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Changing pickups: soldering question

temperate

temperate

Guest
Dec 17, 2014
6
2
50
#1
Hello,

I just picked up an older bass in need of a new pickup, and would like to do it myself to save the money. The bass is a 1978 two-band Stingray, and the replacement pickup is a Nordstrand MM4.2. My questions are:

1. Presuming I am fairly handy, would I be making a mistake trying to swap a pickup on a Pre-EB Stingray without ever having done it before? In other words, would I be risking ruining a valuable bass?

2. Would this soldering iron do the trick, or would something more specialized be necessary? Invalid Link Removed

3. Depending on the answer to question (1), is there anything to pay special attention to or otherwise be aware of?​

Thanks for your help everyone.

-John
 
#2
temperate said:
Hello,

I just picked up an older bass in need of a new pickup, and would like to do it myself to save the money. The bass is a 1978 two-band Stingray, and the replacement pickup is a Nordstrand MM4.2. My questions are:

1. Presuming I am fairly handy, would I be making a mistake trying to swap a pickup on a Pre-EB Stingray without ever having done it before? In other words, would I be risking ruining a valuable bass?

2. Would this soldering iron do the trick, or would something more specialized be necessary? Invalid Link Removed

3. Depending on the answer to question (1), is there anything to pay special attention to or otherwise be aware of?​

Thanks for your help everyone.

-John
Click to expand...
Have you ever soldered before? If not, do not do so yourself.

Hope this helps,.
 
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#3
First, is there something really wrong with the original pickup. Changing the pickup de-values it instantly ya know. If is not functioning or you don't care about vintage value and just want to upgrade the pup, soldering is not brain surgery. As long as you have soldered already and have some knowledge of this 'skill'.

If you have not used an iron, you might make a bit of a mess or risk a cold solder joint etc.
 
#4
I would strongly (strongly) recommend staying away from Radio Shack soldering equipment for two reasons:
  1. Every one I've ever tried has been complete junk and has quickly self-destructed.
  2. Radio Shack is about to go bankrupt and out of business.
Honestly, you'll find a better quality soldering iron at Lowes or Home Depot or such.

It's not tough to do, really quite easy, but if you haven't done much soldering before, practice on something else first.
 
#5
ROOTSnFIFTHS said:
First, is there something really wrong with the original pickup. Changing the pickup de-values it instantly ya know. If is not functioning or you don't care about vintage value and just want to upgrade the pup, soldering is not brain surgery. As long as you have soldered already and have some knowledge of this 'skill'.

If you have not used an iron, you might make a bit of a mess or risk a cold solder joint etc.
Click to expand...

If it's a vintage bass with "original" value, yeah, swapping anything devalues, but pickups are very easily swapped and restored, and he never said it was vintage, just older. On a whole lot of older basses, swapping pickups can actually increase the value, depending on what was in there before.

Edit: Sorry, he did say exactly what it is, and that might well be considered vintage. Still, swapping pickups doesn't devalue anything, unless you screw up the job or don't keep the originals. Not too too many folks out there really care whether the solder is the original solder, as long as the parts are original. If it was a '54 Precision, yeah, maybe, but this ain't.
 
#6
+1 on crappy RadioShack irons. Get a Weller from HD or Lowes. They're about the same price.

If you're worried about preserving 'vintage' value, than replace everything: pots, caps switches and input. Take them out and put it into a box. Then put in brand new ones w new pickups. That way if you mess up, you don't mess up original stuff. Plus, pots, caps and switches are cheap.
 
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#7
bholder said:
Not too too many folks out there really care whether the solder is the original solder, as long as the parts are original. If it was a '54 Precision, yeah, maybe, but this ain't.
Click to expand...
You'd be surprised as to how many do actually care about this. Think: vintage DEALERS. I, for one, do not have an issue with this (resoldering), however, I have read LOTS of instances where dealers (in particular) make a big deal of this, of course in the name of screwing an unwitting seller $$$-wise.

"Well, you see here, sonny, this was re-soldered so the value of this is only 1/3 of what it would have been had the broken (fill in the blank) not been repaired."
 
