plate in and....Nadda cos I over heated a pot by using a stupidly heavy duty wire just to connect a volume pot and the heat and time On the lug wrecked the wiper inside the pot(They were rather inexpensive type) so that's how I learned (like you said) we are'nt welding here! I know you must have learned in a similar fashion cos you have it down to a fine art and that takes practice. Thanks, again for reminding us to use the "Right stuff".
I use that same Kester solder with 2% silver and it's excellent for electronics work, except that if you add it to existing leadfree solder you'll probably find that it makes for a grainy, frosty looking joint. If you try adding it to an existing solder joint and the resulting joint doesn't look good, suck the old solder off with desoldering braid or a solder-sucker pump thingie, and re-do the connection with your Kester solder. Some lead free solder formulations are like that and they don't play well with other leaded solder.
Thank you for the very best soldering advice. That Tele harness you did in a few minutes would have taken me an hour at least. I think the only thing I’m doing right is using cloth covered push back wire. I have an LTD EC-1000 with a beautiful koa top that looks, feels and plays great, but the original Seymours are just not doing it for me. Not enough midrange and a really ragged sounding low end. I’ve already bought some replacements and I’ve been dreading putting them in, but your suggestions are going to make this a lot smoother job. Now for starters I’ve got to get myself a new soldering iron…. Thanks again!
Thanks for the great help. I've watched other vid's where people use the push-back cloth wire for the switch jumpers, and that looks like a nightmare, and it usually ends up looking crappy. Is there any reason to not just use bare wire like you have done here?
I had a problem with a pad on the board and no matter what I couldn't get my new 22ga wire to solder shinny. A solid and stranded sets of Amazon wire insulation melting off and then getting some wire from Antique Electronics solved the heat issue but not the tinning with non lead solder. Finally have the option of non lead for my new Epi mods and lead for old amp and vintage guitar repair by going with 20ga stranded heat resistant auto primary wire from Napa that is not tinned giving me the choice of non Kester or lead. Hope this helps somebody
Love the Quad Hands! Being able to put the arms anywhere I need them makes it better than anything else. Arms don't feel cheap and flimsy either. Magnifying glass with LED is great for lighting in detail work also.
I'm a newbie, but seems like if you are soldering inside a pedal or something, those ones that he has that are magnetic look like they work but like the ones on soldering station is only good for other stuff
Thanks Dylan! Your videos are encouraging to try doing my soldering by myself. It seems right to do with my hands when it is clear. However, there's something in my guitar that just doesn't work. I have a good MIJ guitar, great hardware, nice pickups of models I've known, great pots and cap, I actually bought another set of great pots and cap, had the circuit rewired by a pro tech TWICE and to a schematic off the pickup builder site, - - still the guitar has no highs. With coils split, with a no-load pot Installed, with a short output chord, - no highs. I use it with a Kemper and FRFR monitors, so that is that too be excluded. I have no other ideas than there's some inobvious factor in how all the components of the guitar work together...
Is a 40W Weller stick iron too hot compared to the station with the heat knob? That Weller station is now $60, about triple the cost of a stick iron. Thanks.
I have a craftsman soldering pen that I use for car electrical that does not have a temperature dial do you think that is good enough to start out or is the temperature dial super important?
nice bike , what is it? and sometimes it's like the solder job is fighting me, I've been soldering for 40 years and still have issues so, asking: is it mostly right heat and if not sticking or melting is it the surface of the joints not prepared properly, example: just the other day I'm adding digital timer to a solar inverter and a little hard getting the big solder puddle on the power in joints to melt..thank you
Great 👍video man. Thanks for the very clear speech and thoughts.I feel slightly (very) more confident this time around after seeing how straightforward you make it look…🤞🏻We’ll see.
