Broken Pick Up: Am I stupid or just dumb?

[Brendon95]

I've been putting together a kit guitar. Saying I am a novice at these things would be a understatement.

I was attempting to solder my p bass pick ups to the electronics and the wire that connects the two broke. So the pick ups are no longer connected by that little short wire. Is this a matter of simply soldering the the pick ups back together by the wire or am I screwed? I really really hope it's a simple fix because I bought these pick ups especially for the bass. Seymour Duncan quarter pounders.

Also, if anyone can add input to this...are the pickups supposed to sit in the pickguard suspended from the cavity or down in the cavity? Does the height make a difference if they aren't flush with the pickguard? The pickguard I have now is about a couple millimeters too long of them sitting flush and it's stressing me out.

 

[LightForce104]

You can just solder the wire back together. The pickups should be in the cavity. I don't think they should be flush with the pickguard, you should adjust the height to where they sound the best.

 

[Slater]

Is this a matter of simply soldering the the pick ups back together

Yes, it should be (but I haven’t seen the damage ).

Also, if anyone can add input to this...are the pickups supposed to sit in the pickguard suspended from the cavity or down in the cavity?

Typically, there is some type of foam under the pickups, and the range of compression in the foam allows for height adjustment. Split-P pickups (like the SD SPB-3) normally have the mounting screws run into the bottom of the pickup cavity. They are not intended to be suspended from the pickguard (like stratocaster pickups).

 

[George Dennis]

Hey there, sorry to hear about your troubles.
A couple of pictures would help a lot to describe what you're dealing with.
First up, well done for giving it a try - in my experience, hands on is the best way to learn anything.
Secondly there are two sorts of wire involved in pickups;

1. the plastic coated wires attached to the pickup for soldering to the pots (dials)
2. The extremely fine spool of copper thread wound round and round the magnetised poles which allow the magnets to "pick up" the metal string's vibrating frequencies.

Short answer: fixing the plastic coated wire is fairly straight-forward; fixing the fine copper thread from the spool is not.
I say all this having made these mistakes and with just basic hands on experience. I do know someone who regularly makes their own basses who'd likely have some helpful tips [paging @MirandM ]
Lastly, if you want an answer to the question in yor title, maybe start a poll; but make sure to include an option for "Carrots".

 

[Brendon95]

Hey everyone!! Thanks so much for your replies! I ended up getting it figured out thanks to everyone, especially after I realized about the foam pieces.

And yes, it was the plastic wire that connects the pick ups. I just re-soldered it.

Thanks!

 

[George Dennis]

Good news!
Just remember the TB rule is repayment with pictures of the bass once it's done

 

[MirandM]

I'll second that.