JDOD
therecordingrebels.com
I really want a Les Paul now 
Lt. Bob
Spread the Daf!
NYXL's are the shit.
yes they are more expensive ..... actually they're expensive as hell.
But they're better in every way and they do last at least twice as long and really, I think maybe more.
I tried to see how long they'd go when I first discovered them and I got over 30 gigs out of a set before the intonation got so bad I had to change them.
I'm poor but I order them on special or 3 and 5 packs .... they're well worth the money.
Bill L
Massivdonian
I agree. I put a set on my SG at the beginning of April, have at least 15 hours of playing on them and they still sound, feel and look great. Usually by now I'd be getting ready to change them (formerly used XL's).
JDOD
therecordingrebels.com
I leave strings on guitars ages in comparison with most of you lot. Can't remember when my Crimson arrived but I've only changed the strings once.
I've actually never changed the strings on either of my basses.
I've actually never changed the strings on either of my basses.
R
RAMI
Guest
I've gone years without changing bass strings, too. But, when you do change them, holy crap it's like buying a new bass. I changed mine a few months ago, and I was like "Ah, that's how this thing sounded when I liked it enough to buy it".
JDOD
therecordingrebels.com
I didn't even like one of my basses when I bought it and I'm not even sure where the other one came from.
Bill L
Massivdonian
On my gigging guitars, I change them when they get dull sounding. I bought a '77 Rick 4001 bass in 1992 for $250. I changed those strings in 2012. I have no intention of changing them again.
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Yeah...for sure!
I've done a bunch of pups where I either added covers, or had to remove the old covers etc....and those blobs of solder require a good, hot iron to remove them, because the damn cover ends up drawing off the heat from the iron.
You need like at least a 40W iron, with a wide tip, so you can get that solder blob hot quick...and then hold the cover back away from it for a couple second when it lets go on one side, so it doesn't stick back to the hot solder.
Then repeat the other side.
The underlying PITA is that the hot iron will also cause some of the wax to melt and move...especially if it was a light/fast wax potting job. So....you then would want to repot them again with wax...not a big deal, but you need a good deal of wax (the right kind), and a double-boiler is the best way, otherwise you'll have wax smoke stinking up the place.
I keep a bag of bees wax pellets and some basic white paraffin (candle wax)...and then I blend the two (I think it's something like paraffin/bees wax: 70/30 - 60/40)...the bees wax being a lot softer than the white paraffin.
If you're adding covers, and the pups a wax potted...you probably want to also repot them too, as the iron will still melt some of the wax while you solder on the new covers...which can be harder to do than it is to de-solder existing covers. Again...real hot iron, and heat the cover up first, then hold the iron on both the cover and the pup metal
Anyway...yeah, that whole process really can be easy and no mess...or a PITA.
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Okay, here it is all cleaned up with no pickguard. I kind of like it, but I'm not sure.
Nice score!
I think it looks good with or without the pick guard.
Are you going to want to have it go back to original stock look with pick guard and adding gold covers?
Sometimes on certain guitars, the gold hardware actually works...and I think it does on this one.
minerman
Tonetard
Yeah...for sure!
I've done a bunch of pups where I either added covers, or had to remove the old covers etc....and those blobs of solder require a good, hot iron to remove them, because the damn cover ends up drawing off the heat from the iron.
You need like at least a 40W iron, with a wide tip, so you can get that solder blob hot quick...and then hold the cover back away from it for a couple second when it lets go on one side, so it doesn't stick back to the hot solder.
Then repeat the other side.
The underlying PITA is that the hot iron will also cause some of the wax to melt and move...especially if it was a light/fast wax potting job. So....you then would want to repot them again with wax...not a big deal, but you need a good deal of wax (the right kind), and a double-boiler is the best way, otherwise you'll have wax smoke stinking up the place.
I keep a bag of bees wax pellets and some basic white paraffin (candle wax)...and then I blend the two (I think it's something like paraffin/bees wax: 70/30 - 60/40)...the bees wax being a lot softer than the white paraffin.
If you're adding covers, and the pups a wax potted...you probably want to also repot them too, as the iron will still melt some of the wax while you solder on the new covers...which can be harder to do than it is to de-solder existing covers. Again...real hot iron, and heat the cover up first, then hold the iron on both the cover and the pup metal
Anyway...yeah, that whole process really can be easy and no mess...or a PITA.
