How to Replace A Guitar Pickguard and Pickups (Part 2)

[The911SONIC]

Nice step by step vid. Could you please post a step by step vid on how to fix old pickups, because I have recently been given an sg Gibson from my friend's dad that is the old 1978 model. I don't know how to fix the old pick ups (original pickups) in it and I really want to keep the old ones in it. My friends dad hasn't heard it in over 6 years playing through an amp, and I really wanna show him that it works after all these years if it had better care of the sg. Please post a step by step on h

[rezeve69]

@ toneslingercliff. Thank you so much for posting this 2 part video. I appreciate you showing and explaining your own methods (such as with the transistor) and for thoroughly explaining what you're doing step by step. Very well put together video.

Once again, thank you for posting.

[marknliz69]

OK! PEOPLE! dont fuck your guitar up! Practice soldering first if you have no idea how to do it!

[liamzuid]

Is it a good idea to first look at how it's wired and then just do the exact same thing with the new one?

[FromHalo2halo]

assuming you had the correct bridge, could you fit a humbucker into the birdge of that guitar? would really appreciate an answer as I'm looking to put together a tele of my own and would like to know if a traditional humbucker would fit in that cavity

[codygx123]

i saw the GFS box and i Shouted GUITARFEDISH!!!!!! and then you said it lol

[metallicametalgodsx]

I have an old Yamaha RGX-112, i got a year ago and was wondering how to replace 3 pickups: Single Coil Neck & Middle, and Humbucker bridge, how would i go about replacing those pickups?

I accidently broke a piece of my middle pickup where it keeps it screwed in.. i have temporarily fixed it by putting its cover over it to use as a way to keep the right side screwed in, would i be better off getting a new one?

Also my jack output wire broke off, and i have no idea what kind of solder to use XD

[stealyourface73]

Are the SX pickguards the same size as Fender pickguards?

[rob1973able]

is that kermit the frog?

[ziggyhuys]

You know where I could learn these things in Belgium?

[stadinator1000]

how much does replacing a guitar pickup cost (beside buying the pickup, like getting the guys at guitar center changing it?)

[bluejazzcat]

THANKS A LOT FOR THE INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE. REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

[Metallicaforever95]

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

whats the diffrence between a LOADED pickguard & a PRE-WIRED pickguard

[lilcheap2]

do fender pickguards fit sx guitars?

[castilogne]

i can't see shit.

[victorpga84]

Hey man how do you install a SCN pickups on a mexican fender telecaster and do you wire the pickups to the S1 switch

[HitaroX]

mexican fender?

[avengedsevenfold1600]

do you have to sauder?

[paintHawkk]

so i can buy a humucker and switch the regular pickups that come with my telecaster?

[HitaroX]

exactly

[ChargerStarfield]

haha "and there are to very nice clean joints."

[SkidKid21]

does anyone know if you can switch a telecaster standard neck pickup to a humbucker?

[DaanJM]

@SkidKid21

You can, but you'll have to either buy a new pickguard that fits a humbucker, or modify your stock pickguard.

[joed424]

your guitar must be routed for a bucker size

[violinoscar]

@SkidKid21 Yes. I have just bought a Seymore Duncan stack that fits into the standard tele neck position. Basically the 2 coils of the humbucker are stacked on top of one another instead of side by side.

[lilcheap2]

i think you can buy a stacked p-up that will fit in the original holes, but im not a hundred percent sure, i know you can for the bridge. check out the seymour-duncan website

[jleclai1]

Guitarfetish and Rondomusic, my two favorite guitar sites! Thanks for the vid!

[Lemek001]

thx for this movie

boby, 14 :)

[warrenpoohole]

i watched both of these videos just to see what the guitar would sound like with those new pups. rippin......

[n1ckhalo]

i just went to guitar fedish thers a king v praoject kit

[2cool4u24]

Hey thanks for the video.

What name brand flux do you use.

Can you use the onese used for pipes?

Not sure about the flux and where to find them.

[OVER9000MUDKIPWTF]

when I finished i turned my guitar over and the screws around my pickups came lose and and the pickups become loose and when I tighten the screws the pickup rises up and touches the strings

[RULAS41306]

hi i need a little help , i have a soldering iron but i dont have that thing where you dip the soldering iron to not sure whats it called Flux or something? what is that for??

