Guitar DIY: Types of Lead Wire

Lesson 5 we talk about the types of lead wire that you'll come across when installing your new pickups. Every pickup is different so be sure to look up your specs

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[windward]

Cloth push back wire can absorb moisture, I prefer to use fine stranded PTFE silver coated copper military hook up wire. I also don't like to use the Gavitt wire (single conductor with shield) with the exposed braided shield for much the same reason. For pickups that come with Gavitt wire, which are the majority unless the coil supports splitting, I like to insulate the Gavitt pickup wire outer shield with PTFE sleeving. To me it is a bit strange to have a signal source two conductor cable where one of the signal wires is completely exposed free to cross connect or short out another circuit or violate a single point ground. I think the minimum wire gauge for electric guitar wiring should generally be 20 AWG and the Tailpiece ground stranded 18 AWG. However, many coil manufacturers use very thin wire like 24 or 26 AWG.

[homemovies]

I ran into another kind of lead wire on Rickenbacker 4003. The lead wire was a 26 gauge (why so very thin and fragile?) wrapped in plastic with a wire mesh braid around that (for shielding I assume), and then braid was wrapped by plastic. The connection was made by cutting the plastic off the wire braid, twisting the braid together and soldering that twist to a pot (or whatever) and then the hot lead to wherever. In changing the pickguard and pickups on two occasions I found that the joint wherever the mesh twist was bent at 90º broke at all places with the manipulation of working on the electronics and replacing that and pickguard back into the guitar. Two wires, ground and hot would be more durable.

[brownonbass]

Thank you!!! I rewired my Bass to your specs and I got unbelievable

[ALtheDoctorWho]

I have been looking for the answer this question. I am sure I will find it sooner or later. Each coil has a black and white wirer but I have not heard mentioned which coil has the red or white wire. I realize that it dose not matter. Black & white. Red & Green? If I had to guess. Thanks SD 👍

[helmanfrow]

I generally straighten a short length of braid, twist the strands together and tin that, ensuring that it doesn't unravel

[Nathan.-]

ThankYou for your knowledge and expertise! Great quality video!

[klaymeister]

It would be nice if every manufacturer went to the solderless system similar to EMG

[LinusKnight]

i have a fender player strat and as much as i love that single coil bridge pickup i wanna install a JB SH4 for that green day hot crunch lol aside from cutting the pickguard so it can fit, (i kinda wanna angle it like billie joe does) how would one do that

[jerrymander]

Is 18 gauge cloth push back ok to use?

[warlock]

Im using shrinktube where I can. only place I need to solder will be back of volume pot for grounds.

[piotrjwolanin]

I don't see 1-conductor pick-ups available in Europe, only 2- and 4- conductor. Is that because the 1-conductor is an older method of connecting components?

[TheLoner]

All brands use the same distribution with the 5 wires? I mean if each color always corresponds to the same pin.

[robertbennett]

So the red & wht wires are connected together then shrink tubed ... Right
Thank you

[andysapawi]

is it possible a vintage style single conductor wire...wired onto push/pull pots and how the connections?

[Oystersgetclamydia]

I’m not that bright with these things.. I bought a pick up from eBay that has a green and a white wire but when I took my broken pick up off guitar it has a red wire, a white wire and a bare wire~ all three encased in a black plastic covering ..

[howguitars]

Is that color code the same with epiphone lespaul humbuckers.

[nicklemaster]

I recently ordered a duncan jazz and jb pickup set, the sh-4 has 5 leads the sh-2n only has 4 leads no bare wire... did I get a fake duncan or is it suppose to only have 4 leads on the sh-2n?

[abrahamyanes]

I'm trying to wire a p90 humbucker p90 configuration guitar with a 3 way switch.

I'm trying to make it behave like 2 seperate p-rail pickups but full size.


Any suggestions or tips to wire it properly?

[MetalMatt]

Cannot remember how I first installed my Slash zebra pickups, flicked from bridge to neck pick and no sound that’s why I’m watching video.

[mikesananikone]

Would connecting the white and red apply to stacked single coils as well?