Easy Video Tutorials?

[Johnnygriever]

Hi forum!

So I’m attempting to wire my Pitbull MB kit. Admittedly I’ve been time-poor lately and haven’t been able to give it the attention it requires. Yesterday however I unboxed all the components/wires etc and placed them on my workbench ready to assemble. Then I realised that I’m in way over my head. I know how to solder, but I wouldn’t have a clue where on earth to even start here. I am an absolute beginner when it comes to wiring. For reference the pickups are 2 x humbuckers with a 3 way selector switch.

Onto my question. Does anyone know of any video tutorials that are easy to follow showing how to do the wiring for the above pickup configuration from scratch? The closest thing I could find was this:

https://youtu.be/NMDHFWPvklc?si=3w4x31TDMi1O4kdv

That video is for a Gibson SG but as far as I understand the SG uses 2 Humbuckers with a 3 way selector switch.

Is anyone able to recommend any other video tutorials that are easy to follow?

[Trevor Davies]

Hi Johhny,

I have a set of step-by-step instructions for wiring this type of circuit (actually for the Single Cut type of kits). I used it for one of my classes a few years ago.

If you private message me I can email it to you.

[fender3x]

First, if it were me, I'd get TD's instructions. He's actually done guitar building classes, and the guitar type should be the same.

I am guessing that will be enough, but I will just chime in with a couple of things I have found helpful. Being dyslexic, I have to make this as fool proof as possible ;-)

Pretty much everyone starts off by laying out the components on a thin piece of board or cardboard, as in the your video and the one I am attaching.

One good thing about the PB diagram is that it is color coded. The type of wire you use doesn't matter at all electrically. It can be thick or thin. You're dealing with micro-voltages so size of the wire doesn't really matter. What matters more to me is color coding, so I like to have several colors of wire. If I have a diagram like the PB diagram that is color coded, I try to use the same colored wire as in the diagram. This helps to keep me from getting confused. It also makes it easier to check to see that things are wired up properly. It also makes it easier for someone looking at a picture to tell you what might be wrong if something goes haywire.

If I don't have a color coded wiring chart, I color code it myself, using colors of wire that I have. You can do that with a highlighter, although these days I usually do it on the computer.

While electricity doesn't care what kind of wire you use, some wires is easier to solder than others. In your video, the guy is using push back wire. It's traditional for guitars, and really easy to use, but you would most likely need to special order it. Traditionally, it only comes in three colors, black, white and shielded. These days you can get it from guitar and amp supply places in a few different colors, but it's a little pricy.

I am including a vid where the guy is using more ordinary wire.



I don't know where he got the gigantic caps. Don't use anything that big! The little green (or rust colored) chicklets that came with your kit are fine for this ;-)

Aside from that, I think you are on the right track. Your wiring harness is pretty much exactly like an SG's. I'd watch several videos about it, read TD's tutorial, and ask questions here if anything gets confusing or doesn't work like you expected.

[Trevor Davies]

+1 for changing the colour of the wires to match the circuit diagram.

I also use a heavier gauge wire than the kit wire (so there is less chance of wires breaking).

+1 for using a board to hold the pots in position.

Plus - don't forget the ground wire to the lower bridge post so as to ground the bridge and wires!

[fender3x]

...I also use a heavier gauge wire than the kit wire (so there is less chance of wires breaking)...

Me too. Heavier than the kit wire, but not so heavy that I have to heat it long enough to cook the pots or caps ;-) Not a problem for everyone, but I am pretty ham-handed.

I have mostly cannibalized wire from other other projects, but try to only use good quality wire. However on a recent P-bass project I used some black and white 22awg stranded pushback wire that I had purchased for another project. I didn't use it on the project it came with because the wiring got a little complicated and I wanted to used colored wire. But on the P-bass the wiring is very simple and the pickups I was using also used pushback wire...and I may never go back. It might not be great for wring in tight spaces (like on a small rotary switch). But it's fantastic on "normal" pots and switches with decent sized lugs. It comes tinned, so you just cut it to length, push the wire through the eyelet on the component you are soldering and hit it with a dab of solder.

I still have a bit of black and white pushback, but have three other colors on order. You have to shop to find it, but it's out there at places that supply guitar and amp builders.

Whether you go for the pushback or the more modern PVC insulated wire, if you purchase it make sure it is stranded. You can get either pushback or PVC coated that is pre-tinned. I didn't think tinning was a big deal, and was surprised how much easier I found soldering when the wire is pre-tinned. I find 22awg to be the "Goldilocks" size for guitar wire. Much bigger than necessary, but easy to solder, and as TD says, probably more durable than the really thin stuff you get with the kit.