Easy Change of Pickups

[coheed]

Hola, this is my first post guys, so plz go easy on me if I totally come off as a "noob" but I love to goof around and change the pickups in my guitar(s) frequently. I was wondering if I could make this easier by using crimped disconnects w/ wires soldered onto the pots and switches w/ disconnects also. I know this could get a little bulky if I was doing something complicated, but I was just wondering if it could work...and if this is a totally stupid idea, I'm sorry!

[Runewalker]

coheeed, I'm with you. Some sort of bayonet quick disconnect connector would be helpful for switch out and tests.

I have heard but not seen that some models of EMGs have some sort of quick disconnects, but i have never seen them.

I have search the net and found standard spade connectors that have this feature, but they would be bulky and if at the end of the pup wires would not thread though the wiring channels in the wood.

I looked at screw terminals for the switches. Again bulky and I would worry about internal disconnects when performing Pete Townsend vertical leaps and windmills.

So the holy grail of this search is some sort of small round dagger like male/female-quick disconnect connector. The connectors would be soldered onto the ends of leads, then experimentation and Nascar like 15 sec switch-outs proceed. Any canidates?

[GuyaGuy]

hee hee!
i started a similar thread on the old GN and everyone thought i was crazy. i'm not aware of any good crimping methods as pots are made for soldered connections. (one of my questions in the old thread was "why don't they make pots that can be screwed or crimped?" but i was also interested in whether solder actually was somehow better for transfering the signal.)
in GUITAR ELECTRONICS by broznac it's mentioned that SCHECHTER included wire nuts w/ their PUs back in the 70s/80s in order to make after market installs easier.

that's a plausible option for ya, coheed:

cut the wire leading from pickup to pot somewhere in the middle, leaving enough wire length on both sides. then use a wire nut or crimp to connect the new pickup. PRESTO! just make sure the 2 wires have a solid physical connection before crimping or "nutting."

[RandomHero]

I actually do that with all my trem claw ground wires on top-routed guitars for easy pickguard removal.

[coheed]

Awesome...I'm glad that I'm not as much of an idiot as I thought!! I've seen the EMGs w/ the disconnect, but that's only on the pickup and it only works if you use EMGs. I think my summer project will be creating a disconnect board (maybe on PCB like a preamp), but small enough to screw down into a control panel.

[bam]

if you might aware, there are disconnects built for automotive uses, with 2,3,4,and so on terminals. Pretty interesting, IMHO.

[dtarrance]

Well, this isn't really an option you can add to your guitar, but some may not have heard of or seen this company before. I'm quite impressed with it personally, but their prices need to come down for me to be interested!!

www.mercurioguitars.com/mg/

[coheed]

awesome

[GuyaGuy]

huh? did they just go outta bid-ness?