As an intermediate solderer there is 1 observation that stands out. Specifically I have been dismayed when I receive a new set of pickups with very tiny gauge hookup wires, such as 30 awg or smaller, because experience has taught me that those super tiny wires are very difficult to work with in a complicated soldering situation. For instance tinning these very tiny few strands can cause the thin wire to lose its flexibility and become rigid and brittle, prone to super easily breaking off near the solder joint. Etc. Etc. Lots of us have been baffled after receiving a humbucker with 5 microscopic hookup wires!?#@? Things like that cause stress. Especially if you only need 2 wires. Vintage style pickups are, however, available with heavy 22 awg hookup wires. Most references state that 22awg hookup wire is the guitar industry standard used in almost all pickup hookup wire. Well, don't rest assured because even some boutique vintage style expensive p90 pickups come to you from the factory with 30 gauge hookup wires. Most casual recreational guitar modders are unaware of this wire misunderstanding. In reality most modern pickups don't have 22 gauge hookup wire. Most modern pickups have very thin hookup wire compared to vintage pickups. These very tiny wires are good for complicated pickup switching options, but I suspect that another underlying factor that people need to be educated about is because the hookup wire gauge is most often not 22 or 24 awg, instead the wires are almost microscopically tiny wires that are most often used in robotic assembly operations. These same tiny wires pose a real challenge to the casual solderer. As a solution a customer can often order the same pickup with vintage push back wiring instead of tiny tiny modern plastic insulated wires. Those tiny wires are for inserting in quick connector blocks found on pcb boards, i.e., Gibson guitars. It saves $$$$$ in manufacturing as the components snap together. No need for soldering technicians or soldering robots. A robot can snap a connector together easily. The robot doesn't even need to be 'smart''. I wonder if guitar players know that a lot of expensive guitars are equipped with pcb board based electronics. When a guy finds out that he can't even change a pot in his new lp traditional you might expect him to be flabbergasted and insulted by a company that he thought he could trust. It seems unethical to market a guitar as being vintage or traditional without certain characteristics being found to be present in the supposedly vintage or traditional product. It's an obviously dishonest business practice attributable to corporate management policies. Misleading the customer is always a bad idea. It is advisable to always investigate and research the specific details regarding hookup wire size when thinking about modifying a guitar or buying a new guitar for the purpose of modding it. By practicing soldering skills and learning effective soldering techniques a person can effectively turn an inexpensive guitar into a super great instrument. Many cheap guitars a well built structurally, but they are often very lacking in the electronics department (like my '14 Gibson 50's Tribute Les Paul p90). It is also expensive to have a cheap guitar worked on. Learning to solder can open the door to learning the theories behind guitar wiring circuits and you will be able to use the pickup options of your choice as well as any switching options possible.
Hey I know I'm late to the party, but I'm looking for tips. I tried wiring up my guitar but when I try to solder, especially on pots, I cannot get the solder to stick to the pot. It always stays on my iron or forms a ball on the pot (but never a nice workable blob) that just comes off with the least amount of force. The capacitor leg that I soldered to the back of the pot just comes off like nothing and theres just like a mountain of solder and wires on my volume pot where all the ground wires meet. I'm using the TOAUTO DS90 soldering station at about 700 degrees. Also, it seems like the tip isn't distributing heat equally because solder will melt instantly on some parts but will absolutely not melt on other ares. Any tips for me?
Any recommendations for desoldering wrapped pots or switches? I ran into this issue on a Fender 16' MIM Strat as something done from the factory when trying to redo the hot connection for the jack on the volume pot and have found nothing online yet.
I'm still stuck at tinning my soldering tip. The tip oxidise before i got the tin on it, is there anything i need to know before tinning a brand new Solder iron?
Thanks Dylan. Good stuff. You gave the information in just a few minutes. It took me a lot longer by trial and error. If I'd only known then......right?
I have one of the modern Orange Weller soldering stations ( from Home Dumpo); I don't recommend it. I did not discover until I got it home and opened up the package that the iron itself is of the same cheapo type we've all seen that you can plug directly into the wall socket; in other words, the iron runs, or can run, directly off 120 Volts AC wall current. The soldering "station" contains a pulse mode switching supply in it that allows you to lower the 120 V from the wall down to 90 or 100 V or whatever, to lower the temperature of the iron a little bit compared to how hot it would be if you plugged it directly into the wall, but there's no temperature sensing feedback between the iron and the power supply. There's no digital display for temperature in it either.
I mean … if you want to burn up tips and overheat and burn the element out prematurely… I SUPPOSE you could do that… but that is not how it’s designed. Just because it has a similar wall plug doesn’t mean that’s what it’s designed for.
@@DylanTalksTone , I've been working with temperature controlled soldering equipment for years and I can tell you that this orange Weller soldering station is not a proper temperature controlled unit. There's no temperature feedback from tip to power supply; The temperature control is similar to a modern light dimmer that chops the way form into pulses and thereby reduces the overall wattage going to the iron. The system has no way of sensing heat draw being pulled away from the tip when you're soldering the back of a potentiometer nor anything else with any mass to it, and it will not increase the power to the iron to keep the temperature constant. It's also worth noting that because it's an AC 120 V rated iron there's only 2 wires going to it, and I'm not aware of any way that you can have the tip temperature of a soldering iron adjust itself automatically if you don't have at least a 3rd or 4th wire in the cable from the power supply to the iron, that could provide some kind of temperature feedback signal.
Hey Dylan just came across this video. Question; I see you used the wire leads snipped off a capacitor. Do you know if it’s possible to purchase lead wire for soldering purposes? Thanks!!
