How many of you do wiring UPgrades ?

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Hi guys



Just trying to find out how many of you do a pot/cap/wiring upgrade to your stock guitars ?

And those who do do it . . . what do you do ?

Do you buy the individual components (cheery pick in other words), or do you get a kit/set with everything incl already ?


Thanks

[Oinkus]

Re: How many of you do wiring UPgrades ?

You should know that I pretty much take everything out of stock guitars. My standard upgrade list is $533.27 in parts including pickups. I usually even remove and replace inserts especially if I am starting with a cheap guitar. Babicz Bridge , Graphtech Tusq XL nut,Planet Waves Trin lok tuners,CTS pots , switchcraft jack and switch , random set of pickups (most likely Fralins), wire caps and knobs. Usually after I finish a guitar I take it to my friend and world class Luthier Kenny Marshall for a final setup and eventually a stainless steel refret with some big fat and tall frets.Got a couple I spent 5 years and $1500 bucks on and I wouldn't sell them to you for $5k. BTW I am totally nuts!?

[blueman335]

Re: How many of you do wiring UPgrades ?

I only do if they're not working right. They usually last for years. Typically I'll add a 250K or two for the bridge PU (replacing the 500K's) and often add-push-pulls.

[beaubrummels]

Re: How many of you do wiring UPgrades ?

I tend to buy these kits because it's cheaper than buying individual parts. If I'm doing something tricky, I'll buy individual parts to supplement.

http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/electrical_kitsgibson.htm

http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/electrical_kitstele.htm

http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/electrical_kitsstrat.htm

[Grandturk]

Re: How many of you do wiring UPgrades ?

I stopped buying guitars that require this type of surgery.

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: How many of you do wiring UPgrades ?

I've re-wired a few. Usually to add push-push pots, in the case of the Cort Source (semi-acoustic) to completely redo it, all pots, pickups, caps - the only thing I saved was the jack socket. Usually though I only swap out pickups and caps.

[CTN]

Re: How many of you do wiring UPgrades ?

the electrons don't care what kind of wire they are going through. they care very little about the type of switch and pots as well.

If the electronics are malfunctioning or were wired with all the finesse and skill of a howler monkey at a feces flinging festival, then I will replace them. Otherwise, if it's functional, neat and gets the job done without any problems like the signal cutting out, then I don't mind it staying as is.

[uOpt]

Re: How many of you do wiring UPgrades ?

My guitars and basses are generally high enough quality to not worry about it except for a capacitor change that I might do because it's easy. I am not a big user of the in-guitar pots, that helps.

If I make a new Strat setup I usually don't rip apart some OEM pickguard, I wire up an entirely new pickguard, with pots and switches that I get by buying the Fender branded parts from Amazon. Quite reasonably priced.

Things get complicated if I want push-pulls and the like.

[DreX]

Re: How many of you do wiring UPgrades ?

I replace everything, but more to get a fresh start, so that the end result looks like a clean original wiring job instead of a rewire, with bent up cap leads, old blobs of solder and excess flux, etc. I don't do it for tone reasons, and I couldn't care less about how it feels to spin the knobs as I don't do the volume swell thing on any sort of regular basis. Compared to the cost of the guitar itself, pots, caps, switches and wire are cheap enough that their cost is a non issue.

[Agileguy_101]

Re: How many of you do wiring UPgrades ?

Pots with a nice taper and low resistance to being turned quickly are important to me.

[GuitarStv]

Re: How many of you do wiring UPgrades ?

There's no such thing as a wiring upgrade. At least not for the itsy bitsy bits of wire inside a guitar control cavity. I fix things when they break though. I've had acceptable results using 12 gauge solid wire (leftover bits from wiring the house) all the way to 22 gauge stranded.

[DreX]

Re: How many of you do wiring UPgrades ?

There's no such thing as a wiring upgrade. At least not for the itsy bitsy bits of wire inside a guitar control cavity. I fix things when they break though. I've had acceptable results using 12 gauge solid wire (leftover bits from wiring the house) all the way to 22 gauge stranded.

Maybe not a practical upgrade to speak of, but I like using cloth wire for the aesthetic value, and it's actually nice being able to just pull the cloth back a bit and not have to strip any wires, so it's easier to lay down and fit it into it's place. Cloth wire also seems to hold it's shape better than most plastic insulated hook-up wire. It's a bit pricey, though.

[Agileguy_101]

Re: How many of you do wiring UPgrades ?

There's no such thing as a wiring upgrade. At least not for the itsy bitsy bits of wire inside a guitar control cavity. I fix things when they break though. I've had acceptable results using 12 gauge solid wire (leftover bits from wiring the house) all the way to 22 gauge stranded.

I think that the OP meant electronics too, not just literally the wire in the guitar.

[uOpt]

Re: How many of you do wiring UPgrades ?

22 gauge which alloy? Obviously you can't use random alloys. They might come from Asia and sound totally dead. How about organic wire?

[GuitarStv]

Re: How many of you do wiring UPgrades ?

22 gauge which alloy? Obviously you can't use random alloys. They might come from Asia and sound totally dead. How about organic wire?

I prefer vegan free-range organic copper made of braided unicorn pubes.