Pickup connectors instead of soldering

[Rumble]

I'd like to try and avoid messing around with the soldering iron if possible and I've read about folks using quick connectors so that pickups can be swapped in and out with the minimum of fuss. Which connectors do I need; is there a special type?

[Cade]

[quote name='Rumble' post='1220153' date='May 4 2011, 07:16 PM']I'd like to try and avoid messing around with the soldering iron if possible and I've read about folks using quick connectors so that pickups can be swapped in and out with the minimum of fuss. Which connectors do I need; is there a special type?[/quote]

As far as I know, the main players in this area are EMG, though there may be others.

[url="http://www.emgpickups.com/products/category/2/2"]EMG Bass Pickups[/url]

[dudewheresmybass]

it seems seymour duncan do them too

[url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/liberator/"]http://www.seymourduncan.com/liberator/[/url]

[Rumble]

Thanks for the suggestions, but I'm not after changing to one of these brands so what do you call the connectors I should be using? Crimp, terminal blocks....?

[robocorpse]

If the 10 seconds required to temporarily solder/desolder a pickup is too much hassle compared to the 5 minutes to swap the pickup out, maybe you should rethink your approach.

[Rumble]

Rethink my approach? Regardless of how much time it takes me to remove the strings, screws, scratchplate etc etc... I'm comparing unplugging a connector inside the control cavity to cracking out the soldering iron, heating it up and then playing around with unsoldering / resoldering wire-ends. Surely the connectors 'approach' has to be quicker?

[Ross]

Not really.
My soldering iron heats up in under a minute, cost me less than a fiver from maplin (think they're about a tenner nowadays). Would take a minute tops to desolder and resolder a couple of wires, it's damn near impossible to mess up. And you could put it on to heat whilst gaining access to the pickups.
Even if it would take longer, why wouldn't you take a few extra minutes to do the job properly?
Any crimp terminals you use are going to be an inferior connection and less reliable (more likely to come loose) and where audio quality is concerned, why cut corners on something like wiring? Anyway whenever I've used crimp terminals I use bullet connectors.

Edited May 5, 2011 by Ross

[paul h]

I just use regular terminal blocks. The small, white/clear ones you can get from any DIY shop. They work fine. I am not a friend of soldering either. Don't worry...it's not a crime!

[Jerry_B]

Interesting idea! How do you attach them? Forgive the somewhat naiive question...

Edited May 5, 2011 by Jerry_B

[Mr. Foxen]

Spade connectors will do you. But I solder the wire ends before I put them in anyway.

[paul_5]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='1221861' date='May 6 2011, 05:54 AM']Spade connectors will do you. But I solder the wire ends before I put them in anyway.[/quote]

+1, surely tinning the ends of the wires with good quality solder will ensure a better connection. If your wires will take the temperature required to heat it up then go for silver solder. Hmmmm, shiny.

[Ross]

Silver solder is overkill for stuff like that tbh, good old 60/40 lead stuff does the job.
None of this lead free rubbish as well, takes bloody ages to melt.