Wish I had shit to solder all day.. I love it… was the most fun when I changed the head unit in my car. The little things are too quick.. I could do this all day 😊
This was bight and clear. But please don't worry about us having to hear a fan with all that smoke in your face. People who need an extension cord to solder may want to consider a bigger cord with less resistance. Put the heat on your work, not on your outlet.
Great information, as always. But I really could’ve use this a few years ago when I try to build a telly kit, because I did that “mechanical bond” thing and took it one step further by twisting. I wish I would’ve known to not do that. Hopefully, this video will save mini the tedium that I endured trying to undo what I had mistakenly done
Great vid, Dylan! Thank you!! You showed a quick image of "how not to solder!" and I was wondering if you can show some tips on cleaning up a mess from a previous clown? 🤡
Several people have done tests to validate the claim that solder guns can demagnetize pickups. I haven't seen anything that leads me to believe this is true. Even if it is, I have rarely needed to solder with my gun right up against the pickup lol. In the rare event that you need to do that, just switch to a stick iron real quick for that part.
So i've been watching dozens of soldering videos (for a completely different purpose). But this takes me back to when i used to play guitar. Thanks for the...tips ;) ;) ;) #seewhatididthere
If you don't stress about the kind of solder, why have 2 complete setups for leaded & lead-free? Why not just use lead-free solder on everything? The lead free stuff doesn't look like it's that much more expensive, but maybe I'm looking at the wrong stuff?
If anyone looked inside my guitars, they would literally recoil. My soldering is so bad, it looks like some sort of Terminator 2, liquid metal thing took a dump all over my pots... which are singed to the point of wondering how they even work anymore. Wires burned, rattling chucks of solder rolling around inside the cavities etc. It's a train wreck. lol
Rick Beato did an interesting vid on string guage - he also encouraged people to give lights a go. I preferred the 8s for the overdriven tone. The 9s and 10's sounded really similar to me, the 8's had a lighter, airier tone, which I thought suited that guitar, but may not be so great on a different guitar. As you say, people need to try fir themselves, depends in the guitar and the player.
Yeah, don't use silver solder-this is not the right application for that. Eutectic (63/37) solder works also, but it's more expensive so there's no point using it for guitars. 60/40 is fine Lead free is obviously doable, but I think it's a pain because of the higher melting temp. Makes me glad I live in 'Murica'.
I've lost count of the amount of times I've nearly broken into tears as a grown ass man while putting in new pickups !!!!!!!!!!
Bro same!! I am horrible but I refuse to give up!!!!
Right there with both of you. And i think i’m ready to “turn up the heat” as the symptoms "@trained monkey…" describes below are the story of my soldering. And it makes perfect sense. Even if i have to watch my cheap tips go up in flames before i pull this together, i’m going to give this high heat approach a fair shake.
Grown ass woman here, guilty of shedding tears from soldering frustration. 😔
what?
You're not alone lol
Dylan, thanks for all your videos.
As someone with extensive electronics background, I'd like to expand on why high heat and quick soldering is better. When you use a lower temperature for soldering, yes the solder will melt but it takes more time for the component you are soldering to get hot enough for the solder to properly bond to it. If it does not properly bond you get a cold solder joint which is crystals that form within the joint that have increased resistance and break easily. The next negative with low heat soldering is heat soak. The longer you hold your iron on the component, the more time there is for the component to get hot an possibly cause damage. So the answer is higher temperature and working fast that Dylan uses alleviates all those issues. I like to have a little dab of solder on the tip before starting the process to act as a bridge between the tip and the component for quicker heat transfer.
Yeah I had terrible time with a 30 watt solder iron that barely would melt the solder.
Thank you Dylan! I love your no-BS-approach on guitar tech and tone. Way to go!
Great vid!
Another few things you didn't mention that I think are worth it are:
- Using the standard "chisel" tip is all you need to transfer enough heat for guitar electronics.
- The other big benefit to using high heat is to help with "cold solder joint" where the joint oxidizes over time.
- You didn't mention how to clean up a soldering mess up. You can use the solder pump or soldering wick.
Hakko is great! I grew up using the Weller and the Hakko is just as good and reliable! Get it from a good source though there have been fakes floating around.
thanks for the great soldering tips. you saved me from ruining pickups by using the wrong type of soldering tool. didn't know the "gun" type could de magnetize pickups
I remember you years ago from a video, about guitar pups😅.
I remember being caught off guard because it was not just good. It was excellent.
This is tops too. I'm a soldering virgin and just decided to give it a go. I'm one hundred percent positive you just helped me suck far less when I start.
Trust and believe that's potentially a whole lotta suckiness avoided .😂
Great job!
Thank you so much for the video!
