Things You'll Need:
- Chisel tipped soldering iron
- Damp cloth
- Screwdriver
- Replacement pickups
- Wire stripper (optional)
- New strings
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Step 1
Remove the bass strings and discard. Unscrew the pickups and pull them from the cavity on the body, then use your finger to trace the three pickup wires from the pickup to the volume and tone pots. Heat the soldering iron.
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Step 2
Use the iron to heat the connections on the control board enough to remove the wires from the pots. Set the old pickups on the damp cloth to avoid potentially damaging your work surface. If needed, use the wire strippers to remove the rubber casing on the new pickup wires to expose more usable wire.
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Step 3
Solder the wire on the side of the pickup that faces the fret board onto the volume pot (the knob closest to the pickup cavity). Solder the second similar wire to the tone pot (the other knob).
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Step 4
Solder the remaining wire to the prong on the top of the input jack (you should see this jutting up into the cavity). Locate the large wire on the bottom of the pickups. This is the ground wire. Solder the wire end directly to the attachment prong on top of the control plate. Use plenty of solder, as an insufficient joint may result in unwanted pickup buzzing.
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Step 5
Allow the soldered joints to cool completely (two hours is recommended) before setting the pickups back into the bass's cavity and screwing down the pickup screws. Restring the bass with the new strings.
