How to Install New Guitar Pickups

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By MommyBear
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Install New Guitar Pickups

One of the most significant ways to improve the tone of an electric guitar is to replace the pickups. For this example, an EMG 89R will be installed at the neck position and an EMG 85 at the bridge, connected by a 3-way blade switch. The EMG 89R will be wired to a push-pull switch on the volume control. This will be used to switch the pickup between single coil and humbucking modes. The circuit will be powered by two 9 volt batteries wired in series, to make it 18 volts.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

An electric guitar
New pickups
New pickup switch, if changing the number of pickups in your guitar
Other mini-toggle switches, depending on whether you are adding in more complex wiring options
Soldering iron – 30-watt is sufficient
Rosin-core electronics solder
Soldering wick or solder sucker
Old cellulose sponge
Screwdriver

Step 1

Make sure that you find a proper wiring diagram to work from that includes the type of pickups and switches that you want to install. You may have to create your own by combining more than one diagram to get the configuration for your guitar. Many pickup manufacturers have reference diagrams online, such as EMG, Seymour Duncan, and DiMarzio. Take some time to learn the different options that are out there, such as coil splitting, phase reversing, etc. You may be able to get a few extra tones out of your guitar just by adding a switch or two.
Step 2

Acquaint yourself with where wires will have to run so that you don’t accidentally solder a connection, only to find out that the wire needed to pass through a channel in the body first.
Step 3

Cover any part of your guitar that you don’t want to get molten solder on prior to starting.
Step 4

Preheat your soldering iron for 10 minutes. Test to see if it is hot by applying a bit of solder to the tip of the iron. This will protect the tip from burning up, as well. Find something to rest the soldering iron on without touching the metal end of the tool. Ensure that there is nothing that could burn or fall on the soldering iron within a few feet of it.
Step 5

Tin each wire prior to soldering by heating the wire with the soldering iron and then touching the solder to the end of the wire until it wicks it up and becomes shiny. This will ensure a solid connection by bonding the solder to the wire. Run the tip of your soldering iron across a damp (not dripping wet) sponge to clean it after applying solder to each wire or lug to keep it clean.
Step 6

Tin the soldering lugs on the controls.
Step 7

Then, insert the wire into the soldering lug and heat the lug or wire again until the solder flows together between the two, and apply a little more solder to the joint. The soldered joint should be shiny. If not, the solder did not get hot enough and the connection will not be a good one.
Step 8

After you have completed soldering the entire circuit, test it by plugging it into an amp and lightly tapping on the pickups with a screwdriver or something metal. Make sure that you test all of your pickups in every switch position to make sure that you wired everything correctly.
Step 9

Install the pickups into the mounting rings or pickguard.
Step 10

Install controls (if you removed them) into the pickguard. Be careful as you tighten them down, as they will want to turn and can end up breaking the connections that you just soldered.
Step 11

Install the mounting rings or pickguard back into the guitar body. Plug in to your amp and test the pickups before proceeding.
Step 12

Restring your guitar and tune to pitch. Plug in and see how your new pickups sound!