If I may give unsolicited advice, for your overhead camera, which is usually at a fixed distance from your table, try turning off the auto-focus to avoid focus breathing when your hands need to enter the frame between the camera and the parts you are working on. This way you could keep the focus fixed on the parts and prevent eye fatigue.
I appreciate that. Manual focus creates problems too so I have taken to using a much higher Fstop lately.
A low watt iron will do damage a lot easier than a high temp iron that is in contact for a short time. I learned that lesson the hard way years ago trying to replace a power jack on a laptop. The iron I had at the time had to be in contact so long to get solder to flow the heat transfer damaged the board.
This is just what I needed for my "3rd Rail" JMI AC-10 copy head, so I can connect it to the Scuminco in the GA-40. Brian at 3rd Rail amps uses vintage components from the 1960's, including transformers, tubes, etc. Scuminco speaker is supposedly like the Celestion silver bell used by Vox back in the day, so it should sound authentic. Will my soldering chops allow me to connect a speaker wire? Easy peasy you say? You don't know me very well.........
One of the BEST TIPS and Tricks "How to" tutorial video on UA-cam. Thank you Dylan
I use that exact same yellow fume extractor fan. It works pretty well. And while it's not strictly necessary, I do complement it by having it sitting to one side of my work area, pulling the smoke towards it, and then a similar small desk fan on the other side of my work area pushing the air across in the same direction. So overall, there's a strong left to right airflow across where I'm working.
It may be overkill, but that extra fan cost like $10.00 at Walmart and takes like 2 extra seconds to turn on when I'm soldering. I figure it worth it to avoid breathing some stuff that - while not exactly "OMG drop dead instantaneously" level dangerous - isn't exactly good to be breathing in.
Thanks Dylan. Great video! Very informative.
I have the exact Hakko station. I love it! I have a Ryobi station that uses a 18v battery (same one for their drills) for on the go soldering. You can plug it into the wall too. It works just as good.
Your videos are absolutely amazing.
I totally recommend a Solomon SR-965 Soldering Iron. It's 40 watts and has plenty of heat and does a wonderful job if you don't want to spend huge amounts of money. I recommend the Solomon over most Weller irons you find in like walmart...they are 20-30 watts and the heat sucks.
Hi Dylan..how about flux core? Is is the same as resin core solder? And what do you think about using a solder paste? Thx
That Weller is exactly the one I have. I use it a lot. Works great.
Dylan, can the fumes from the soldering trigger the fire alarm system by mistake?
Dylan, are you concerned about the heat being applied to the capacitor while you’re soldering it? I’ve seen others use a heat sink while soldering caps…
I'm not Dylan, but I learned soldering from electronic techs at work. Dylan used a hot temperature, so the time the leads were at soldering temperature was very short. Not enough time for the component to get very hot. If you use a low watt iron, it takes so long to get the parts up to soldering temperature that you will overheat them. I got a very high watt soldering iron when I started working on guitars, because a low watt iron can melt the innards of a potentiometer. Fast is good.
You can use a heat sink if it fits. However, I accidentally burned my Orange Drop capacitor without using a heat sink and with my terrible soldering technique. The capacitor was fine. No issues
To solder push back wire braid to a pot case quickly and completely, I would use a soldering station iron handpiece heater (either cartridge or shaft heater) at 50 Watts or above. The red Weller is only 40 Watts, and the Hakko is 65 Watts. My PACE PS-90 at 51 Watts works good, but my ADS200 cartridge handpiece at 120 Watts max with a high power cartridge is much faster and responsive. A flat tip is called a chisel tip. You select the size to match the solder joint requirement. If you have to use lead-free solder choose a soldering station that has cubby actuated temperature instant setback, this will help preserve the life of your tips. If you can use leaded solder use eutectic solder.
The flux is important for soldering to a pot case. Clean the pot case (I use a grinder with a superfine scotchbrite pad, pot cases tend to have a lot of manufacturing scale and oxidation on them) before soldering wipe with IPA. Then you need a fairly active flux, I like to use RA flux, which will need to be cleaned off after soldering. In my experience RMA no-clean does not seem to be active enough for soldering to a pot case. Before soldering to a pot case always add additional liquid RA flux (match the added liquid flux to the same flux used in the wire). I have liquid flux in a small brush glass bottle. The sad truth to soldering to a pot case is to make a good solder joint the case will have to get to the temperature needed to flow the solder, this puts a lot of stress on the pot.
After soldering each joint you should tin the soldering tip before returning to its holder (some call it a cubby) this will preserve the tips. This is where I like to use 0.062 inch diameter solder wire on a spool next to my soldering station. If you use a sponge use distilled water and not tap water. Most tap water has high mineral content.
