Cold solder joint
A solder connection that looks solid but has not properly bonded, leaving a high-resistance or intermittent contact.
A cold joint happens when the parts were not hot enough for the solder to flow and alloy with them, so the solder sits on the surface as a dull, grainy blob. Electrically it may work for years and then crackle, cut out, or hum only when the guitar is moved, which makes it one of the hardest faults to track down. The fix is to reheat the joint until the solder is shiny and wetting both surfaces, adding flux if necessary, rather than adding more solder to the blob.
Example: A guitar that cuts out intermittently and crackles when the control cavity is touched probably has a cold solder joint.
See also
Related
- PageSoldering iron
- PageHookup wire
- PageBuzz
- PageActive pickup
- PageAlnico
- PageBlade pickup
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley