Easiest way to strip cloth wire?

[Stan_da_man]

I'm having no luck using conventional wire strippers so does anyone have any tips on the best way to strip cloth wire?

 

[testing1two]

Do you mean vintage style push back cloth wire? If so, you just pinch the cloth and push it back exposing the wire. If there's too much cloth bunched up to do this, stretch the cloth and cut off the excess with scissors.

 

[Stan_da_man]

Do you mean vintage style push back cloth wire? If so, you just pinch the cloth and push it back exposing the wire. If there's too much cloth bunched up to do this, stretch the cloth and cut off the excess with scissors.

Yes, the cloth wiring used for pickups.

 

[James Collins]

It should just slide back. Other ways would be scissors.

 

[testing1two]

Yes, the cloth wiring used for pickups.

 

[megafiddle]

If not waxed, just push back the insulation as already mentioned.

If waxed, a good pair of strippers with a circular cutting aperture works really well.

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[Stan_da_man]

View attachment 3859896

How would I get the cloth to stop bunching up at the end?

 

[Lownote38]

How would I get the cloth to stop bunching up at the end?

It takes little effort to hold it back while soldering. Once soldering is complete, the cloth won't be bunched up. It will expand to the soldering joint and stop. I've used a pair of hemostats to hold the cloth back if it's misbehaving, but I've rarely had to do that even.

 

[Stan_da_man]

It takes little effort to hold it back while soldering. Once soldering is complete, the cloth won't be bunched up. It will expand to the soldering joint and stop. I've used a pair of hemostats to hold the cloth back if it's misbehaving, but I've rarely had to do that even.

I won't be soldering the ends - they will be going into screw terminals.

 

[Lownote38]

I won't be soldering the ends - they will be going into screw terminals.

Then hold the cloth back with a pair of hemostats and screw them into the terminal. Then, remove the hemostats.

 

[testing1two]

How would I get the cloth to stop bunching up at the end?

Pull the cloth the opposite direction until it stretches past the end of the wire and trim off the excess with scissors.

I will be the first to admit that cloth wire is a nuisance and I try to avoid it whenever possible. But pickup winders remain faithful to the old ways so I have a feeling it's not going away anytime soon.

 

[Stan_da_man]

Cheers guys.

Quick question regarding the ground wire - does it matter which volume pot it is connected to?

If so, is the wire normally long enough for the first volume pot in a Jazz bass?

 

[Turnaround]

It really doesn't matter, but best practice says all ground wires should go to the same pot.

 

[Stan_da_man]

It really doesn't matter, but best practice says all ground wires should go to the same pot.

Sorry, I meant the bridge ground wire.

 

[testing1two]

Same principle applies. You can attach the bridge ground to the back of whatever pot is closest.

 

[Turnaround]

Sorry, I meant the bridge ground wire.

It's a ground wire. It should go to the same place as all the other ground wires. That's exactly what I meant about best practice.