copper blue Posted March 3, 2005 Posted March 3, 2005 okay..I've never soldered before..I need to replace the 3-way switch in my Epi Les Paul so I can trade it...I need to know what to do in a nutshell...I can go get a cheap pencil iron from Radio Shack tonight and the rosin core solder..is this hard? what precautions do I need to take?-Rob
alpep Posted March 3, 2005 Posted March 3, 2005 when you add up the price of the components you may be able to pay someone to do it.i would suggest a solder sucker to get the old solder off and out of the way unless you have enough of the lead to cut and strip.heat the tab on the switch and the wire NOT the solder. try not to head the wire up too much so that it melts the casing. touch the solder to the wire let it wick in and bond. don't add too much solder.good luck
Scarabaeus Posted March 3, 2005 Posted March 3, 2005 Be sure to practice on spare pieces of metal and wire. When soldering inside a cavity, it is a combination of playing "Operation" and performing surgery. Always be aware of where the soldering iron is. Many novices burn other wires and the paint on the sides of the cavity. Make a good mechanical joint prior to soldering. Heat the object and melt the solder to it, otherwise you may get a cold solder joint. Use a solder sucker instead of braided dewick when possible. (Speaking of joint, time to take a break ) If I think of anything else, ....
copper blue Posted March 3, 2005 Author Posted March 3, 2005 nothing like a trial by fire..in todays world, there isnt a liquid solder? like a conductive epoxy?
Steve Haynie Posted March 3, 2005 Posted March 3, 2005 Cover the finish area of the guitar with a towel. Sometimes solder core can splatter, and you definitely do not want a drop of solder to hit your finish.
tomteriffic Posted March 3, 2005 Posted March 3, 2005 I think Poe uses chewing gum and duct tape. What the other guys said. Heat the joint, not the solder. I doubt you'll have anough lead to use one, but Radio Shack sells a little weighted-base thingy with some swiveling alligator clips that can help hold your work in place.
Caddie Posted March 3, 2005 Posted March 3, 2005 Are you trying to "sell a guitar" or "learn to solder" ? If your goal is to sell the guitar, take it to your favorite local shop that has a decent tech on duty, give them the guitar and $10, ask them to solder it up for you and you're on your way. Don't know anyone? Flint isn't too far from Lansing is it? Give Elderly Instruments a call.If your goal is to learn to solder then sign up for an electronics course at a local junior college. And practice/learn on pieces of wire that are not connected to valuable/tradable instruments. I'm not being a wiseguy here. The $10 or $20 that you will pay someone to do the soldering for you will be way less painful than a botched soldering job. And you WILL botch your first few.....its nothing personal, no reflection on your manhood, everyone does it. Good luck ! What are you trading it in for? Please tell me its a Monaco III so that I can relieve my G.A.S. vicariously. ;-)Noonan
copper blue Posted March 3, 2005 Author Posted March 3, 2005 I'm trading for a Strat actually..and while it's not THE Strat I want, I'm thinking I could flip it for the one I want if I dont like it..I'm almost afraid to say what Strat it is for fear of reprisals...it's SFG tho...Thanks..the only reason I want to do it myself is that the transaction is going down rather quickly..like in the next few days!as I said...trial by fire...
cmatthes Posted March 3, 2005 Posted March 3, 2005 Hmmmm...So WHAT kind of Strat now, Copper? A Jeff Beck? A Strat Plus? A Mexican? A SQUIER?!? They do make some nice ones too if you pick through for the right one. Can't beat SFG unless you go to Grafitti Yellow...
Jimbilly Posted March 3, 2005 Posted March 3, 2005 If you have any mechanical ability, it'll be easy for you. Like said above, do some practice soldering. I would highly recommend getting a stand for your iron (the coiled wire type w/ the sponge on the bottom), you don't want to worry about it rolling onto something you don't want melted, and the sponge with some water on it will keep your tip clean, and don't forget the flux. If it's just removing wires from connectors on a switch or pot, you don't need solder remover, the only time I've needed remover was when replacing micro-pots on a Mackie mixer, and those are buried in the pcb pretty far, -some jobs are nearly impossible w/out a suction solder remover. Oh, and don't mix alcohol and soldering until you're really confident.
copper blue Posted March 3, 2005 Author Posted March 3, 2005 It's Mexican..and a hardtail, Not Steve!
Kurt L Posted March 3, 2005 Posted March 3, 2005 Cover the finish area of the guitar with a towel. Sometimes solder core can splatter, and you definitely do not want a drop of solder to hit your finish. And wear eye protection. Your finish will be the least of your worries if you get spattered in the eye. (Am I paranoid? Yes.)
Jason01 Posted March 3, 2005 Posted March 3, 2005 Solder flows toward the heat source (in this case being the soldering iron) so if you're tinning a wire (adding solder to it prior to actually attaching it to the guitar) place the tip of the solder iron on one side of the wire and feed solder to the other side and it will flow through the wire. You'll want to make sure to tin the tip of your solder iron to help with heat transfer. I use a damp sponge to wipe excess solder off the iron (damp, not wet). Practice on some wires and the old broken one a few times before you put the new one in. The hardest thing to do when you're starting out is to get the solder into the area you want to connect without burning through the wires or the part. A good solder joint looks smooth and shiny, a bad one looks dull gray and lumpy. Pre tinning also helps to reduce the chance of a cold solder joint where the solder flows into the area but doesn't attach to the wire itself. GL with it, it sounds like a lot to remember but its not that bad. Also, a fine tipped needle nosed pliers helps alot for this kind of stuff.
Tres Aardvarks Posted March 3, 2005 Posted March 3, 2005 I'm trading for a Strat actually..and while it's not THE Strat I want, I'm thinking I could flip it for the one I want if I dont like it..I'm almost afraid to say what Strat it is for fear of reprisals... with a lead in like that, I figured it had to be the Richie Sambora model!!
copper blue Posted March 4, 2005 Author Posted March 4, 2005 okay...got the Sambora in your mind?? right??okay..now go WAAAAAAAAY the hell the other way...RS Strat<---------------------------------------------------->Rob's soon to be new one
tomteriffic Posted March 4, 2005 Posted March 4, 2005 OH KWAP! I almost forgot! Grab the NOT HOT end of the soldering iron. The rest is easy
copper blue Posted March 5, 2005 Author Posted March 5, 2005 SUCCESS!!!I tackled it last night and after a few minutes of getitng the right angles down and what not, I dove right in...piced it back together, fired up the DB and it worked!!! IT'S ALIVE!! ALIVE!!!hehe...now on to building my own pedals../just kidding...//maybe...
tomteriffic Posted March 6, 2005 Posted March 6, 2005 Congrats! Glad to see nobody got hurt! While you're coming up with a circuit design for that uber-gonzo pedal, you could use the soldering iron to do some custom woodburning artwork on a Vintage Orange guitar, give it that Gretsch look
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