quick wiring question

[ishouldbeking]

I'm attempting to solder some pickups into my p-bass for the first time tomorrow or tuesday evening and I have two quick questions. I've read plenty on how to solder, and I watched a few youtube vids, but I'm still left with a couple questions.

Should I use a pigtail splice or an in-line splice, or does it matter? The vid i watched (not guitar related) didn't mention any advantages to either, but I wondered if one is more appropriate for guitar work.

And second: when the wires have been successfully spliced and soldered, do I need to do anything else? What I mean is, should I wrap the joints in electrical tape so they don't ground out or come in contact with anything? I ask because I'm not soldering directly to the pots... I'm using a wiring harness that came equipped with pickup leads attached to the pots, so I'll be splicing the pickup wires to the leads.

That was really wordy, sorry. Thanks for the help!

 

[luknfur]

Practice soldering before you try the bass if you haven't done so.

Techs typically hook the ends, crimp then solder them - cause they just cut 'em to pull. I overlap and solder them (no twisting) cause I don't cut wires loose and want them to fall apart when I touch a solder gun to them. Easier to solder them pigtail fashion but it's excesss wire and not a clean look. I've used pigtails extensively cause most wiring I've done is temporary and I just used wire nuts - not solder.

If you read much on soldering seems hard to believe covering the solder joints was not addressed. Solder joints should be covered with shrinkwrap which you can get at any Home Depot (not that Radio Shack plastic). You can use electrical tape but it won't stay so shorts are likely.

 

[ishouldbeking]

Ha, glad I asked! Thanks for the advice. I guess I'll be making a trip to home depot for some shrinkwrap, though i may use electrical tape in the meantime.

For whatever reason a lot of the articles I read on soldering were more hypothetical and less "real world", meaning they didn't get into the specifics of what you're actually soldering. Some of the guitar related ones seemed to focus more on soldering speakers into a cabinet, and while the principles are still the same I was left with these questions. And the vids I watched just showed wires being spliced... very little attention was paid to how those solder joints should be treated or protected after the initial soldering was done.

I appreciate all the help. I'm determined to get through this process and come out with a helluva player... I'll let ya know how it turns out!


EDIT: Oh, and I plan to practice soldering a few times before I attempt to mess with the guts of my bass. I bought an extra 4 feet of wire last time I was at Home Depot just for this purpose. I've already gotten pretty good at stripping wire, so I guess that's a start.

 

[ishouldbeking]

One more question: I just did a search on shrink wrap tubing, and found all sorts of stuff. I'm pretty sure I can find the kind I need at home depot, but what do you use to shrink it? One set of instructions I read said to use a lighter (sounds sketchy), and then another said I'd need a heat gun (which I don't have.) Would a hair dryer work, or is it ok to use a lighter or match? I'd rather not buy a heat gun if I don't need one. Thanks again!

 

[luknfur]

FAQ has a soldering thread though I've never read it to see what it covers but I'm guessing it's worthy.

Shrinkwrap at HD is next to the wire nuts in the electrical section. Small red-backed pack about 4x6". Black fibrous looking tubes in various sizes but you want the smallest stuff. Flame is the traditional method but never made sense to me in any sense as it's not very controllable. I just use the barrel of the soldering gun or the tip in tight spots. The tip is a lot hotter and pinpoint so a different technique than using the barrel which is a slower broader process. Just watch how the wrap is responding and act in accord - error on the not enough time side as you can always go back as often as you need. I personally just snug it up enough so it doesn't slide and avoid the form fit approach cause it makes it a lot easier to remove given I don't cut wires. Remember to put it on before you solder since obviously you can't after you solder.

 

[Shoewreck]

My votes are in-line and lighter.