Wiazard pup wiring

[Jigster]

can anyone advise - am waiting on a Thumper pup from Wizard and having a look at P bass wiring meanwhile - be gentle with me it's my first time -

Andy said to solder the white wire from the pup into centre tag of the vol pot, BUT almost all p bass diagrams I've looked at seem to put the white wire to the left end tag - was it more than likely a slip of the tongue from Andy, or is the Wizard pup doing something different?

cheers

[Ou7shined]

Just make it look like this and you'll be cooking with gas.




How did you get on with the shielding btw?

[Jigster]

this weekend, I hope

you know the right hand lug on the vol pot, there's a black line making a square, is that a v short wire from the lug back to the pot, or does it indicate that the lug is bent back on itself?

[Ou7shined]

Either will do. It's normally just eaisier to bend it back.

[Jigster]

and then solder it?

[Ou7shined]

Aye.

[Jigster]

Hi Rich

pics below - excuse shakey hand soldering.. Neatness never was my forte

The wiring kit I bought was for Fender precision and came with a diagram so I've followed that. The only bit I'm unsure of now is that it shows a short wire going from the tone pot's far left lug to the the vol pot's far left lug as you look at it. Do I need that, as it doesn't seem to indicate that on other diagrams I've looked at?

All being well, now got the pups to do tomorrow when they arrive.

[attachment=58170:IMG_0830.jpg]

[Ou7shined]

To tell you the truth mate, it looks all wrong bar your black pup wire and the bent back lug. The leg on your cap looks like it might be touching 2 lugs too.

There are a couple of ways of soldering up a job to achieve the same results. It might be best to just do it the way I posted above.

[Jigster]

do you mean it's wrong ie. soldering is crap and it won't work ,

or the positioning of stuff - you can't actually see as far as the jack on my photo, but all wires going to various points mimic this diagram, (apart from I took the ground to the tone pot instead of the jack socket) which is from Fender support on their website

[attachment=58175:SD0193200_02APg2.jpg]


true, the cap looks dodgy but it is clear of the other lug, altho not very tidy

Edited September 5, 2010 by Jigster

[Ou7shined]

The soldering isn't too bad for a first stab at it.

I didn't read that you hadn't got the pups on yet - I presumed that the cloth covered wires were pup wires.

Yes you will need that wee bit of wire you mentioned.

As a tip you should aim to get the wires/components through the little eyelets in the pot lugs.

[Jigster]

sorry, and then I'll stop bothering you !! if the wires [b]aren't[/b] through the eyelets does that interrupt/lessen contact then?

[Ou7shined]

It's no bother mate.

Yes as the wire (or whatever) is invariably forced into making physical contact with the metal spade. It's possible when soldering to join components without them making actual contact instead the solder bridges the gap. This may be ok in the short term but as the solder dries out the joint will fail. It is especially important to make metal to metal contact when you are dealing with audio.

Edited September 5, 2010 by Ou7shined

[Jigster]

cheers - ok well I'll see how i get on - may end up having to re-do stuff but it's good for the learning eh?

I feel if it doesn't work this time round, just by doing this attempt I'll get it better next

Have a good week.

[Jigster]

hey out7ined

have opened the bass up and what you were saying may well be right in terms of the vol control not being very functional - looks scorched doesn't it - but I was playing the bass this morning and the vol actually does work, but within a VERY small parameter..

oh well, i like it loud anyways!! if i get some time i might buy a new pot and re-apply..

thanks for your help with this generally

[attachment=58816:IMG_0833.jpg]

[Ou7shined]

It's kind of hard to see from the pic but it doesn't look like the solder has flowed onto the pot correctly, hence the sort of bubble effect. Maybe that's why it's not working.

[Protium]

I hate soldering onto pots, you need a lot of heat on it really fast and localised to get a good join without killing the carbon track. A regular iron doesn't quite cut it.

