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Post subject: Changing pickups on stratocaster
Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 5:51 pm
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Is there a risk damaging your guitar when changing the pickups on a fender stratocaster?
I doubt I will do this but what if I decide to change the humbuck pickups on the Fender Stratocaster HSS and replace it with a single soil pickup like the regular Fender Stratocaster. Is it risky? Will it be safer if I take the guitar to a guitar shop and they will change it it for me?


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Post subject: Re: Changing pickups on stratocaster
Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 6:47 pm
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James2244 wrote:
Is there a risk damaging your guitar when changing the pickups on a fender stratocaster?
I doubt I will do this but what if I decide to change the humbuck pickups on the Fender Stratocaster HSS and replace it with a single soil pickup like the regular Fender Stratocaster. Is it risky? Will it be safer if I take the guitar to a guitar shop and they will change it it for me?



To make sure I understand correctly, you want to change the pups from HSS to SSS?

There shouldn't be any physical damage. You'll need to get a different pick guard, a different tone pot and .22 capacitor.


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Post subject: Re: Changing pickups on stratocaster
Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 7:31 pm
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Changing pickups on a guitar is very risky if you have never done it before and don't have the proper skills and equipment.

You need to use a screwdriver (Philips head, not flat blade) to remove and install the pick guard and you could slip and scratch the guitar at least, or stab yourself at worst. Once you get the pick guard off, you need to use a soldering iron (not a blow torch) to remove and replace the pickup wires. You might melt the insulation on the wires and cause a short or overheat a pot and damage it or even give yourself a nasty burn. You could also end up with blobs of cold solder which can cause all sorts of noises. If you are not careful, you could pull the wires loose from the pickup and have to fix that. If you don't hook everything up just right, you would have to start all over again, doubling the risk to you and the guitar. Finally, if you have managed to put everything back together without hurting yourself, you might damage your amp or hearing when the loud buzz from a bad ground blasts out of the speaker and you had forgotten to turn the amp volume down.

So, either take it to a pro or watch a You Tube video/buy a book on changing pickups, and take your time.

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