Taking out pickups - where do I cut the wire?

[TimBosby]

Hi,
I picked up a beat up old Ibanez Blazer P-style bass for $80 locally and I am currently taking it apart. I've never taken out pickups before and am not sure where to cut the three wires. Near the pots? Near the pickups? Please help an incompetent brother out

[David1234]

Keep the full length of the wire on the pickups so you can re-use them without having to join wires together.

I'd use a soldering iron to remove them from the pots. Take a few photos or a clear diagram of the circuit beforehand in case you want to restore it.

[TimBosby]

I took a photo. I don't own a soldering iron. I plan to reuse the pickups but not necessarily the pots.

Originally Posted by David1234

Keep the full length of the wire on the pickups so you can re-use them without having to join wires together.

I'd use a soldering iron to remove them from the pots. Take a few photos or a clear diagram of the circuit beforehand in case you want to restore it.

[mellowgerman]

soddering iron kit is about $9 at radioshack. great investment...

[EagleMoon]

Originally Posted by TimBosby

I took a photo. I don't own a soldering iron. I plan to reuse the pickups but not necessarily the pots.

If you don't have a soldering iron how are you planning to reinstall the pickups? Ideally it's best to unsolder them from the pots, but if you don't want to do that, cut them as close to the pot as you can get.

[Darkstrike]

Originally Posted by mellowgerman

soddering iron kit is about $9 at radioshack. great investment...

This.

[line6man]

Wouldn't it be common sense that they be cut as close as possible to the pot, so that you can strip a clean piece of wire at the end and solder it to the new pot without losing the length of the wire?

FWIW, NEVER cut the wire near the pickup.
If you have an epoxy potted pickup (unless of course, you had enough wire left to join in a new piece of wire and shrink wrap over the solder joint) that would be the complete life of the pickup and it would have to be thrown in the trash, as the wire cannot be replaced.

[TimBosby]

Originally Posted by EagleMoon

If you don't have a soldering iron how are you planning to reinstall the pickups? Ideally it's best to unsolder them from the pots, but if you don't want to do that, cut them as close to the pot as you can get.

Scotch tape and elbow grease.
I'm kidding. My guitar player has a soldering iron.

I cut 'em off with wire cutter, right up close to the pots. Tons of wire on the pickups still. All good.

Pickup covers popped right off too... now to find some nice creme colored ones...

[EagleMoon]

Originally Posted by TimBosby

Scotch tape and elbow grease.
I'm kidding. My guitar player has a soldering iron.

I cut 'em off with wire cutter, right up close to the pots. Tons of wire on the pickups still. All good.

Pickup covers popped right off too... now to find some nice creme colored ones...

Here you go...
http://basspartsresource.com/bpickup_covers.htm

[TimBosby]

I *heart* Basspartsresource, I've bought so much stuff from them.