[VintageMA]

There are a few threads on this forum that talk about soldering and elsewhere as well. I actually think there are a few youtube videos that show the process in detail.

I find the soldering to the Dean's connectors works best when you use a hot iron. Hold the Dean's plug secure in something like a vise or a pair of pliers held shut with a rubber band. Hold the soldering iron to the metal on the connector for a few seconds and the push the wire of solder into the crack where the soldering iron and the connector metal are touching. The solder will melt and when it hits the right temperature it will adhere to the connector metal and spread out along the sureface of the connector like a drop of water - the surface tension of the hot solder will prevent it from running off the side.

Then take you pre-tinned wire end and put it into the hot solder drop until the solder on the wire melts and runs together with the solder on the connector plate.

Remove the soldering iron and hold the connection together without moving it until the solder hardens enough for no movement.

The whole process should take no more than 15-20 seconds so that you don't risk melting the plastic on the Dean's connector.

Also (as I forget to do this at time) don't forget to put the heat shrink tubing over the wire before you solder the wire and connector. ;)