Fender? Jazz Bass pickup - does the insulation need to be removed before soldering?

[GlennW]

These were advertised as dead Fender pickups from a Geddy Lee Jazz Bass. They'll be ok if the outside of the coils are reconnected. I'm guessing the wire is 42 Formvar, but don't know. It's about .0024"-.0026" thick. The magnets are 3/16", which I think means there's a good chance they're MIA, which is what I've been told that model of JB uses even though the bass is MIJ.

Does this stuff need to have the insulation stripped before soldering?

I finished the double JB pickup I asked about earlier. It's in a bass used for testing in the picture and works fine. I'll transplant it after I get enough nerve to route a painted body.

Edit: I just soldered the end of the coil to a tinned lead and there's no continuity, so I guess the coil wire does need to be stripped.

[Spence]

Just loop the wire through the eyelets in the usual manner then use some 800 grit wet & dry to remove the insulation. Then solder as normal.

[GlennW]

Thanks, Spence.

[David Schwab]

I burn the insulation off with a bic lighter. You have to be fairly quick. That works better for me than sanding. I always break the wire.

Hey Glen, I saw you post this bass on TalkBass. Looks like it makes a nice test bass. What was it originally?

[GlennW]

I saw in another thread about stripping wire where you mentioned buring off the insulation. I tried it on some Solderon and didn't have any success with it - I probably cooked it too much. I'll try it again, but quicker. Solderon doesn't have to be stripped before soldering, but it's the only wire I have on spools.

The bass is an Ibanez TR70, originally a P/J style with a plywood body. The one these pickups will be going into is an Ibanez GTR50 - pretty much the same thing except it has an agathis body, metalic paint, and just the P-bass pickup. Both of these were made in Indonesia. I love these things because of their necks, you can find them in very good condition on ebay for about $100. I tried another one, a TR80, which was made in Korea, and didn't like the neck as much because it was chunkier. I think they were beginner basses, which is probably why many haven't been used much.

Here's a link I saved. Clicking on the picture makes it bigger. You can click "Gallery" to look at other models.

http://www.ibanezregister.com/Galler.../gal-gtr70.htm

[David Schwab]

I thought it was an Ibanez.

I have an '88 SR-885LE 5 string. (or a 855.. I forget the model number). It was one of the first SoundGear basses. Black over basswood body, and a maple neck with rosewood FB. it has two J pickups.

Not a bad little bass, although the string spacing is on the tight side. It was my first 5 string. Cost me $800 new! The new ones are a lot cheaper now.