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Which is best? I know naff all about fitting pups, but is it best to learn?

Can you trust leaving your prize axe in a guitar shop while a pup gets fitted? Has anyone ever gotten a guitar back from a shop to find additional gaffs or scratches or anything?

i do all my own work now, but ive never had anything messed up by a shop. in the cases that ive heard of such things the shop did what they could to make it right

since i'm an intresseted homeworker guy i did all the things on my own from the start up. If you follow the instructions and have at least a little technical skill everything should be ok.


Originally Posted by jeremyi do all my own work now, but ive never had anything messed up by a shop. in the cases that ive heard of such things the shop did what they could to make it right

1. If you can't trust 'em to not screw up your guitar, you probably shouldn't be doing business with them at all.
The only other advice I have is that most techs who work for a store also have their own shop. You'll generally get a better price if you go directly to the tech's shop rather than through the store since the store often gets a cut.

Yeah, the thing is though, this shop offers a 'good deal' if you get you get them to fit the pickup, providing you just bought it from them. They do a free set-up and throw in a set of strings too. Which is nice.

Thanks for the input guys!

If you can solder and k now how to set-up a guitar, fitting a new Pup is a snap... if either of these skills is lacking, have a tech show you, at least the forst time

...or have a go with my crappy Squier first?

its so easy to fit pickups with a diagram or help from this forum, I can't believe anyone actually goes to techs to get em fitted. the only reason I could think for this would be if you wanted an unorthodox wiring method or that you would have difficulty getting the equipment for it

Fair enough then.

I guess the only thing standing in the way of it now is the lack of a soldering iron.

theyre a valuable investment, just make sure you get a stand with it. soldering might be fun, but burning yourself isnt, as my thumb experienced last night when I wired up my new guitar


Originally Posted by shredaholicits so easy to fit pickups with a diagram or help from this forum, I can't believe anyone actually goes to techs to get em fitted. the only reason I could think for this would be if you wanted an unorthodox wiring method or that you would have difficulty getting the equipment for it

If you want something complicated, we have more combined information here than any one shop has. Plus the info here is dispensed free of charge!


Originally Posted by shredaholictheyre a valuable investment, just make sure you get a stand with it. soldering might be fun, but burning yourself isnt, as my thumb experienced last night when I wired up my new guitar

Agreed 100% soldering burns are quite nasty (2nd degree in 1/10th of a second x_X)
Buying a soldering station instead of only an iron can also be quite handy if you're planning on using it more often, by the way.

I've done it both ways. I usually do the work myself on Strats and Gibson solids, but I have used a trusted shop to replace the lead pickups in my Teles and both pickups in my Gibson semi-hollow. The work and effort involved in the latter cases was more than I had the time and patience for.

Yep, just get a nice soldering iron - be sure not to get a gun - and have a go at it. You might want to practice a few times on some scrap wires but it won't take long to get it down.

None of my guitars have ever had anyone else other than me replace the pickups, including my first electric when I was 15. I got adventurous and wanted a humbucker once I learned more about electrics. Out came the chisel and hammer and out came chunks of plywood. Of course things are better today but I can do my own electronics work.

I've only recently become very interested in soldering and doing electronics stuff as well... unfortunately I don't have that much money so I can't go swapping pickups as I please lol. Practice makes perfect I guess.

It is really best to learn to install pickups yourself. I've been doing it with no problems since I was 13 with no electrical training beyond the safety tips my dad gave me. Just practice by soldering wires together.