I screwed up!!

t1mlew1s · #1 06-01-2008, 04:44 PM

Hi forum. Newbie here. I think I have made a HUGE and potential expensive mistake.
BTW I searched the FAQ's and didn't really find the answer I was looking for. Hope somebody can offer some suggestions.
Anyway, I recently acquired a pretty beat up Ibanez SR500 four stringer with Bartolini MK1 active pickups. I say beat up, but really it was just cosmetic damage. Being a novice, I thought the repair would be pretty straightforward. You know, remove the electronics and just start sanding. The original finish was dark brown mahogany, but I thought a natural look with a lot of poly would look really nice. So here I go and CUT the wires on my pickups! Yikes. Only after doing this did I realize there is some type of filament or fusible link or something besides just metal wiring! Needless to say putting them back together with an electical connector didn't work.
So where do I go from here? Any advice? Please don't pick on me for being a dumb-a**!

niftydog · #2 06-01-2008, 06:10 PM

Where did you cut them? What did you do to test them once you got them back together? Pics would really help methinks. I can't think what might have the appearance of a fusible link.

t1mlew1s · #3 06-01-2008, 06:32 PM

Thanks for the reply.

I cut them about four or five inches away from the bottom of the pick up, just enought to rejoin them behind the back plate at the pots.
The wire appears to have some kind of filament or something that was covered by the metal strands that I expected to find and all that was covered by the insulation. The "filament" was white and looked sort of plastic. It gave me the idea of a fusible link, but it probably isn't. It just looked that way.
Should the wires just connect right back together? If so, maybe my problem is somewhere else. The guitar played fine before I monkeyed with it. Maybe I goofed something else up!

fenderhutz · #4 06-01-2008, 06:33 PM

Battery dead?

t1mlew1s · #5 06-01-2008, 06:36 PM

Battery is new. Thought of that first. Good call, though.

fenderhutz · #6 06-01-2008, 06:40 PM

Did you test it?

Thangfish · #7 06-01-2008, 06:42 PM

Nylon fibers in the wire to strengthen it. Don't know why they would use that kind of wire for a pickup. Should be a simple matter to solder it back together. Don't sweat it. Get a friend that knows how to solder to help you. Use shrink tubing to insulate. Don't use those crimp connectors. Your problem may very well lie elsewhere.

t1mlew1s · #8 06-01-2008, 06:42 PM

Oh you are hilarious!

t1mlew1s · #9 06-01-2008, 06:47 PM

Thanks, I was hoping something like that would be the case. I'll just pull it apart again and recheck my other connections. I really was worried, so thanks alot. I really did not want to spend the kind of money it would take to replace those.

t1mlew1s · #10 06-01-2008, 07:16 PM

I took it all apart again and found that the "filament" I was referring to is acutally another inulated wire. It's na insulated wire wrapped by a secon insulated wire. Go figure.

Thangfish · #11 06-01-2008, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t1mlew1s

I took it all apart again and found that the "filament" I was referring to is acutally another inulated wire. It's na insulated wire wrapped by a secon insulated wire. Go figure.

Ok, then forget what I said.

The center wire is your conductor.
The outer (wrapping) is the shield and should go to ground.

These 2 should NOT touch each other. I bet that is your problem.

Thangfish · #12 06-01-2008, 07:25 PM

A photo would really iron this out quickly.

t1mlew1s · #13 06-01-2008, 07:46 PM

You're right. i separated the two wires on each pup and they work just like they used to. God, I'm so relieved!
Thanks for your help!

Thangfish · #14 06-01-2008, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t1mlew1s

You're right. i separated the two wires on each pup and they work just like they used to. God, I'm so relieved!
Thanks for your help!

Me too, and glad it worked out.

lemur821 · #15 06-01-2008, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t1mlew1s

Anyway, I recently acquired a pretty beat up Ibanez SR500 four stringer with Bartolini MK1 active pickups. I say beat up, but really it was just cosmetic damage. Being a novice, I thought the repair would be pretty straightforward. You know, remove the electronics and just start sanding. The original finish was dark brown mahogany, but I thought a natural look with a lot of poly would look really nice. So here I go and CUT the wires on my pickups! Yikes. Only after doing this did I realize there is some type of filament or fusible link or something besides just metal wiring! Needless to say putting them back together with an electical connector didn't work.

It sounds more like you botched the reconnection somehow. Give it another shot or take it to someone. Should be an easy fix.

EDIT: Nevermind, I had this page loaded a while ago and didn't see all the replies. Glad it worked out.