Dragon II install

[boardn10]

Hey guys,

Been trying to get a Dragon II installed for thr last half hour and no luck. The wire is a mess. What was PRS thinking when they made these? The wires are a mess. I can't get any bare ground wire exposed for soldering. I can't get any red wired exposed either. Too tiny. I not sure where this guy pulled this pickup from but it certainly was not installed in a guitar based on the shape of the wiring.
It looks like whoever owned it just decided to screw it up.
Any suggestions?

https://imgur.com/a/T4IZMnp

 

[boardn10]

I told the guy I am probably returning it. What a joke.

 

[Nadir]

They have been cut by scissors.
You can try to remove the sheat by burning it with a lighter.

 

[Birdsofprey]

Exactly, don’t blame PRS.

 

[Bogner]

Make sure you have enough length in the wire to cut the butcher job off and start fresh. Remove the sheathing to expose the various wire ends and you should be fine. Hopefully you have plenty of length.

 

[boardn10]

Exactly, don’t blame PRS.

Sorry, I haven't slept in many days and not thinking clearly. I meant to say the previous owner did something stupid. But I guess as far as pickup build, why is it almost impossible to get to the bare wire?

 

[boardn10]

Make sure you have enough length in the wire to cut the butcher job off and start fresh. Remove the sheathing to expose the various wire ends and you should be fine. Hopefully you have plenty of length.

That's the thing, I can't remove the sheathing. I tried.
The bare or ground braid wire completely encases the other wires so I can't get inside. It just becomes a mess if you try to remove the sheathing. I've done what feels like hundreds of pickups installs but have never seen anything like this. Essentially the sheathing, is the braided bare wire and can't remove it to get to the other wires. I no longer have a wire stripper small enough to get to the wire within the red wire. I may try burning as mentioned.
But I'll have to rig up an extension wire for the bare ground.

 

[boardn10]

The bare or braid wire looks to be a mangled mess all wrapped around so I can't expose any more of the other wires.

https://imgur.com/a/OoRPDBm

 

[Birdsofprey]

Sorry, I haven't slept in many days and not thinking clearly. I meant to say the previous owner did something stupid. But I guess as far as pickup build, why is it almost impossible to get to the bare wire?

Good question, the answer is with the right wire strippers it‘s a non issue. Simply the right tool for the job. If your really into guitar tinkering then take a look at some of the supply houses that have all kinds of cool tools to make our lives easier and less frustrating. Stewart MacDonald comes to mind but there’s many more.

 

[SinSir]

Good question, the answer is with the right wire strippers it‘s a non issue. Simply the right tool for the job. If your really into guitar tinkering then take a look at some of the supply houses that have all kinds of cool tools to make our lives easier and less frustrating. Stewart MacDonald comes to mind but there’s many more.

Couldn't agree more. These things were a game changer

 

[Glide-bpm]

Couldn't agree more. These things were a game changer

Love my pair of these. Had a pair in my so-called electrical engineering giant tool bag. Have always kept a pair at home!
Easy as heck once you set all the tensions low as heck and then tighten them gradually until it's a perfect strip of that tiny @$$ pickup wire. Hehehehe!

 

[SinSir]

Love my pair of these. Had a pair in my so-called electrical engineering giant tool bag. Have always kept a pair at home!
Easy as heck once you set all the tensions low as heck and then tighten them gradually until it's a perfect strip of that tiny @$$ pickup wire. Hehehehe!

I feel like I was a caveman before these. I half way think I may have even swapped some pickups to use them a few more times at first.