Custom wiring is one of the cheapest ways to get more out of a guitar. A few changes to the controls can give you single coil sounds from a humbucker, a brighter or smoother tone knob, or switching options the factory never offered. TuneUp Guitar in Redding does it in the shop.
Popular wiring mods
- Coil splits and coil taps. Get single coil sounds from humbuckers using a push-pull pot or mini switch.
- Series and parallel switching. Fatter, louder humbucker tones or cleaner, brighter ones from the same pickup.
- 50s style wiring. Keeps your tone from getting muddy when you roll the volume down. Popular on Les Paul style guitars.
- Treble bleed. Keeps highs clear as you turn the volume down.
- Kill switches. A momentary switch that cuts the signal for stutter effects.
- Phase switches. A thin, quacky out of phase sound for something different.
- Extra pickup combinations. Like adding the neck pickup to the bridge position on a Strat or Tele style guitar.
- Bass wiring. Pickup selector switches, series/parallel on jazz basses, and passive tone changes.
How it works
Tell us what sounds you want and how you like to control them. We’ll recommend a layout that fits your guitar and your pickups, explain anything that needs new parts, and give you a price before starting. Parts like push-pull pots and switches are extra and usually inexpensive.
While the guitar is open, we’ll check the existing solder joints, pots, and jack. If anything is worn out or crackly, see pots, switches, and jack repair.
Swapping pickups at the same time
If you’re thinking about new pickups, do it at the same time as the wiring. It saves you labor since everything is already apart. See pickup installation and adjustment.
Bring it in
Most wiring jobs are done in a day or two at our shop on Redcliff Drive in Redding. Bring your guitar in and tell us the sounds you’re after. Players come in from all over the Redding area.
Custom Guitar Wiring questions
Can you wire my guitar from a diagram I found online?
Yes. Bring the diagram or a link to it. We'll look it over, confirm it works with your pickups, and wire it up.
Will custom wiring change how my guitar looks?
Usually not. Push-pull and push-push pots look like regular knobs. Mini switches and kill switches need a small hole, and we'll talk about placement before drilling anything.
Can you put it back to stock later?
In most cases, yes. Keep your original parts and we can return the guitar to its original wiring.