How to Install EMG Pickups on a PRS Guitar
Paul Reed Smith guitars are renowned among collectors and guitar aficionados for their sleek ergonomic looks and playability. PRS guitars are some of the most sought-after instruments in the industry; there are times, though, when owners may want to swap out the stock pickups for another set to tweak the guitar's tone to their liking. EMG pickups are coveted for their deep resonance and articulation, leading some PRS players to replace the PRS branded pickups with EMGs.
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Things You'll Need
- Soldering iron
- Damp cloths
- Screwdriver
- Wire crimper
- Set of EMG pickups
- Towel
- Small pillow
- New strings (optional)
Instructions
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1
Place the towel underneath the guitar before laying the instrument on a flat and stable work surface to prevent accidental scratching to the finish. Put the small pillow underneath the headstock to level the guitar as well as provide some additional stability.
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2
Heat the soldering iron and place it on a damp cloth. Remove the strings and either discard or set aside for further use. Unscrew the mounting screws on each pickup and set aside, then pull up on each pickup to remove them from their cavities.
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3
Trace the wires leading from the pickups to their individual joints on the pots (use a flashlight to provide additional lighting if necessary). Open the new package of EMG pickups and consult the included wiring diagram for installation instructions. Once the soldering iron is ready, heat each joint between the wires on the existing pickups and the pots; once the joints are loose, gently pull the joint apart to completely remove the pickups.
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4
Use the wire crimpers to strip about .40 inches from the end of each wire on the new pickups to expose fresh, workable wire. Place each pickup wire onto their respective points on the pots, according to EMG's specifications, and liberally apply the solder to each joint.
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Allow the joints to cool completely, usually a few hours. Gently pull on the wire on each joint to ensure a secure solder has been attained. If needed, apply more solder and allow to cool again; otherwise, push each pickup back into their cavities and rescrew them in place.
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6
Restring the guitar with new (or the old) strings as you normally would and tune the guitar to pitch. Plug in the guitar and play, listening for any audible buzzing, a telltale sign of poorly soldered pickup joints. If buzzing is present, repeat the above steps to apply more solder to remedy the problem.
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Tips & Warnings
Soldering irons are hot and can burn both skin and your work surface; take care when using the irons.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit electric guitar body image by Jeffrey Zalesny from Fotolia.com
