A lot of firsts...for me

[ptirman]

I'm now playing in a band and play 2 main guitars (the usual suspects) an LP and a Strat. A year and a half ago I herniated a lumber disc (sequestered fragment big time painful) so I decided to go light weight with guitars. I sold my Goldtop and got an L.P. Lite which is an awesome guitar. I'll keep my strat for recording.

I decided to go Warmoth 7/8 (because I love the 24.75 scale) and chambered alder for weight reduction to gig with. I have a Surf Green Tone King amp so surf Green it is. Plus I live in So. California so it should be surf green!

I bought Fender vintage 65 pickups from the Stratosphere  that are prewired except the output jack. Watched videos incessantly over the last 2 months on soldering, wiring, shielding, etc. So today I did it. I'm typically not very adept at this sort of thing, my day time job is Radiology.

My firsts:

Copper foil shielded entire cavity.
Shielded the back of the pickguard.
Screwed in a solder lug with wood screw for grounding the bridge.
Placed bridge ground wire through the hole and soldered to the ground solder lug in the main cavity.
Mounted the pickups and pots to the pickguard.
Broke the little wire connecting to tone pots.
Tried to solder repair neatly - was unsuccessful on the neat part and ended up with a blob of solder
Successfully used a solder pump! I had people over and I jumped up in the air in celebration. They think I'm nuts.
Successfully soldered the connection and the hot and ground to the output jack.
Drilled pick guard holes and mounted pick guard.
Drilled and mounted jack plate!

No foil sticking out. No scratches. I did burn the towel I was using as the non scratch cushion for the table though.

 

[stratamania]

Sometimes you just can't beat the feeling of trying something and getting it to work.  ccasion14:

 

[Cagey]

Sometimes you just can't beat the feeling of trying something and getting it to work.  ccasion14:

And sometimes a kind word or a friendly smile can make your day.

But, usually it takes money or sex.

 

[ptirman]

Sometimes you just can't beat the feeling of trying something and getting it to work.  ccasion14:

You are correct. Serenity will come when I put the neck on, plug it in, and it works, with very little hum.

 

[ptirman]

Sometimes you just can't beat the feeling of trying something and getting it to work.  ccasion14:

And sometimes a kind word or a friendly smile can make your day.

But, usually it takes money or sex.

And at my advancing age one is a bit easier, the other less frequent.

Putting that strat together and no major scratch, ding, or other disaster catapulted me into a pleasure zone all of its own.⛷