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Alternative to soldering?

D

dudeonthebass

Jul 2, 2008
108
0
St.Osyth
www.facebook.com
#1
As i tend i'm not the best solderer in the world, and have managed to break a pot or two through my lack of soldering skils, would it be possible to use a terminal block/plug (these http://image.made-in-china.com/2f0j00NPTtGbQlRagF/U-H-F-Type-Terminal-Blocks-Connector-Strips-.jpg)

Would it effect the sound, even if there was no resistance through the plug

I was just curious, as dimarzio have a solderless wiring kit thing, and it uses a similar sort of thing to a terminal plug

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Cheers!

Dave!
 
#3
Such a terminal block is not a bad idea - especially if you want to try different pickups, etc. However, you still have to solder to the pots and jack. There should be several videos on youtube about how to solder. The important point is to put a little solder on the tip to help transfer the heat,then heat the parts before you add the solder, and wait for it to flow.
 
#4
Nothing wrong with those except size, perhaps. You will not be able to avoid soldering entirely by this means though unless all you ever need to do is change out pickups. There are also crimp connectors that could be used to do that. If you need to do general wiring repairs or modifications then you will need to learn to solder. Practice at it with those old pots you broke or by mucking around inside electronics gear and appliances you are about to throw out anyway. Learning to solder is easier than learning to play bass and if not as much fun it is still a useful skill for a bass owner to have.

Ken
 
#5
dudeonthebass said:
I was just curious, as dimarzio have a solderless wiring kit thing, and it uses a similar sort of thing to a terminal plug
Click to expand...

i have yet to install a "solderless" Dimarzio pickup kit without having to make at least a couple solder connections.

As suggested, just practice, with the right equipment.

it doesn't take much. I use a $5 30 watt pencil soldering iron, keep the tip clean, and do just fine
 
#6
Some years ago, in a period of continuous experiments with internal preamps, i started using several tiny terminal blocks (like the ones you linked) (i've always named them "mammuts" ;) ) ....
Then, when i settled with a particular preamp, in left them in the bass.

But sometimes i had some random noises ..... and the bass sometimes picked some interferences, etc......
So one day i put them off and soldered everything again..... so i got again zero noises and (i don't know how to explain it...) a "better" sound..... Maybe less electrical dispersion ........
 
#7
There is no loss of tone by using a mechanical connection instead of a welded one. A tight terminal will pass just as much signal as a soldered one.

These things are gold:

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You can swap pickups out in seconds. I think I paid $2.00 for a pack of 6 sets.
 

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