Thanks for the info dude, I guess I'll just leave it alone....I was just wondering really, don't think I'm gonna even attempt it, especially on either of my Gibbys....
Lt. Bob
Spread the Daf!
you use a desoldering bulb newbs! heat a little ..... suck it away .... heat a little more .... suck that away etc.
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Yeah...the bulbs help a lot if you're actually trying to remove all the solder, and it still takes a lot of heat to get it all removed...which melts the wax.
I just heat the edge of the cover enough for the cover to let go, and I leave the rest of the solder on the pup...no real need to remove it all even if you go with no cover...and you might want to put a cover on it again some day...so the solder will already be there.
I just heat the edge of the cover enough for the cover to let go, and I leave the rest of the solder on the pup...no real need to remove it all even if you go with no cover...and you might want to put a cover on it again some day...so the solder will already be there.
Lt. Bob
Spread the Daf!
no ..... you don't have to remove all the solder ... and no it doesn't still take a lot of heat ...... you simply use the buld and remove the solder right along the edge where it touches the cover .... it's easy ... you end up only removing a small amount of solder.
And the bulbs don't help a lot ..... they're the only correct way to do it.
And the bulbs don't help a lot ..... they're the only correct way to do it.
Sky Blue Lou
Well-known member
lol I cut through the solder on mine with a razor knife.
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Sure, it you want to remove the solder, then yeah.
There's some great de-soldering guns that have both heat and suction all in one...but the better ones are pricey.
Like I said...I'm not trying to remove the solder, so I just heat the edge of the cover, and I put a small flat-blade screwdriver between the cover the pup. As soon as the it gets warm enough, the cover pops loose and the flat-blade let's me keep it away from the solder until it cools not to stick again.
I've done maybe 8 sets of pups like that in the last few years, plus the wax re-potting, and never had a need to remove the solder.
Now for small electronic components and where you don't want a blob of solder...then yeah, it gets removed.
Yeah...that can work too, if it's a thin solder layer....but I've seen big blobs on some pups...and if that knife slips, you could take out the ribbon and even hit the coils.
Are you doing this holding the pup...or do you put it in some sort of clamp?
Lt. Bob
Spread the Daf!
or that!
But I meant, of course, if you were gonna desolder it. Contrary to an above assertion, I'm not recommending removing all the solder.
I'm just saying that IF you're gonna remove ANY solder then a $5 desoldering bulb makes it easy.
I would prolly use SkyBlues method except that personally I have lots of things to do far more important than spending a day doing something that's cosmetic.
Plus to my taste a covered p'up looks better than exposed coils.
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Yeah...most of my stuff involved adding covers...though I did have to remove some messed up existing covers to add new covers.
I just prefer a covered pup for my taste...and the only open pups are a pair of cream colored DiMarzio Super Distortion pups from the late '70s that I think would be a sin to put covers on.
I recently put some raw nickel covers on one set (removed the old scratched chrome ones)...and I really like that raw nickel look too.
I spent like one Saturday this past winter watching TV, doing the covers and the wax potting...did a few sets all at once, and I don't want to do that again for awhile.
Armistice
Son of Yoda
You'll get a sweeter sound if you use proportionally more beeswax than paraffin when you're re-potting.
Sorry.
Sorry.
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
I hear the Fralin now uses all-paraffin...that the beeswax gives the pups a darker tone. I like the tone with the beeswax.
Also, he says the paraffin melts easier at lower temps...so no coil damage from too high heat...but if you use a double boiler...let all the bees wax and paraffin melt...then turn off the flame...the wax mix will stay liquid for awhile, and there's no worry of to much heat.
For me, I like that beeswax stays soft, so mixing it with the paraffin, it's never going to crack/chip like pure paraffin can.
And of course...the beeswax is sweeter.
Kidding aside though....you CAN smell that honey scent when it melts...but it's just the wax.
Armistice
Son of Yoda
I used to have a few sheets of beeswax around - girlfriend at the time like to make candles - I was forever re-homing bees that had flown in looking for their hive. Scoop up exhausted bee on piece of paper. Walk downstairs and find suitable plant in garden. Offer words of encouragement for bee to hang onto leaf/flower. Eject bee. Rinse. Repeat.