Pre Wired Pickguard

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pre-wired stratocaster pickguard?

Hello, I want to install a new loaded and Prewired Strat Pickguard with pickups to my old strat. How much soldering is involved here? How many wires need to be soldered into the Output Jack and any other part of the body's hardware? Would it be a difficult task for somebody who has never soldered before? Is there a risk that i could permenetly damage the electronics in the guitar and the pickups if i screw up? Taking it to a guitar shop is not an option because there are not any near where i live. Thanks for reading!

Hi! This is a relatively easy swap, only involving minimum soldering. Just follow the steps below, take your time, and you will be rewarded with new tone that hopefully will surpass your expectations!

1. Remove the strings. Make sure to block the tremolo assembly, by placing a folded piece of heavy paper between the underside of the bridge and the top of the body.

2. Remove the 11 pickguard screws. Lift up the pickguard assembly, turn it upside-down, and support it with a thick cloth or piece of foam so as not to mar the Guitar Body. You may need to slide the pickguard slightly out from under the neck, depending upon the neck design. There will be wiring attaching the control circuitry to the input jack, so be careful not to cause damage to the wires.

3. Unsolder the two wires coming from the input jack at the points of contact with the electronics, taking note of the specific locations. There should be an additional signal ground wire coming from the spring claw, which will be terminated at either the input jack or the pickguard assembly. If the new pickguard comes with the input jack and tremolo bridge wiring already in place, you may choose to unsolder the existing wiring at the contact points on the input jack and spring claw instead of at the pickguard. Should you be unfamiliar with soldering, there are many on-line tutorials outlining proper techniques that can be accessed through http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=soldering+techniques+video&aq=0&oq=soldering+techniques&aqi=g7 . Remove the existing pickguard assembly, and store for future use or sale.

4. Place the new pickguard assembly in the same upside-down position relative to the guitar as in step number 2. Re-solder the two input jack wires and one signal ground from the spring claw to the equivalent locations on the new pickguard assembly. If the new pickguard assembly has the external wiring included, solder the corresponding wires to the input jack and spring claw locations, as referenced in step number 3.

5. Lift the pickguard assembly up, remove the foam or cloth, and carefully put the pickguard back in place. As mentioned earlier, you may need to slide the pickguard back under the neck; just hold it at an angle, and bend it slightly to allow it to slip into the pocket. Make sure all of the wiring is routed through the cavities in the body; you do not want any wires clamped between the pickguard and the body top surface!

6. Place an input cord into the jack, and connect to an amplifier. With the volume and tone controls turned fully clockwise, gently tap each pickup as you move through the five selector switch positions, ensuring that you get the appropriate pickup to sound correctly. It is no fun to button everything up, only to find out a wire was incorrectly placed or a component is defective, and then have to take it all apart again!

7. Replace the pickguard screws. To avoid stripping the wood threads, always turn the individual screws counterclockwise first, allowing them to drop into the thread properly before tightening.

8. Re-string the guitar, remove the paper block under the bridge, adjust the pickup-to-string height, and admire your work!

Remember, the key to success is patience! The best way to mess up your guitar is to rush a modification job. Please read through the instructions completely before starting, and let me know if you have any questions, okay? Just think, the next time you do this, you will be an expert! Best regards, Dana

Guitar Fetish (GFS) pre-wired pickguard with alnico pickups ($53)