To jumper for point to point wiring it is common practice to use tinned copper bus bar wire of the same nominal size as the other wiring in the guitar. So, if the wiring is 22 AWG you would use 22 AWG bus bar wire. If 20 AWG like a lot of older Les Paul guitars you would use 20 AWG bus bar wire. You can insulate bus bar wire using Teflon non-heat shrink tubing if required.
If you want to know the proper techniques and images of production level solder joints you should consult IPC standards. Really, any guitar wiring technician should be at least IPS J-STD-001 certified.
For anyone else seeing g this… there is a lot of misinformation here.
Great Video, Dylan.. well done! I, for one.. really appreciate all the work & dedication that you put into all the video's that you post for everyone to learn from... Thank You, sir! Myself, I have a Schneider Soldering "Station" from Harbor Freight. It has 80 watts of power & up to 896 degrees F tip temperature. It has a digital temperature readout, and an infinitely (up to 896 deg.) adjustable temperature control to precisely adjust the temps, then it automatically keeps the set temp (at the soldering tip), with a small variance of +/- 3.6 degrees F (similar to your Hakko FX-888D), regardless of how fast the heat dissipates.
It's a great unit for the price ($119.) and compares to other "name brand" units that are in the $200. price range. It's always been reliable and has had no "issue's" whatsoever, in well over a years consistent use.
HF also has a "smaller" Schneider station, without the digital readout, and rated at 50 watts of power, with the same maximum tip temperature of 896 degrees.... just takes a little longer to "get there" with 50w, compared to the 80 watts of the other unit. The 50 watt unit currently (11.5.2022) sells for $49.99... I also use the Schneider .8mm (1/32") 63/37 Lead/Tin Rosin cored solder (1/2lb spool for $19.99 retail).... which works great for my use... mostly doing "upgrade" work on my bass, and vintage Lap & Console Steel Guitars.
Love your channel, and how your so willing to share your knowledge with so many, out here in "internet universe".... Subscribed a few years ago.
@UCQue6b-ha6TXPrCawkjWidg.... Hello, Dylan.... IF, you're "talking" to me, I'm Not on "Telegram" nor Any other "social platform" for that matter. Sorry... so I guess I can't "acknowledge my prize".
Also, I do Not have, nor use Gen.5 type "open face" cell phones.... I only use a Gen.4 "flip top", so... no access to "Telegram to Text you there.
I did try to "google" your site on Telegram, but it did Not take me to Telegram... just went directly to your internet website.
Thank you, anyway.. Dylan.... I greatly appreciate it. The Only "social platform" that I do, is my email. : )
PS; Not sure what the "Flying Guitar" prize is... but, I would've appreciated it.
This was a great video Dylan on soldering for anyone wanting to learn.
Great video. Many good points. What would also be great is showing how to solder several wires to the back of a pot ie. multiple pickups, grounds. Do you twist them all together or do a small spot for each? Thanks
My update on the Weller WLC100. You can (so far) still get them from Amazon for $65- but Weller has discontinued it, no website support at all, and in the Seattle area no replacement tips.
"Use good stuff"! That is the ticket, light and a lens for me because my eyesight goes fuzzo when I have to zoom in to a pot/cap/switch. Lastly "Be cool and calm" I used to get into a frenzy when I finished up and all was tested, put the plate in and....Nadda cos I over heated a pot by using a stupidly heavy duty wire just to connect a volume pot and the heat and time On the lug wrecked the wiper inside the pot(They were rather inexpensive type) so that's how I learned (like you said) we are'nt welding here! I know you must have learned in a similar fashion cos you have it down to a fine art and that takes practice. Thanks, again for reminding us to use the "Right stuff".
How many watts should I be looking for with the iron?
What's the best way to solder tinned wire to extend pickup leads?
I thought I was going too hot at 600 but I may actually go up a bit and see if that helps prevent damage to the surrounding area.
i use kester solder with 2% silver. Is it bad to use for guitar work or no? have a massive spool like the one you have
I use that same Kester solder with 2% silver and it's excellent for electronics work, except that if you add it to existing leadfree solder you'll probably find that it makes for a grainy, frosty looking joint. If you try adding it to an existing solder joint and the resulting joint doesn't look good, suck the old solder off with desoldering braid or a solder-sucker pump thingie, and re-do the connection with your Kester solder. Some lead free solder formulations are like that and they don't play well with other leaded solder.
@@goodun2974 great tip! That's exactly what I found out by trial and error lol
Thank you for the very best soldering advice. That Tele harness you did in a few minutes would have taken me an hour at least. I think the only thing I’m doing right is using cloth covered push back wire. I have an LTD EC-1000 with a beautiful koa top that looks, feels and plays great, but the original Seymours are just not doing it for me. Not enough midrange and a really ragged sounding low end. I’ve already bought some replacements and I’ve been dreading putting them in, but your suggestions are going to make this a lot smoother job. Now for starters I’ve got to get myself a new soldering iron…. Thanks again!
