lengthening guitar ground wires

[WindsurfMaui]

I may use a Strat body to drop in different pre-setup pickguards, or to swap out various electronics, pots or resistors. To do this easily I want to make the ground wires to the body and bridge/trem claw long enough that I can take the pickguard off the body and lay it down upside down next to the body so I can work on it without having to remove any ground wires. The same with the wires to the output jack. Will making these wires that much longer cause any problems with sound output? Is there an easier way to do this?

 

[TBurst Std]

Well it’s more than the ground wires your title suggests.  The wire to your output jack is very suspect to noise. At the very least, use shielded cable. 

 

[stratamania]

Use some sort of plugs so you can unplug each board and plug in the new one.

 

[WindsurfMaui]

Do you have examples of plugs that can be used? Do plugs effect the quality of the sound? Or add any static to the output? I'd rather use plugs, if they aren't too expensive, than solder but don't want to mess with output quality. I have seen plugs on some pickups but not plugs for general use that I can attach to any wire.

I remember seeing some control cavity computer cards that provided tone options that had connections like those on a stereo speaker receiver. Those little spring loaded red and black connections that I always thought were a poor way to transmit audio sound.

 

[Sovereign_13]

You'd just need some inline pin-and-socket type plugs, sometimes called 'bullet plugs'.  You'll want them to be insulated so that you don't accidentally ground them if your guitar cavity is shielded.  They come in a variety of sizes depending on the wire gauge you're using, and can be solder-on or crimp-on.  The male ends look like this:

The female ends just look like tubes.

Alternatively, you can use 'spade' terminals which use a flat blade or sometimes a U shape.  You want the flat blade ones since the U shape ones are (as far as I know) intended to be easily removable from screw terminal blocks.  They look like this:

As with the bullet plugs, they'll come in different sizes to accommodate a specific range of wire gauges.

As far as tone goes, a plug always introduces some small amount of resistance and probably capacitance, but whether it has any meaningful effect on sound is kind of up for discussion.  If you're prone to swapping pickups in and out, the benefit of not having to un-solder and re-solder probably outweighs any loss or change in tone the plugs may or may not induce.

 

[fdesalvo]

I use longer hot and ground wires for the same reason and it works well enough. U can terminate your bridge ground at the output jack to reduce the number of off pickguard leads, as well. The cleanest solution would be a small molex male/female set. 

 

[WindsurfMaui]

These are good ideas I will definitely look into them. Thanks

 

[stratamania]

Some sort of molex connectors would probably be ideal. Gibson and EMG use them but I am not sure of the equivalent part numbers.

I would not worry about the tone there are lots of reputable builders and parts manufacturers using quick connect systems.

 

[fdesalvo]

This'll do ya.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Molex-2-Pin-Connector-Lot-8-Matched-Sets-w-18-24-AWG-w-Pins-Mini-Fit-Jr-/352125591931

You don't need crimpers if the expense will sting.  After inserting your stripped wire, carefully bend the tabs of the male end around the wire's insulation (and the conductor if you feel like it). Once a good mechanical connection is there, apply solder.  Warning!  Molex adapters are like duct tape in that you'll go out of your way to find a use for them!

 

[WindsurfMaui]

Thanks for the link. I like the look of your solder bench. Can I have a link to that as well? Thanks

 

[WindsurfMaui]

I think I will put these connectors on the ground wires and wires to the output jack and maybe between the pots and the 5 way switch (that is anything that I won't be reselling/trading in the future. But maybe not on the actual pick up wires so that if I want to sell them or trade them I won't freak out the buy. :dontknow:

 

[Cagey]

Those Molex connectors aren't designed for repeated connect/disconnect cycles. They're for modular assembly and limited service work. Written spec says 25 cycles. After that, they're gonna be too loose. If it was me, I'd just get some shielded cable for the output jack run and make it a couple inches longer so you can do your service work the way you originally envisioned - by laying the 'guard to one side.

 

[fdesalvo]

Thanks for the link. I like the look of your solder bench. Can I have a link to that as well? Thanks

I'll see what I can dig up.  I'd go with KG's suggestion.  Longer wires are easy and reliable.

 

[WindsurfMaui]

That may be what I finally decide on but I might try the molex or bullet plugs in one guitar and see how they work.

I like the bench because whenever I solder I seem to always need three hands and that bench looks like a good alternative. Thanks

 

[fdesalvo]

Best helping hands I’ve ever used.

QuadHands Helping Hands Third Hand Soldering Tool and Vise - Four Flexible Metal Arms Can Be Positioned Exactly Where You Want - Professional Grade

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GIKVP5K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_tzggBbTZ90BSC

 

[rgand]

I used these connectors in mine.

 

[Cagey]

Given enough room, those would be my choice. Those are instrument-grade connectors, designed for high-duty cycles while still maintaining good connection integrity. They're usually bigger than what one might want to shoehorn into a control cavity, though. Depends on the guitar. Teles, for example, are often pretty tight in that area.

 

[fdesalvo]

A chance to overengineer?  I’m in.

 

[WindsurfMaui]

Rgand they look huge in the picture. How long are they in reality?

 

[Sovereign_13]

According to one of the questions on the Amazon link, they were measured at about 14.5mm in length.  So, between 1/2 inch and 5/8s.