Going to do my first pickup swap

[progrmr]

So I've got some electricity/electronics background but I've never done my own pickup swap before.

I'm considering putting the GFS True Coil Texas set in my CV 60's strat. I'm ok with wiring diagrams, but I have a few questions.

1. I saw the soldering iron thread and I haven't read through it yet - in the past when I've looked at the solder points in the control cavity it would appear that I'd need 2 soldering irons - one with a nice fine point, and another one without the fine point for soldering things to the top of the pots etc. This sound about right? I've got a soldering iron with a large blunt tip at the moment.

2. When soldering 2 wires together, holding the twisted wires up while holding the soldering iron and solder is a real PITA. Is there some tool to hold the wires so I can hold the soldering iron with one hand and the solder with the other?

3. How does one test the soldered connection points? I've got a meter that can read resistence, but I don't know where to meaure. Also, do you put the pickups in, restring, then mount the controls on a piece of cardboard until you get the connections right/tested and then reassemble?

4. Any tips on where to buy the gear would be very helpful as well as types of solder (size mainly), and any other tips you pro's know about would be great.

thanks! I've been wanting to do this for some time and the CV will make a great test bed I think.

[progrmr]

Found this little nugget - don't look too bad

[deeaa*]

1. I saw the soldering iron thread and I haven't read through it yet - in the past when I've looked at the solder points in the control cavity it would appear that I'd need 2 soldering irons - one with a nice fine point, and another one without the fine point for soldering things to the top of the pots etc. This sound about right? I've got a soldering iron with a large blunt tip at the moment.

I'm no pro but I've soldered guitars something like a hundred times or more...you can get by with a large one, it's not that intricate. I only use one which is rather small. It's just a bit hard to get the pot bottom hot enough but works OK. I used to think soldering guitars was a real PITA but once I got me a proper iron which is adjustable and powerful enough/fast enough too, as well as a vacuum pen it really took the pain from it away.

2. When soldering 2 wires together, holding the twisted wires up while holding the soldering iron and solder is a real PITA. Is there some tool to hold the wires so I can hold the soldering iron with one hand and the solder with the other?

Plenty of small vices in HW stores, or just clips...I tend to jam the ends down with whatever is at hand, like a small wrench or something, so that they align and solder away.

3. How does one test the soldered connection points? I've got a meter that can read resistence, but I don't know where to meaure. Also, do you put the pickups in, restring, then mount the controls on a piece of cardboard until you get the connections right/tested and then reassemble?

Um, they're so simple there's hardly much room for bad solders...I just put everything on the pickguard and solder them, never test them other than before I screw down the pickguard and put on strings I do hook it up to an amp and tap on pickups with something metallic while checking the switch etc. works correctly.

[Kazz]

Cardboard produces static electricity....so no.....

[Ch0jin]

Cardboard produces static electricity....so no.....

Well, as an insulator cardboard, like any insulator, is capable of storing static electricity, but as there are no ESD sensitive devices in that Strat, does it matter? If you were really concerned about ESD in this scenario, all I'd suggest is touching a grounded point before touching a component in the guitar. If the guitar is plugged into an amp, then thats anything metal on the guitar.