Thanks for the great help. I've watched other vid's where people use the push-back cloth wire for the switch jumpers, and that looks like a nightmare, and it usually ends up looking crappy. Is there any reason to not just use bare wire like you have done here?
I had a problem with a pad on the board and no matter what I couldn't get my new 22ga wire to solder shinny. A solid and stranded sets of Amazon wire insulation melting off and then getting some wire from Antique Electronics solved the heat issue but not the tinning with non lead solder. Finally have the option of non lead for my new Epi mods and lead for old amp and vintage guitar repair by going with 20ga stranded heat resistant auto primary wire from Napa that is not tinned giving me the choice of non Kester or lead. Hope this helps somebody
You are the Maserati of solderers, Dylan! Thank you for the tips.
Thx for this. Ab to try my hand at turning my partscaster sss strat to an hss. Intimidation is creeping on me like Halloween night frights.
Love the Quad Hands! Being able to put the arms anywhere I need them makes it better than anything else. Arms don't feel cheap and flimsy either. Magnifying glass with LED is great for lighting in detail work also.
I'm a newbie, but seems like if you are soldering inside a pedal or something, those ones that he has that are magnetic look like they work but like the ones on soldering station is only good for other stuff
Great how to video! I just did my first guitar! Thanks Dylan !
Thanks Dylan! Your videos are encouraging to try doing my soldering by myself. It seems right to do with my hands when it is clear.
However, there's something in my guitar that just doesn't work. I have a good MIJ guitar, great hardware, nice pickups of models I've known, great pots and cap, I actually bought another set of great pots and cap, had the circuit rewired by a pro tech TWICE and to a schematic off the pickup builder site, -
- still the guitar has no highs. With coils split, with a no-load pot Installed, with a short output chord, - no highs. I use it with a Kemper and FRFR monitors, so that is that too be excluded.
I have no other ideas than there's some inobvious factor in how all the components of the guitar work together...
Thanks Dylan. another well thought out and executed video.
Is a 40W Weller stick iron too hot compared to the station with the heat knob? That Weller station is now $60, about triple the cost of a stick iron. Thanks.
Don’t waste your money on the stick type
I have a craftsman soldering pen that I use for car electrical that does not have a temperature dial do you think that is good enough to start out or is the temperature dial super important?
Thanks for this Dylan! You told me to check this out and your course today during your live stream ! I’m ready to learn how to solder !
nice bike , what is it? and sometimes it's like the solder job is fighting me, I've been soldering for 40 years and still have issues so, asking: is it mostly right heat and if not sticking or melting is it the surface of the joints not prepared properly, example: just the other day I'm adding digital timer to a solar inverter and a little hard getting the big solder puddle on the power in joints to melt..thank you
Nice stuff Dylan, great info for people struggling with this subject!
Thanks for your advice/ tips, love the safety information as well, learned a lot this morning 👍🏻 Subscribed 👍🏻
Is 0.8mm diamater solder alright? The spool I want to order comes in 0.6, 0.8 & 1.0mm.
Dang I love watching people who are really expert at what they do, great job and tips, how many pots I’ll save from these tips,
Great 👍video man. Thanks for the very clear speech and thoughts.I feel slightly (very) more confident this time around after seeing how straightforward you make it look…🤞🏻We’ll see.
Nice tutorial.
Thanks for this! Just what I needed to learn. Amazon says "Thanks" too!
As an intermediate solderer there is 1 observation that stands out. Specifically I have been dismayed when I receive a new set of pickups with very tiny gauge hookup wires, such as 30 awg or smaller, because experience has taught me that those super tiny wires are very difficult to work with in a complicated soldering situation. For instance tinning these very tiny few strands can cause the thin wire to lose its flexibility and become rigid and brittle, prone to super easily breaking off near the solder joint. Etc. Etc.
Lots of us have been baffled after receiving a humbucker with 5 microscopic hookup wires!?#@?
Things like that cause stress. Especially if you only need 2 wires.
Vintage style pickups are, however, available with heavy 22 awg hookup wires. Most references state that 22awg hookup wire is the guitar industry standard used in almost all pickup hookup wire. Well, don't rest assured because even some boutique vintage style expensive p90 pickups come to you from the factory with 30 gauge hookup wires.