[Ou7shined]

Yeah it can be a pain sometimes.
I have a wee boost button on mine which takes it from a 25w iron to a 130w in seconds just for such jobs.

[Jigster]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='959921' date='Sep 17 2010, 09:00 PM']It's kind of hard to see from the pic but it doesn't look like the solder has flowed onto the pot correctly, hence the sort of bubble effect. Maybe that's why it's not working.[/quote]

okay - i'll have another go then - ta

[Protium]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='959939' date='Sep 17 2010, 09:24 PM']Yeah it can be a pain sometimes.
I have a wee boost button on mine which takes it from a 25w iron to a 130w in seconds just for such jobs.[/quote]

Handy. I use a mini bunsen burner

[umph]

i use a file and take the top layer off so you can solder to it with no problems..

[Protium]

[quote name='umph' post='961446' date='Sep 19 2010, 07:17 PM']i use a file and take the top layer off so you can solder to it with no problems..[/quote]

Should mention I do this too, clean all the gunk and oxidation off the casing. My 30W iron just isn't powerful enough.

[KiOgon]

[quote name='Jigster' post='957106' date='Sep 15 2010, 12:37 PM']hey out7ined

have opened the bass up and what you were saying may well be right in terms of the vol control not being very functional - looks scorched doesn't it - but I was playing the bass this morning and the vol actually does work, but within a VERY small parameter..

oh well, i like it loud anyways!! if i get some time i might buy a new pot and re-apply..

thanks for your help with this generally

[attachment=58816:IMG_0833.jpg][/quote]

Looking at the right hand edge of your picture - if that blob of solder is supposed to be joining the '3rd lug' of the pot to the body - I'd say it ain't! That would probably account for the pot 'working but within a very small parameter'.
Have you got a meter? Check for continuity between the '3rd lug' & the pot body, also you can try moving the lug away with a small screwdriver, you'll see if the solder is holding it or not.

As said already you may need to clean up the area to solder with a file/emery paper. You also need enough heat to ensure the solder flows.

I still use the good old fashioned 'real solder' with 60% lead 40% tin approx from memory, with flux built in. I don't think you can buy it these days so if what you are using is 'new stuff' it's probably far more difficult to get a good joint with.

Cheerz, John

[Count Bassy]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='946628' date='Sep 5 2010, 08:26 PM']It's no bother mate.

Yes as the wire (or whatever) is invariably forced into making physical contact with the metal spade. It's possible when soldering to join components without them making actual contact instead the solder bridges the gap. This may be ok in the short term but as the solder dries out the joint will fail. It is especially important to make metal to metal contact when you are dealing with audio.[/quote]

Solder is a metal alloy and does not 'Dry out'. Solder is also a good conductor so it is not nessecary to have the wire to lug direct contact as long as the solder is properly bonded to both parts. The main purpose of the lug with the hole in is to physically retain the wire while you solder it, thus it is a useful aid to making a good joint, but not essential.

A dry joint is where the solder makes mechanical/electrical contact, but is not actually 'bonded' to the surface. The mechanical contact may be an adequate electrical contact when initially done, but sooner or later, especially with vibration or any movement (eg from thermal cycling) the joint moves and it no longer makes contact. However the joint always was dry, from the day it was made.

[Ou7shined]

It is just an expression.
As you have diligently pointed out a joint may be "dry" from inception when it hasn't flowed properly for whatever reason but it may also gradually over time degrade and fail as a result of oxidation, corrosion, problems with the flux or through physical intervention in these circumstances the joint can euphemistically (and incorrectly as you pointed out ) be considered to have "dried out". I'm not sure that we really need to clarify that a piece of metal which has had heat applied to it in sufficient amounts so as to momentarily change it's state and used in an electrical circuit is physically wet or dry but thanks for the lesson in metallurgy... oh and for once again pointing out not at all in a patronising way the way I fail at being 100% correct when putting stuff into layman's terms for the guys getting to grips with the basics. Edited September 23, 2010 by Ou7shined