Where do you do your work?

[Slaphound]

I just purchased a Jazz Bass wiring kit from Allparts.com. I have very little experience doing this kind of work and I am interested to hear from you guys about some tips and advice from your own past experiences. I am not a luthier in any sense But I do have some sense about working on a project. I asked in the title about where you work but I would like to hear others thoughts on tools that come in handy as well while soldering in new pots, jack, wiring and tone cap.

 

[uOpt]

There is an old desk in the datacenter in the basement. A really good soldering station, good pliers, good small clippers, multimeter, supplies of good wire. No point going to work on it if you then put in crap wire.

Plenty of cardboard pieces used to shield the side of the electronics cavity from the soldering iron. Breakfast table cloths (thick) to put over the instrument's top in case you drop the whole iron.

 

[JimmyM]

I clear off our kitchen table and lay down newspaper. But only because I suck at working on my basses, I only do it on rare occasions, and I don't deserve to take up permanent space in the house to botch a wiring job

 

[mpdd]

make sure you use a correct wiring diagram or else it could be very frustrating

 

[M0ses]

I have a pair of tiny needle pliers that I simply cannot solder without. And I recommend always mounting pots and jacks on SOMETHING so they don't roll around, I often use cardboard, since who cares if I burn that.

 

[Slaphound]

Does the mounting plate act as a ground? I am looking at the wiring on the bass now that was factory wired and the center pot and the output jack do not have a ground wire attached so I am assuming that because the two other pots have grounds to them that the plate acts as a conductor and that is how the ground is continued to the output jack.
I love the answers by the way.

 

[uOpt]

Does the mounting plate act as a ground? I am looking at the wiring on the bass now that was factory wired and the center pot and the output jack do not have a ground wire attached so I am assuming that because the two other pots have grounds to them that the plate acts as a conductor and that is how the ground is continued to the output jack.
I love the answers by the way.

Yes.