[megamicron]

thanks cliff

[megamicron]

Hi Cliff, I am Martin from argentina. I like your work, it seems pretty serious. I am thinking about change my pick ups. I've got an strat. I would like to put lace sensors on it but I don't know if they need an special joint. I can see that you join with tin. But I heard you could also do it with pressure. Do you know something about it? Any advice ? thank you

[toneslingercliff]

I've never heard of a pressure method. if you are going to be upgrading pickups and installing yourself I recommend getting a soldering iron.

[GretschDstickSmoke]

@megamicron the pressure join would not be very effective in this situation and a real bitch to do. pressure join requires u to make a rig that constantly be pressing two wires together/the wire and its join together with a sluight bit of heat and they become 1.

[foreverjimmy]

What do you put on before you connect(burn) two wire ??

[toneslingercliff]

I use solder flux. you can buy it at any electronics store or radio shack. Just make sure you get it for electronics.

[feeneyindie]

i have an ibanez rg350dx..edge pro bridge..can i change it to floyd rose bridge?what do u think?

[toneslingercliff]

I have no clue. This video was about replacing pickups. I try to find some ibanez forums online and ask the user community about it.

[florez411]

what year is your guitar do you know?

[mitchskater]

i dont think so

[streetknight2]

Will a full size humbucker fit the route in the neck position of the SX? Or a mini is all that will go?

[h2opoloattacker]

if it doesnt fit, sand your pickguard

[streetknight2]

Thanks for the reply, I have the correct pick guard for a Tele, just wanted to make sure the guitar's body is routed correctly.

[MoJoe1983]

It can depend on the actual route in the guitar. They do all shapes and sizes, so it would be hard to say without actually seeing it. For both teles and strats, and I'd assume most other models, some single coil versions have specifically single coil routes. Others that I've had (even though single coil) have had full humbucker routes, or even the pool routes, where the entire cavity is carved out for endless amounts of pickup combos (depending on what guard you put on, of course!)

[prashanthosur]

So is it ok to assume one needs to remove the pickguard to change pickups? I have an old Ibanez RG750 and I plan to change pickups...

[toneslingercliff]

I've never heard of anybody having a process for changing out a pickup without removing the pickguard. If there is a way, i've never heard of it.

[rnich35180]

My guitar buzzes/hums. When I touch the strings, bridge, or knobs, the buzz goes away. If I repeatedly tap the strings, bridge, or knobs with my finger, it makes a popping sound. Does anybody know what the problem is?

[toneslingercliff]

definitely sounds like a grounding problem. all knobs, switches, and metal parts need to be grounded. Mostly they ground to the bridge or a screw that is deep in the body.

[donepearce]

The stuff in that tin is acid flux used for plumbing joints. Never ever use it on electronic components. The solder (and yes it has an "L" in it - it is not sodder) already contains a rosin flux, which is perfectly capable of cleaning the joints.

[toneslingercliff]

Actually, you are incorrect. there is no acid in the flux I am using. This particular flux is designed for electronic components. It is from Radio Shack.

2 oz. Non-Spill Rosin Soldering Paste Flux Model: 64-022 Catalog #: 64-022

Also, the purpose of this flux isn't necessarily to clean the solder joint, but to help the solder flow faster with smaller amounts of heat so that the insulation on the small wires isn't melted.

[donepearce]

My apologies. But thank you for making this clear, because otherwise people following this method may be tempted to dig out the old plumbing flux and use that. All will be well for a while, then slowly the finer wires will fail as they are eaten through.

[toneslingercliff]

Not a prob my friend. Just wanted to clarify it for everybody.

[adjhsjhg]

dude im changing my bridge pickup for the first time and i really need help on the wiring part, there r green red black white and bare wires which ones do i solder??

[toneslingercliff]

I'm sorry but I dont know the model and wiring configuration you are going for. Many pickups use different color coding. contact the mfg of the pickup and they should have a wiring diagram. Also, seymour duncan has a great support area that has wiring diagrams to help you with what you are going for.