Most casual recreational guitar modders are unaware of this wire misunderstanding. In reality most modern pickups don't have 22 gauge hookup wire. Most modern pickups have very thin hookup wire compared to vintage pickups. These very tiny wires are good for complicated pickup switching options, but I suspect that another underlying factor that people need to be educated about is because the hookup wire gauge is most often not 22 or 24 awg, instead the wires are almost microscopically tiny wires that are most often used in robotic assembly operations. These same tiny wires pose a real challenge to the casual solderer.
As a solution a customer can often order the same pickup with vintage push back wiring instead of tiny tiny modern plastic insulated wires. Those tiny wires are for inserting in quick connector blocks found on pcb boards, i.e., Gibson guitars. It saves $$$$$ in manufacturing as the components snap together. No need for soldering technicians or soldering robots. A robot can snap a connector together easily. The robot doesn't even need to be 'smart''.
I wonder if guitar players know that a lot of expensive guitars are equipped with pcb board based electronics. When a guy finds out that he can't even change a pot in his new lp traditional you might expect him to be flabbergasted and insulted by a company that he thought he could trust.
It seems unethical to market a guitar as being vintage or traditional without certain characteristics being found to be present in the supposedly vintage or traditional product. It's an obviously dishonest business practice attributable to corporate management policies. Misleading the customer is always a bad idea.
It is advisable to always investigate and research the specific details regarding hookup wire size when thinking about modifying a guitar or buying a new guitar for the purpose of modding it.
By practicing soldering skills and learning effective soldering techniques a person can effectively turn an inexpensive guitar into a super great instrument. Many cheap guitars a well built structurally, but they are often very lacking in the electronics department (like my '14 Gibson 50's Tribute Les Paul p90). It is also expensive to have a cheap guitar worked on. Learning to solder can open the door to learning the theories behind guitar wiring circuits and you will be able to use the pickup options of your choice as well as any switching options possible.
Hey I know I'm late to the party, but I'm looking for tips. I tried wiring up my guitar but when I try to solder, especially on pots, I cannot get the solder to stick to the pot. It always stays on my iron or forms a ball on the pot (but never a nice workable blob) that just comes off with the least amount of force. The capacitor leg that I soldered to the back of the pot just comes off like nothing and theres just like a mountain of solder and wires on my volume pot where all the ground wires meet. I'm using the TOAUTO DS90 soldering station at about 700 degrees. Also, it seems like the tip isn't distributing heat equally because solder will melt instantly on some parts but will absolutely not melt on other ares. Any tips for me?
Any recommendations for desoldering wrapped pots or switches? I ran into this issue on a Fender 16' MIM Strat as something done from the factory when trying to redo the hot connection for the jack on the volume pot and have found nothing online yet.
I'm still stuck at tinning my soldering tip. The tip oxidise before i got the tin on it, is there anything i need to know before tinning a brand new Solder iron?
Thanks Dylan. Good stuff. You gave the information in just a few minutes. It took me a lot longer by trial and error. If I'd only known then......right?
I have one of the modern Orange Weller soldering stations ( from Home Dumpo); I don't recommend it. I did not discover until I got it home and opened up the package that the iron itself is of the same cheapo type we've all seen that you can plug directly into the wall socket; in other words, the iron runs, or can run, directly off 120 Volts AC wall current. The soldering "station" contains a pulse mode switching supply in it that allows you to lower the 120 V from the wall down to 90 or 100 V or whatever, to lower the temperature of the iron a little bit compared to how hot it would be if you plugged it directly into the wall, but there's no temperature sensing feedback between the iron and the power supply. There's no digital display for temperature in it either.
I mean … if you want to burn up tips and overheat and burn the element out prematurely… I SUPPOSE you could do that… but that is not how it’s designed. Just because it has a similar wall plug doesn’t mean that’s what it’s designed for.
@@DylanTalksTone , I've been working with temperature controlled soldering equipment for years and I can tell you that this orange Weller soldering station is not a proper temperature controlled unit. There's no temperature feedback from tip to power supply; The temperature control is similar to a modern light dimmer that chops the way form into pulses and thereby reduces the overall wattage going to the iron. The system has no way of sensing heat draw being pulled away from the tip when you're soldering the back of a potentiometer nor anything else with any mass to it, and it will not increase the power to the iron to keep the temperature constant. It's also worth noting that because it's an AC 120 V rated iron there's only 2 wires going to it, and I'm not aware of any way that you can have the tip temperature of a soldering iron adjust itself automatically if you don't have at least a 3rd or 4th wire in the cable from the power supply to the iron, that could provide some kind of temperature feedback signal.
Good instruction. Thank you.
I wish I would have seen this before I used the acetylene torch to put those single coils in my R9.
Hey Dylan just came across this video. Question; I see you used the wire leads snipped off a capacitor. Do you know if it’s possible to purchase lead wire for soldering purposes? Thanks!!
