Wire connectors for pickups - is there a standard?

[floFC]

Hi all,

 

Someone is selling some Guild pickups and the cables are terminated with some computer type of connectors, which would make swapping pickups quick and easy.

I have been thinking that made a lot of sense and in my own bass, I have used some bullet type wire connectors when (well, the one time 😂) I change pickups.

So I was wondering, is there an industry standard that exists (for 2, 3, 4 wires) for pickup connectors? Or do each brands and bass makers use their own?

The Guilds look like:

[JJMotown]

A solderless loom does this job. EMG do an active version.

[floFC]

Is there a standard for solderless looms? I did a quick search and only saw stuff on eBay and a company called Obsidian, which seems to have a proprietary system (if I understand correctly, you don’t need to make any changes to the pickups, just slot the wires in the terminal?)

What if I want to use my existing electrics/harness and just want to have an easy, solderless way of changing pickups?

[JJMotown]

You can get a two way terminal, costs pence. Put live and ground with corresponding wires soldered from volume pot. But unless you find a way to secure it, it'll rattle under the pickguard or control cavity.

[floFC]

Yes, the rattling is real! I have that with these bullet connectors - inside a semi acoustic (where it really makes sense to be able to change pickups without having to take everything out!).

[itu]

There are no standards here. If you want, you can buy certain connectors and use the extensively.

 

Reminder:

- a hi-Z J needs a 2 pole connector 

- a lo-Z EMG TW has 7 wires (coils, 9 VDC)

- an 8 coil humbucker needs a connector far too big

- EMG connectors can be connected both ways (not good)

- bigger connectors require quite a lot of space under the hood

[floFC]

Thank you @itu, I didn’t think about how big and complex this could get - I was thinking simple passive pickups I guess.

Than you for confirming there is no standard @itu, @JJMotown.

[kodiakblair]

I've been sticking PCB terminal blocks to pots for a good few years now, makes swapping caps or pickups a doddle 🙂

 

Photos are mock ups at the request from a Talkbass fella last week.

 

[floFC]

@kodiakblair, I like the idea of that. Having them ”anchored” to the pot would also remove the rattling caused by such connector attached to the end of a wire. Would need to check the clearance.

[JJMotown]

Not sure how you attach the other wires to the pot with the PCB block in the way, looks tricky to solder the PCB block with the live and ground wires going to the same lug(s).

 

Fast and easy with these, but only as a temporary solution to test or try different pups. Think there's a hole in the center where you may be able to screw it to the body to stop it rattling.

 

 

Edited April 14 by JJMotown

[itu]

WAGO makes nice connectors, too:

https://www.wago.com/global/installation-terminal-blocks-and-connectors/inline-splicing-connector-with-levers/p/221-2411

[KiOgon]

Excuse me 😄

 

Put you hand up if you didn't know I've been making looms *with solderless terminals* for basschat members a good few years now 🤭

 

Many satisfied users - please see my feedback.  

 

Custom build or standard looms - message me your needs.

 

Cheerz, John

[floFC]

Hi @KiOgon/John,

Yes, I do know that you make looms for people on here, to their total satisfaction. I didn’t realise they were solderless though.

Since you are here, can you confirm that there are no industry standard connectors? Are your looms using some types of connectors where one can just insert the wires from their pickups and be done?

It’s all out of curiosity. I was thinking of swapping some pickups out of a bass as a project and maybe make it an opportunity to learn to solder properly and create a harness - but one where I could swap pickups (and ground wires) easily (solderless).

 

[KiOgon]

1 hour ago, floFC said:

Hi @KiOgon/John,

Yes, I do know that you make looms for people on here, to their total satisfaction. I didn’t realise they were solderless though.

Since you are here, can you confirm that there are no industry standard connectors? Are your looms using some types of connectors where one can just insert the wires from their pickups and be done?

It’s all out of curiosity. I was thinking of swapping some pickups out of a bass as a project and maybe make it an opportunity to learn to solder properly and create a harness - but one where I could swap pickups (and ground wires) easily (solderless).

 

AFAIK there is no industry standard connectors for the 'music market', in industry terms it's a niche market, unworthy of a dedicated connector, it's just a question of using what's available and what will do the job. I'm sure there are speciality products in the audio signal range, but TBH the electrical range that we're using is comparatively small and insignificant that basicaly anything will do! 😒

 

All IMHO 😉

 

Edit; Yes I use connectors made for PCB soldering, with screw terminals for the pickup wires and bridge earth.

Edited April 14 by KiOgon

[Beedster]

EMG use something similar, allowing PUPS to plug into circuits. In relation to soldering etc I have no problem with the circuit/loom end of things, where I have had issue in the past is where the solder joint on the PUP itself has worked its way loose (or has been poorly manufactured, which for whatever reason I have found to be especially problematic on Precision PUPS), and the EMG approach seems to be a pretty decent way around this.

 

Funnily enough John @KiOgon I think I owe you a PM on this subject that we had started discussing before the PM system fell apart a month or so back, I was going to ask whether you would be able to modify some PUPs for me to enable me to make them more anatomically similar to the EMGs, I'll check and get back to you (I need a couple of new circuits also) 👍

[prowla]

I've used those little green screw blocks and also inline push-in gold connectors used in RC models and suchlike.

[NancyJohnson]

When I was putting a John East unit into one of mine I used these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06WGM9W7S/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

The physical connection from pickup to the circuit was horrific to tighten up and it was frankly simpler to wire these into the circuit before the pots were secured to the body of the instrument.  From the pickup end, I just ensured the wires were the right way round, soldered on the other side of the connector and put some heat shrink round the joint.  Job done.

 

 

[NancyJohnson]

On 13/04/2025 at 23:32, kodiakblair said:

I've been sticking PCB terminal blocks to pots for a good few years now, makes swapping caps or pickups a doddle 🙂

 

Photos are mock ups at the request from a Talkbass fella last week.

 

 

Genius. 

 

I don't know whether Wago make a piece that will handle three individual signals; this would even obviate the necessity of breaking out the screwdriver.  Simply hot glue the connector on the bottom of the pot.

 

Something like this:

 

[kodiakblair]

@NancyJohnson

 

Wago connectors are great, I've a box of them.

 

Trouble I had using them for guitar wiring is no-one  uses a heavy enough gauge hook up wire to guarantee the Wago makes a secure connection.

 

Wago excel with 1.5mm and up, most guitars are a mere 0.3mm.