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#10
I raced Radio Control cars for years... you had to solder in (and out) the electrical components and rechargeable battery packs. Sometimes, you had to do it in a cold breeze, on a picnic table.... so I can solder like a CHAMP!!!
 
#11
Jeff Scott said:
You'd be surprised as to how many do actually care about this. Think: vintage DEALERS. I, for one, do not have an issue with this (resoldering), however, I have read LOTS of instances where dealers (in particular) make a big deal of this, of course in the name of screwing an unwitting seller $$$-wise.

"Well, you see here, sonny, this was re-soldered so the value of this is only 1/3 of what it would have been had the broken (fill in the blank) not been repaired."
Click to expand...
Hah, yeah, like a non-working broken bass with original solder is worth a whole helluva lot. Sigh, well yeah, I suppose there are some folks out there who really think this way, but I think you hit the nail on the head - mostly unscrupulous folks trying to screw seller.
 
#12
ZenG said:
I thought I read somewhere that you have to be careful with a soldering iron when doing things like that because the heat can damage components if you get too close to them.....

Don't know for sure ....but I think I read that someplace...
Click to expand...
Yeah, that is certainly true, especially with sensitive board-mounted IC components, but pickups normally have wires coming out, the soldering happens at the other end, which normally connects to something heavy-duty and not so heat sensitive like a switch, pot, or jack. I'll also mention the other common soldering PITA: grounding the pot shells without leaving a cold solder joint or melting everything in sight.
 
#13
PCR said:
+1 on crappy RadioShack irons. Get a Weller from HD or Lowes. They're about the same price.

If you're worried about preserving 'vintage' value, than replace everything: pots, caps switches and input. Take them out and put it into a box. Then put in brand new ones w new pickus. That way is you mess up, you don't mess up original stuff. Plus, pots, caps and switches are cheap.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Weller, yeah, that's the name I was reaching for earlier and couldn't remember. :)
 
#14
Jeff Scott said:
Have you ever soldered before? If not, do not do so yourself.

Hope this helps,.
Click to expand...
Word to the wise - this is exactly the right thing to get an SX or two for. Remove and replace whatever job you're planning on your nice bass on the SX first, repeat until you can do it right. But yeah, first time solderer, valuable instrument, not a great match.

Another piece of unrequested advice - don't try pulling an all-nighter to get a massive soldering job done. You will, at some point, pick up the hot iron by the wrong end.
smiley-shocked012.gif
(Trust me, I know this, trying to finish up an independent study project on a deadline back in college. If you do happen to do this, go grab an ice cube and squeeze it until it melts, repeat for a very long time.)
 
#15
I may get flamed for this but in my 20yrs of playing bass i never soldered my replacement pickups.
And i never had an issue with it either.
Always tied them together and wrapped in electrical tape so no bare wire was showing.
Made it easy as well if i wasnt happy and tried another pickup.
 
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#16
shawshank72 said:
I may get flamed for this but in my 20yrs of playing bass i never soldered my replacement pickups.
And i never had an issue with it either.
Always tied them together and wrapped in electrical tape so no bare wire was showing.
Made it easy as well if i wasnt happy and tried another pickup.
Click to expand...
It will work fine if done properly. You can even use small wire nuts.
 
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#17
Thanks for all these answers everyone, they're very insightful. To answer the question above, the pickup was actually replaced with something else some time before I got it, so I'm actually trying to get it back to sounding more original. It's definitely a player rather than a collector's item.

Based on the feedback, I'll take this one to my local shop, and in the meantime will practice soldering on something a little more replaceable.
 
#19
shawshank72 said:
I may get flamed for this but in my 20yrs of playing bass i never soldered my replacement pickups.
And i never had an issue with it either.
Always tied them together and wrapped in electrical tape so no bare wire was showing.
Made it easy as well if i wasnt happy and tried another pickup.
Click to expand...
Some manufacturers are moving towards micro socket/plug connector sets as well, really makes a lot of sense. I'm thinking of doing that with a 3 P pickup project - putting 3 different pickups in it, will want to experiment with which sounds best where.
 
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