How to Fix Faulty Bass Guitar Pickup Wiring
Even the best guitar player cannot dependably produce quality sounds if the signal from the pickups to the output jack is faulty. Electric guitars have relatively simple wiring designs which help reduce clutter and allow the instrument to stand up to heavy use. Electric basses, in particular, have simple wiring designs, but they can experience wiring failure. If your electric bass has faulty wiring, you can inspect and repair it yourself.
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Things You'll Need
- Clean towel
- Bass guitar
- Screwdriver set
- Soldering iron
- Solder
- Small sponge
- Soldering braid
- Guitar wire
- Wire clippers
- Wire stripper
Instructions
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Inspection
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1
Lay a clean towel on a work surface and place the bass on the towel.
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2
Unscrew the wiring panel with a screwdriver and remove it from the bass. The panel is usually located on the back of the instrument, however, many basses such as those made by Fender use the pickguard as the wiring panel. If this is the case, you must remove the strings, then remove the pickguard with a screwdriver to access the wiring.
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3
Check the wire leads that extend from the pickups to the potentiometers or "pots." The pots control the flow of the pickup signal's volume and treble. Note any severed or damaged wires.
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4
Check the contact points from the wire leads of the pickups to the first pot. Note any improperly soldered or broken connections at the pot.
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5
Check the wire leads between each pot, looking for severed or damaged wires. Take note of any faulty wires.
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6
Check the connection points between the pots. Take note of any improperly soldered or severed connection points.
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7
Check the wire between the final pot and the output jack and take note of any severing or damage.
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8
Check the contact points on the output jack and take note of any severed or poorly soldered connections.
Soldering
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9
Plug in a soldering iron, place it in its cradle and allow it to heat up for at least 15 minutes.
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10
Cover or "tin" the tip of the iron with solder. Wipe away any excess solder on a small, moist sponge.
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11
Place a lead of soldering braid over a faulty connection point. Apply the tip of the iron to the braid until the braid soaks up the solder.
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12
Apply solder to the heated connection point, soldering the wire lead to the potentiometer in a solid joint. Repeat this process at any disconnected or poorly soldered connection points.
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13
Apply soldering braid to the connection point of a severed or damaged wire. Apply the iron to the braid until it soaks up the solder. Repeat this process with the opposite end of the wire and discard the wire.
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14
Cut a length of guitar wire the same length as the damaged lead with wire clippers. Strip approximately 1/2 inch of insulation from its ends with a wire stripper.
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15
Solder the new wire in the same configuration as the original wire. Repeat this process with any damaged or severed wires.
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16
Put the pickup cover or pickguard back in place and screw it shut with a screwdriver.
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1
References
Resources
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