All good tips! Thanks Dylan!
Great video, I still have soldering challenges. What is that shirt, you seem to have several of them, they are way cool. Keep up the good work.
Thank you man, this is a very important video for me thanks thanks👍👍👍
Do you know if the hakko fx601 would do as well as the hakko fx888d
Glad I could make it to the live
Wish I had shit to solder all day.. I love it… was the most fun when I changed the head unit in my car. The little things are too quick.. I could do this all day 😊
I know all this stuff, but watching a master is helpful.
Nice video all you say is correct and propper for me :P im big fun of kester spools the soldering is just fantastic.Good job!!!
This was bight and clear. But please don't worry about us having to hear a fan with all that smoke in your face. People who need an extension cord to solder may want to consider a bigger cord with less resistance. Put the heat on your work, not on your outlet.
Is it permissible to only replace one pickup or must all pickups be replaced with the same brand?
Yes, you can upgrade one pickup at a time.
"Pretend Wire"?! Where am I supposed to get make believe wire from? 😂
Thank you this video was insanely helpful!
I am digging you Dylan - thanks!
Thank you!
Dylan yo vids are the best!!!
How Neatly done! My work looks like somebody spilled something.
Great information, as always.
But I really could’ve use this a few years ago when I try to build a telly kit, because I did that “mechanical bond” thing and took it one step further by twisting. I wish I would’ve known to not do that. Hopefully, this video will save mini the tedium that I endured trying to undo what I had mistakenly done
Great vid, Dylan! Thank you!! You showed a quick image of "how not to solder!" and I was wondering if you can show some tips on cleaning up a mess from a previous clown? 🤡
Thanks, just subscribed
Several people have done tests to validate the claim that solder guns can demagnetize pickups.
I haven't seen anything that leads me to believe this is true. Even if it is, I have rarely needed to solder with my gun right up against the pickup lol. In the rare event that you need to do that, just switch to a stick iron real quick for that part.
Thanks!
Thank YOU
Excellent
“Making Greta happy” killed me 😂 Great video!
So i've been watching dozens of soldering videos (for a completely different purpose). But this takes me back to when i used to play guitar. Thanks for the...tips ;) ;) ;) #seewhatididthere
I've come to the conclusion that soldering is bullshit.
Why my solder doesn’t stick at the top of the pots??? 😫😤
Nice 👍
Good morning guitar geeks. Hey Dylan
I developed essential tremors and soldering now is a complete adventure and nightmare.
If you don't stress about the kind of solder, why have 2 complete setups for leaded & lead-free? Why not just use lead-free solder on everything? The lead free stuff doesn't look like it's that much more expensive, but maybe I'm looking at the wrong stuff?
Because lead free sucks to use, but it’s required legally in some countries
Wouldn't a Seymour Duncan Liberator 500k Volume Pot make things a lot more serviceable?
"we're not building a bridge"👍
Just tried de-soldering a ground connection with an old cheap Weller and a wick. Nope, not happening, ordered the station
Something strange about that. I've been soldering years an even with a cheap low watt iron you should be able to desolder a ground wire
@@daviddigital6887 I think my mistake was not tinning the iron enough before using the wick
If anyone looked inside my guitars, they would literally recoil. My soldering is so bad, it looks like some sort of Terminator 2, liquid metal thing took a dump all over my pots... which are singed to the point of wondering how they even work anymore. Wires burned, rattling chucks of solder rolling around inside the cavities etc. It's a train wreck. lol
I have that same soldering station. Ugly as can be but what a great station. Especially for the money
Orange?
I literally fixed a busted wire in my guitar with bubble gum and it held for years
Lol…. You win. I quit. This is awesome
@@DylanTalksTone They say necessity is the mother of invention but I say it's desperation
Rick Beato did an interesting vid on string guage - he also encouraged people to give lights a go. I preferred the 8s for the overdriven tone. The 9s and 10's sounded really similar to me, the 8's had a lighter, airier tone, which I thought suited that guitar, but may not be so great on a different guitar. As you say, people need to try fir themselves, depends in the guitar and the player.
OMG thank you I fucking suck at soldering.
It’s “solder” not “sodder”! It says so right on the packaging!
the L is silent. english language is weird, i know.
@@davidofthemeadow not where I come from. We absolutely pronounce the L!
Yeah, don't use silver solder-this is not the right application for that.
Eutectic (63/37) solder works also, but it's more expensive so there's no point using it for guitars. 60/40 is fine
Lead free is obviously doable, but I think it's a pain because of the higher melting temp. Makes me glad I live in 'Murica'.
Damn… my helping hands require me to screw them in to the yellow plate. Magnetic ones are a much better idea
700farenheit ?