Recent content by joegore

Hi folks — I've just posted a new Alternative 8 demo over at tonefiend.com: http://www.seymourduncan.com/tonefiend/pickups/what-the-deal-with-alnico-viii-magnets/ It was inspired by a recent conversation with some of the SD pickup gurus. We were discussing pickups that deserved greater public...

I upgraded my friend's Ibanez Art Star, a Korean-made, full-bodied archtop that sells used for about $400. Remedy: A pair of SD ’59 model PAFs. Hum/sing switching. "Vintage-style" wiring. Now the thing sounds fab. . . ...or at least it would were it not for the fact that it's a lefty guitar...

Hey Stratophiles — anyone else tried an SD Five-Two for Strat? It's the one that has three a5 rod magnets on the bass side, and three a2s on the treble. I just posted a video demo over at tonefiend.com. I'd experimented with an Alnico II Pro for Strat and liked it, but gravitated back to the...

Anyone else a fan of this particular poison? Or is only for weirdos with too much time on their hands? Either way, I've posted a new tutorial walking you through the process. It explains how to do things like . . . putting a ferocious fuzz inside a Hello Kitty guitar. Or more normal stuff, like...

I just had to do it. The story so far: Last week I hotrodded my Fender Hello Kitty Strat with a SD Phat Cat and built-in fuzz circuit. This week I've upped the gain ante with one of those new SD Synyster Gates Invaders (the one with the innocent-looking white pole pieces, of course)...

Oh man — I upgraded the $99 Hello Kitty Strat Jane Weidlin gave me with an SD Phat Cat and a sneaky built-in fuzz circuit. Result: cooler and heavier than I'd dared hope. View the carnage here.

After reading so many opinions about the ’50s Les Paul wiring scheme, I decided to get to the bottom of things via a semi-scientific approach. I put together a little article, complete with test recordings and measurements. Research submitted for peer review here. :)

I just did a session for Jane Weidlin and Belinda Carlisle of the Go-Gos,and Jane GAVE me the guitar I've always wanted! Details and gloating here.

"Nashville-stye" Tele wiring — in a Strat Oh man — I had no idea that "Nashville-Style" Tele wiring (with a blend knob assigned to the middle pickup) would sound so frickin' cool in a Strat. The downside: no middle-pickup-alone setting. The upside: outer pickups together, all three at once...

Hey guys — at the suggestion of a tonefiend.com reader, I've been toying with variations on the Leo Fender's under-exploited "PTB" tone controls — a passive tone control with separate treble and bass knobs. And I'm just flipping out over how RELEVANT it is for humbucker applications. I've posted...

So I challenged tonefiend.com’s readers to create the weirdest/funniest/ugliest guitars they could imagine using the online visualization tools provided by various custom guitar companies. The results leave me . . . speechless. Check out the best-of video I just posted. You eyes will never...

Hey folks — as part of my "Pagey Project" series on maxed-out Les Paul wirings at tonefiend.com, I just posted a new video featuring the most extreme wiring scheme I've ever tried: a modern adaptation of the original Page wiring incorporating Triple Shot Mounting Rings. This arrangement provides...

Hey folks — as part of my "Pagey Project" series on maxed-out Les Paul wirings, I just posted a new video featuring the most extreme wiring scheme I've ever tried: a modern adaptation of the original Page wiring incorporating Triple Shot Mounting Rings. This arrangement provides well over a...

Anyone interested in the kooky Vari-Tone circuit that appears on some vintage Gibson models, notably the ES-345? Over at tonefiend.com, I've been experimenting with it in various Strat-type objects. Additionally, some readers have tried building it into a stompbox. Here's the latest...

Hi folks — we're going to be tackling the eternally compelling Jimmy Page wiring scheme over at tonefiend.com. We'll look at both the classic arrangement, and the even-more-over-the-top version with a pair of Duncan Triple Shot Mounting Rings. If you've been wanting to try this, please join...