Tapastring Guitar Care

Makers and Purveyors of Premium Guitar Care Accoutrements

 

 

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the "Vintage Jack"

the "Vintage Jack" for Mandolin

Vintage Pickup Systems

Vintage Jack Special Order Page

Cables for "Vintage Jack" Systems

Vintage Pickup Systems

Vintage Jack Installation Tips Page

Vintage Jack FAQ Page 

 

Jaquie Gipson

Acoustic Fingerstyle and Tap Guitar

 

 

How to Install the Vintage Jack with K&K Pure Western pickups

If you have not purchased your K&K pickups and Vintage Jack, consider K&K's pickup and Vintage Jack package with solderless connections.  This makes the surest and easiest possible installation for K&K pickups.  http://www.kksound.com/

 

Needed tools and supplies

Soldering iron -- 30 watt with fine tip

Solder -- rosin core, small diameter (.032")

X-Acto knife or similar to strip insulation and cut tape

Straight pin or similar to separate braided shield wires

Electrical tape --  I think that 3M Scotch Super 33 is the best

Copper tape -- available at most craft stores in the stained glass department

Heat shrink tubing -- electrical tape will work just fine, but the heat shrink looks better

Heat source to shrink the heat shrink tubing -- a cigarette lighter works nicely

 

Test the fit of the Vintage Jack in the endpin hole of your guitar and make any necessary adjustments BEFORE connecting and installing the pickup elements. 

  K&K Pure Western pickup system fresh from the box
  Unscrew the cover from the endpin jack and then.... 
  CUT! the wires near the strain relief clamp. This will give you fresh wire to work with making your job easier.  You can unsolder the wire ends and salvage the endpin jack later.
  Remove the strain relief tube and the endpin jack cover* from the pickup wires. 

*not yet removed in photo.
  Strip the outer jacket/insulation on one of the pickup element wires back about 1 1/4".  Be careful not to damage the shield wires.  Then gather the shield wires to one side.
  Cut the end of the inner wire leaving about 1/2"  exposed from the outer jacket/insulation.  Strip about 1/4" of the inner wire.

Repeat these steps for the wires for the other two pickup elements.
  Prepare the mono/tip wire from Your Vintage Jack.  Use a straight pin or similar tool to separate the shield wires for about 1/2".Be careful not to damage the wires. 
  Gather the shield wires and fold them back along the Vintage Jack mono/tip wire.  Strip about 1/4" of the inner wire 
  If you are going to use heat shrink tube to insulate your connections, NOW is the time to slide it upon to the Vintage Jack mono/tip wire.  Here we are using a piece of 1/4" heat shrink tube (black - about 2 1/2" long) and a piece of 1/8" heat shrink tube (blue - about 5/8" long)

You should now have something like what is shown it the photo.

The color of the heat shrink tube does not matter this is what was available when the photo was made.
  Thread the three wires from the pickup elements through the endpin hole of  your guitar from the inside.  
  Twist together and solder the ends of all four* inner wires.

*One from the Vintage Jack Mono/tip wire and one from each of the three K&K pickup elements.
  Fold the soldered connection back along the Vintage Jack mono/tip wire.  Trim the end of the soldered connection if needed -- the inner core wires must NOT contact the shield wires. 
  Slide the 1/8" heat shrink tube down from the Vintage Jack mono/tip wire to cover and insulate the soldered connection. Heat the heat shrink tube with your heat source (cigarette lighter) to shrink it into place. 

You could use electrical tape to insulate this connection instead of the heat shrink tube.  Electrical tape works well,  but the heat shrink tube is easier and makes for a better looking job.
  Fold all of the shield wires down along the Vintage Jack mono/tip wire and twist them together. 
  View of shield wire connection from the other side. 
  Wrap the connection with copper tape -- available in the stained glass department of many craft supply stores.  Here we used the tape lengthwise and covered the connection leaving about 1/8" of the twisted shield wires exposed. (see left side of the copper tape in the photo) The copper tape should extend at least 1/4" onto the insulation of the pickup wires.  (see right side of copper tape in the photo) Completely enclose the connection with the copper tape -- DO NOT leave any gaps.  This is important for proper shielding of the connection.
  Solder the exposed twisted end of the shield wires to the copper tape and to the Vintage Jack mono/tip braided shield.  If you used more than one piece of copper tape, be sure to solder each piece of copper tape to the next so that all are electrically connected.
  Slide the 1/4" heat shrink tube down from the Vintage Jack mono/tip wire to cover and insulate the copper tape.  Heat the heat shrink tube with your heat source (cigarette lighter) to shrink it into place. 

This insulation is not absolutely essential, but it makes for a more professional job.  Electrical tape could also be used, but again the heat shrink tube is easier and looks better.
  Test your connection and pickup signal.
Connect your pickup/Vintage Jack system to a guitar amplifier.  Turn the amplifier on  with the volume set low (#3 or so).  Listen for any unusual hum or noise.  GENTLY tap each of the pickup elements to be make you have a signal from the pickup.  If all is well turn the amplifier off and disconnect from the amp and continue with the installation.

Mount the pickup elements in your guitar according to the manufacturers instructions. 

Test the operation of the pickups before making final installation of the Vintage Jack using powdered rosin.
With the Vintage Jack seated lightly in place in the endpin hole of your guitar, connect your guitar to an amplifier and play it some.
Sounds good doesn't it?
 

NOW you can make the final installation of the Vintage Jack -- Dust a little powdered rosin on the tapered portion of the Vintage Jack and insert it into the endpin hole in your guitar with a firm push and a little twist. The extra wires from the Vintage Jack should be coiled and secured inside your guitar.  They are not needed for this installation, but you may want them some time in the future.
  This is what your finished connection would look like if you had an invisible guitar.  
 

 

Tapastring Guitar Care

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Trinidad, Colorado 81082

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