[MoJoe1983]

Check out seymour duncan's site. They should have any resource you could possibly need; wiring diagrams, color codes by all major pickup manufacturers, and a whole forum incase you need extra advice!

[andr3wbr1an]

seymour duncan is like the man to go to for like fixing your guitar and stuff!!

[toneslingercliff]

yup, and he has some good instructional videos and wiring diagrams on their website.

[cobraopts7]

there should be instructions

[toneslingercliff]

most pickups come with a wiring diagram when you purchase them.

[sadman1342]

I actually have the standard telecaster and I wanted to take precautions before just in case.... I am really careful with my guitars

[sadman1342]

I just wanted to remove the pickguard..... Do I have to remove everything else too ??? :s

[toneslingercliff]

sadman,

stop and think a second.  Every brand and model of guitar is slightly different. I have no clue what kind of guitar you have or anything about it. dont you think it would be easier to try to remove the pickguard and see if it is all you need to do? I'm not an expert, I just offered this video to help people out.

[ProudBroiler]

Oh, just one more question. Do you think the body route will fit full size humbucker in the neck?

[toneslingercliff]

Remove the pickguard and look underneath. If the routed hole is approx 2x the size of the single coil pickup, then yes, it should fit.

[ProudBroiler]

So, do fender pickguards fit SX teles?

[toneslingercliff]

yup. the pickguard I used was a fender tele replacement.  dropped right in with no problems.

[ProudBroiler]

Thanks for the response. I think i might order that SX tomorrow then :) Btw, nice relicing job on your other one.

[blackmidgetjew]

that site guitar fetish is hella cheap. theyv got zebra pickups for 15 bucks in the clearance section.go check them out, seriously.

[toneslingercliff]

yea. its a great site.

[AssassinSteven]

So every pick up comes with 2 wirse. I soder 1 of the wirse to the tone knob and the other wire to the volume knob correct?

[DaveScard]

Pickups come with wiring instructions.

[neogeoriffic]

It would be nice if you zoomed in so we could actually "see" what you're doing.

[toneslingercliff]

Sorry, it was my first attempt and was working in a really small space.

[blackice228]

Hello, thanks alot for your video. I have a PRS with the same basic pickgaurd and knobs of a strat. How do I replace the pickgaurd when I have the knobs and tone switch in the way?

[stuco]

You don't need that pickup ring on the neck pickup, you can just use the pickguard.

[toneslingercliff]

You're absolutely right. I tried it without the pickup ring on another guitar and it fit perfectly. However, I didn't like the open look around the coils so I like to keep the ring in.

[Decker695]

is it possible to install pickups without soldering?

[toneslingercliff]

With standard pickups? Not that I know of. You really want to use a soldering iron and get a good solder weld to make a good connection. Search youtube for "how to solder" and you will get some good tips on how to do it. Once you solder a few connections, it really isn't that hard.

[slanderoushalo]

No.

[HELLOISAIAS]

hey i just wanted to ask: do you really need the resistor? and for a les paul, do you need to remove the bridge?

[toneslingercliff]

Im not exactly sure what you mean by resistor. As fasr as removing the bridge, if you mean do you have to remove the bridge to replace the pickups, the answer is no you do not. The pickguard really isn't an issue with Les Paul style guitars because the pickups are mounted on it, the are mounted to the body via the pickup retaining ring.

[flital]

Where do u mount the shielded wire on?

[toneslingercliff]

I sanded a small portion of the underside of the bridge to remove the plating and then soldered the wire there to get a good ground.

[ciabattaman10]

thanks for this vid! just out of curiosity, where does one learn how to work on guitars like this?

[toneslingercliff]

Its mostly just self taught. some basic woodworking skills as well as some basic guitar repair skills are necessary that you just learn over time. I also did a lot of searching online for relicing and visited a lot of guitar forum topics and discussions around this.

[ciabattaman10]

cool.  thanks for the reply.

[Rectifier09]

nice vid !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

please tell me how much a good economical pickup costs which can give me nice harmonics ...

[toneslingercliff]

Rectifier,

there are many options. I have an article on my website that will help point you in the right direction. Go to my channel and you can find a link to my website.

hope this helps, Cliff M.

[taylor410ce]

cool.

[toneslingercliff]

He He! Thanks! :)