Replacing leads on a Gibson Humbucker - DIY?

[BadgerDave]

I have a set of Gibson T-top humbuckers. They have two conductor leads with the braided metal shielding, which has completely separated at the point the lead exits the baseplate.  

For those who have done it, is this a relatively easy do-it-yourself replacement?  I have intermediate soldering skills, but I've never worked "inside the cover" on pickups.

 

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[Dutchman]

I’ve done it, the wires that connect to those leads are very small and fragile. I feel I have very good soldering skills and a excellent soldering station and I felt it was kinda nerve wracking. I would consider sending them to Josh for repair. I know that’s what I’d do!! 

[JGravelin]

Dave, you can do this and it's not difficult. Here's how I do it:

To remove the cover: keep a razor blade at hand, heat the solder joint and slip the blade in. Once you've got the cover off you'll see a small black wire attached to the cloth-covered "hot" output wire which should have some black tape around it; carefully peel that off and expose the soldered connection, heat it, and detach. Once that's done, remove the 4 screws on the bottom of the frame. You might need to remove the adjustable pole screws, or you might not. If they are threaded into the frame, back them out and lift the coils/magnet assembly up to expose the braided ground solder connection. Heat the connection and free the lead wire.

Now you're ready to install the new lead wire. Solder the braided part to the frame first, reseat the coils/magnet assembly and replace the 4 frame mounting screws, connect the small black wire to your fresh "hot", carefully rewrap that connection in tape (masking or electrical tape is fine), then gently tuck it back in. A carefully applied piece of tape to cover that and hold it in place will be your final step before reinstalling the covers.

Cover installation. I have a jig/platform I've made for this that's essentially a hunk of wood with felt attached to the top but have installed many covers successfully before without it. All that's needed: 2 small clamps, a small hunk (3" x 3") of plywood, and one of your wifes old potholders! Sink the pole screws in slightly so that they are flush with the top of the cover for the best fit, lay the pickup face-down on the potholder with the plywood piece as a backing, attach the small clamps on either side of the pickup near the legs and tighten just enough so it doesn't wiggle around. Once you've got the pickup and cover secure, heat the previous soldered connection points for a moment and flow some new solder in. Let it cool/harden for 5 seconds ...and you're done!

Hopefully this info is helpful. If you'd like me to walk you through it on the phone, get in touch and we'll arrange a time. Or, if you'd like me to do this for you I'd be more than happy to.

Go slow, be careful, and you shouldn't have any problems. Good luck!!