Discussion in 'Tech-Talk' started by BT224, Feb 19, 2020. You may try treating it with tip activator, or simply replace it. I am building a Parts-o-caster right now and I am trying to solder a ground wire to the bridge, bu it won't stick! We cover a lot of amplifier and guitar electronics projects in our DIY features. You’ll also end up holding the iron in situ for a long time and despite there being insufficient heat for soldering, you can still melt plastic parts and damage delicate electronic components. I just got a loaded pickguard that didn't have a ground wire. In the first part, I’ll be sharing some pro tips on soldering equipment and good practice. When the solder starts to melt feed it in for about a second and gently move the iron around, Take the solder away, but leave the iron on the pad for one more second to let everything flow and settle. To contact the forum owner hit the Contact Us link. Despite several vaccines on the horizon, is it still apocalypse right now for the UK live music industry? Is it as simple as soldering to anywhere on top of the volume pot and then the trem claw? If you find it isn’t sufficient, then up the temperature to 350°C and try again. This is replacing another pickguard, so yes I will be using the existing ground wire to the claw.The last time I did this the new pickguard did have a ground wire already connected to the pot, I had to solder it to the claw. Try to coat the wires as evenly as possible so there’s a thin layer of flux on them. Continuing our journey through the guitar styles of the legendary Three Kings, this time it’s the turn of Flying V-toting blue icon Albert. And what type of flux do I need? The October 2020 issue of Guitar Magazine is out now! We usually call these two contacts “hot” and “ground”. Either fan out the strands of the ground wire, or solder it to a piece of copper foil, and let the bridge sit on top of the foil. Tags: None. Put rosin flux on the spliced wire to help the solder adhere better. You can solder the claw ground to any grounded component location, such as back of pot or exposed wire going to a pot. If you have a 15- or 20-watt soldering iron, you probably won’t be able to do these jobs, because larger metal parts act as a heatsink, dissipating heat from the iron. There are various types of soldering iron and it’s important to choose the right one for your needs. Usually that ground point will be the back of a pot or the sleeve of the output jack. Place the solder on the component and pad, the solder should start to melt and flow onto the back of the pot. Strat-Talk.com is an independent, member supported forum and is not affiliated with Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Plumbing solder has acid flux and it’s unsuitable for electronics. 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Increasing awareness of the health dangers associated with lead have resulted in legislation restricting the use of lead-based solder in manufacturing. Grounding to any shielding such as paint or foil is not considered an acceptable standard due to their greater propensity to break continuity. The pickguard is then flipped and the pickups dropped into their covers then soldered into the circuit. Jeff_H. With the area pre-heated and iron tip still touching the work, bring the solder into contact with the joint. In part two of our look at the chord shapes and sequences which define Paul Simon’s sound, we focus on his early years as a solo artist. Guitar.com is the world’s leading authority and resource for all things guitar. With printed circuit boards, an iron temperature of about 325°C should be a safe starting point, because it’s imperative not to damage the board. Once I figured out that I did, I just wanted to be sure where it connects in the electronics cavity. You don’t need much power to solder through-hole components onto a printed circuit board, but soldering a ground connection onto an amplifier chassis is beyond the capability of most soldering irons. When you use compartment shielding, you must take care not to create a ground loop as outlined in Ground Loop 2. He’s famously driven and single-minded, constantly seeking out great instruments and unique sounds to build a unique catalogue of stellar guitar music. What am I doing wrong? Pencil irons are either on or off, and their operating temperature is fixed. Compartment shielding provides the best Shield because all of the electronic components are inside the Shield. This guide is divided into two parts. Here’s a Part 1 guide to the man jokingly dubbed Slowhand. The September 2020 issue of Guitar Magazine is out now! After every few joints, it’s advisable to wipe the iron clean, apply fresh solder to the tip and wipe off the excess. The pedal is based around the searing tones of Tony Iommi. Experienced solderers often prefer to work with irons set at 400°C or above, to get in and out in a couple of seconds. Knowing how to solder opens up a world of money-saving DIY fun, but there’s an art to doing it well. Applying masking tape to the top of the covers, I position them inside the pickup openings with the tape holding them in place. Help! Leaded solder is usually a 60/40 mix of tin and lead that melts at around 190°C and it would have been used in all vintage guitars, pedals and amps. An introduction to guitar wiring, including how different components work and how they work together. Re: Where should the ground connection be wired? Whichever tip you use, it’s advisable to keep it in good condition. Solder does not stick to bridges. Concerning your shielding: you can either solder a jumper wire to ground to the shielding itself, or, “spill” enough above the cavity to make contact with the Bridge assembly. Here's an approximate picture of the wire I used. Five years on from the King Of The Blues’ death in 2015, aged 89, a new movie featuring Wendell Pierce as BB is in the works. If the wire from the claw is not long enough, I'll just do it to the top of the volume pot. We caught up with the man himself to talk tone, finding beauty in corners, and why there’s something very special about a black sparkle finish…, The mysterious multi-instrumentalist, producer and guitar-builder discusses his recently released EP, why guitars should look cooler than they sound, and being a body double for Sacha Baron Cohen. Less risk of soldering there than on top of the pot. It's a collaboration with keyboard player David Garfield. You don’t need much power to solder through-hole components onto a printed circuit board, but soldering a ground connection onto an amplifier chassis is beyond the capability of most soldering irons.