How to Install a Gibson 57 Classic Plus
Guitarists spend a lot of time and effort sculpting their instrument's sound. One of the first things a guitarist might try after purchasing a new instrument is simply swapping out the set of pickups included with the guitar for another set of pickups. Because your guitar's pickup is the first electronic component in your audio chain, the difference in sound can be drastic. Gibson's 57 Classic and 57 Classic Plus humbucker pickups are somewhat legendary in the history of rock music, and installing them in your guitar is simple, especially if you know how to solder.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Soldering iron
- Rosin-core solder
- Philips-head screwdriver
- Wire stripper or razor blade
Instructions
-
-
1
Plug the soldering iron into an electric outlet and perform the next couple of steps as it heats up.
-
2
De-tune and remove all the strings on your guitar, then remove the bridge and tailpiece using the screwdriver.
-
-
3
Lay the guitar face-down on a flat surface and use the screwdriver to remove the plate directly behind the "Volume" and "Tone" knobs.
-
4
Touch the tip of the soldering iron to the solder joint, holding the installed pickup wires to to back of the "Volume" knob to which it is attached, while gently pulling each wire loose as the solder melts.
-
5
Lay the guitar on its back and use the screwdriver to remove the screws holding the installed pickup bezel onto the guitar. Pull the pickup and bezel assembly straight up and out of the guitar.
-
6
Remove the screws holding the installed pickup onto its bezel, and remove the pickup from the bezel.
-
7
Place the new pickup in the bezel and use the screwdriver and screws that came with the new pickup to attach the new pickup to the bezel.
-
8
Place the pickup wires into the pickup hole in the guitar and thread them through the small tunnel that leads to the backs of the "Volume" and "Tone" knobs.
-
9
Lay the guitar on its front and place the tip of the soldering iron on the back of the "Volume" knob where the hot lead from the old pickup had previously been attached. There might be enough solder left behind from the old pickup, but feel free to add more solder if necessary.
-
10
Strip about 1/8" off the tip of the pickup lead with a wire stripper or razor blade.
-
11
Thread the lead wire through the hole in the terminal where the previous lead wire had been attached, wait for the solder to cool, then tug gently on the lead wire to make sure it is secure.
-
12
Lay the guitar on its back and place the pickup/bezel assembly onto the pickup hole where the previous pickup had been installed. Align the holes in the bezel with the holes in the guitar and use a screwdriver to secure it in place.
-
13
Replace the guitar's back panels, tailpiece, bridge and strings.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit electric guitar image by .shock from Fotolia.com
