Recently, I've delved into creating and modifying electric guitars. Here are some of the enhancements and modifications I've made:
- Pickups: Upgraded to Fleor's pickups, which are both excellent and budget-friendly.
- Blender Knob: Replaced the traditional pickup selector switch with a blender knob. Most blender knobs aren’t designed effectively. I've found using a dual potentiometer (stereo fader) with a center detent to be the only way that sounds really good. I’m currently exploring slider pots that can be seamlessly integrated into the pickup selector's position.
- Configuration: Transitioned to SS or HS configurations on my Strats. The middle pickup tone falls short, but blending the neck/bridge results in a phenomenal sound.
- Noise Reduction: Lined the electronic compartments with copper tape. This ensures the guitar remains silent, even when utilizing high-output pickups.
- Tone Knob: Modified the typical frequency-adjustable low-pass filter to be a push-pull between low-pass and high-pass. This results in a crisp, punchy funk sound.
- Bridge: Converted my Strat's tremolo system to a hardtail using wood epoxy and by repurposing the existing bridge components.
- Luthier Skills: I've been enriching my knowledge via Stew Mac videos on YouTube, especially on *expertly* setting truss rods. This expertise has significantly enhanced the playability of my guitars, eliminating any fret buzz.
- Design: Ventured into laser engraving on headstocks, pickguards, and bodies, which adds distinct details to the look of each guitar.
Regarding tone, the type of wood in an electric guitar plays an extremely minor role. The primary influencers are the electronics and components in contact with the strings (e.g., nut, frets, bridge). Currently, my go-to instrument is a $65 Monoprice Tele, spruced up with roughly $130 worth of parts and an old Seymour Duncan pickup. Some additional upgrades include a Fleor hotrail tele bridge pickup, engraved bridge with roller saddles, and locking tuners. It plays and sounds incredible. Basically, any electric guitar with a neck that plays well can be made to sound good with improved electronics.
It such a fun activity, especially if you are an engineer+creative type since its involves reading circuit wiring, planning the tones and the sounds that you actually like in the guitar, buying and testing cheap(ish) parts, soldering them and finally playing the guitar with all the mods.
I recently changed the 5 way switch in my Harley Benton Fusion and now the guitar sounds so crisp and bright. All the buzzing and honkyness in the pickups disappeared. The pickups circuit with a 5Eur mod sounds as clear and bright as my EMG retroactives.
Next I want to buy a kit-guitar and learn to stain them for custom finishes. Want to try some of the beautiful bursts that ~10k$ PRS custom shop does.
- Pickups: Upgraded to Fleor's pickups, which are both excellent and budget-friendly. - Blender Knob: Replaced the traditional pickup selector switch with a blender knob. Most blender knobs aren’t designed effectively. I've found using a dual potentiometer (stereo fader) with a center detent to be the only way that sounds really good. I’m currently exploring slider pots that can be seamlessly integrated into the pickup selector's position. - Configuration: Transitioned to SS or HS configurations on my Strats. The middle pickup tone falls short, but blending the neck/bridge results in a phenomenal sound. - Noise Reduction: Lined the electronic compartments with copper tape. This ensures the guitar remains silent, even when utilizing high-output pickups. - Tone Knob: Modified the typical frequency-adjustable low-pass filter to be a push-pull between low-pass and high-pass. This results in a crisp, punchy funk sound. - Bridge: Converted my Strat's tremolo system to a hardtail using wood epoxy and by repurposing the existing bridge components. - Luthier Skills: I've been enriching my knowledge via Stew Mac videos on YouTube, especially on *expertly* setting truss rods. This expertise has significantly enhanced the playability of my guitars, eliminating any fret buzz. - Design: Ventured into laser engraving on headstocks, pickguards, and bodies, which adds distinct details to the look of each guitar.
Regarding tone, the type of wood in an electric guitar plays an extremely minor role. The primary influencers are the electronics and components in contact with the strings (e.g., nut, frets, bridge). Currently, my go-to instrument is a $65 Monoprice Tele, spruced up with roughly $130 worth of parts and an old Seymour Duncan pickup. Some additional upgrades include a Fleor hotrail tele bridge pickup, engraved bridge with roller saddles, and locking tuners. It plays and sounds incredible. Basically, any electric guitar with a neck that plays well can be made to sound good with improved electronics.