DIY Quick Change pickup connections

Pickups, Pots, Caps, Wiring

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bender
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DIY Quick Change pickup connections

Post by bender »

I really like mucking around with different pickups- particularly on guitars where the pickups are easily removable (like Jazzmasters). Having a guitar that I really like to play that can evolve as I need different sounds really appeals to me as I can't realistically own a load of different guitars. I've been trying a few different options in my Duesenberg as the stock pickups didn't really suit me and I've found a few combinations that I quite like, so I decided to make some quick-change connectors so that I can easily swap pickups without having to fire up my soldering iron.

I've tried a few different methods now and these two are my favourites:
Method 1: Individual plugs
12-pin connector from Jaycar, heat shrink and wire is all you need:
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Plug the two sides together, solder the wire into the connector pins and heat shrink so that the entire socket side of the pin is covered by heat shrink.
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Wire sockets to flying leads which then get connected to the switches/pots in the guitar
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Pin side connects to pickup wires
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Make sure the heat shrink completely covers the metal of the pins when joined
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Pros: elegant, low-profile, easy to swap the phase
Cons: have to solder the plug side to the pickup so soldering is still required

Method 2: Screw terminals
This one is even easier, and can be adapted for 4-conductor wiring really easily. Screw terminals + wire + heat shrink. Done. This is connected to the switch/pots - just need a screwdriver to change pickups- no prep required on pickup leads.
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Pros: quick and easy, pickups don't require any prep, easy to swap the phase
Cons: bulkier so slightly harder to fit in a tight control cavity

I'm probably going to wire up all of my guitars that suit pickup swappage using method 2. It's really worth it if you like to tinker with this kind of stuff.

I've settled on two favourite pickup combinations in the Caribou- TV Jones Classics and a combo of Duesenberg split single-coil for the neck position and Duesenberg Domino P-90 for the bridge (it was the stock neck pickup originally). The TV Jones pickups just sound great and this gives me a really nice, modern Gretsch option for some of the trickier BKS songs. The Duesenberg combo is getting firmly into tele territory, which I really dig.

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Re: DIY Quick Change pickup connections

Post by godgrinder »

Looks great. I have some Duncan Liberators which is a similar idea, but having 8-10 wires going into 1 pot is quite hard to work on when it's in the cavity. I like your idea of having flying leads.
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Re: DIY Quick Change pickup connections

Post by TmcB »

Love method 1! Stealing that.

Although I wonder if it’s easier for me to just solder since I have a station totally setup for that
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Re: DIY Quick Change pickup connections

Post by SimpleSi »

Miss that caribou
Instagram: @simonperssonmusic www.Simonperssonmusic.com
Guitars: Duesenberg Julia, DIY Duesenberg Walnut Caribou, DIY Custom Strat, Duesenberg Tom Bukovac Session man Starplayer TV, PRS SE Silver Sky, Maton ECW80C Acoustic, Duesenberg Paloma

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Re: DIY Quick Change pickup connections

Post by bender »

TmcB wrote:Love method 1! Stealing that.

Although I wonder if it’s easier for me to just solder since I have a station totally setup for that
2 things-
1) it's way quicker to change once it's set up.
2) not having to de-solder and re-solder means your pots don't end up looking like a T-1000 has sneezed all over them.

My eyesight isn't great, so soldering around existing wiring is a real PITA.

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Re: DIY Quick Change pickup connections

Post by Molly »

I was thinking about just this today after seeing the screw connectors on the DiMarzio Strat drop-ins.

Cheers for sharing.

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