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Luthier Guitar

Guitar Wiring Diagrams, Stock and Custom

We have put together a long list of all the parts and wiring diagrams you need to change the wiring or simply renew old wiring into convenient to use packs. Each kit includes it's own wiring diagram and parts list to tell you just how to do it.

Special Notes:

Rewiring an old guitar using the stock wiring diagram can be very frustrating. Wiring diagrams, whether stock or for a custom upgrade are mostly hard to find, and in many cases hard to comprehend, thus making them unlikely to work well. Refrain from just buying any old kit primarily to prevent damaging other components of your guitar. Some guitars have active circuitry, and a bad wire setup can damage it.

Every diagram and part we list is fully tested many times to insure you get the vibe you want. Simply put, if we recommend it, it will work as suggested and not damage your instrument. Not only that, every component is designed to give outstanding life and the best tone quality that you have ever experienced.

The guitar wiring kit shown here is a 5-way lever action switch for all 3 pickup Fender Stratocaster's, and other 3 pickup guitars. The kit has very detailed directions that are very well explained in terms most people will understand.

Realistically speaking, many people have their own personal wiring setups and parts they may use or interchange that GuitarPlayersCenter only feels comfy dealing in proven setups. In fact one of my personal fav's is a setup that includes an EMG-SPC control knob being installed in a Stratocaster. What a great switch, at least in my opinion. I like to toss in a set of Fender Custom Texas Special pickups while I'm under the pickguard. Texas Special pickups will give you the Stevie Ray Vaughan sound. Very delectable!

Most guitar stores are competitive in price and service. Most of them have great return policies in case you don't care for your new tone. However GPC uses Guitar Center or Musicians Friend for those reasons and more.

Don't make a mistake, if you are not inclined to doing these upgrades, then take it to a competent luthier/guitar maker. This is precision work to an extent, and not messing up your guitar is a priority. Although, it is doable by most people if you relax, be patient and most important, follow the directions!

Remember to use a solder gun with a replaceable tip,use a top line electrical solder and flux and don't get the switches too hot. Remember that soldering is an art of sorts, so practice first on some extra wires to get your vibe back if it has been a while since you last soldered.

Good luck and Enjoy.

About the Author

For more information about Guitar Players Center Gibson Guitars or Guitar Wiring and Upgrades. Feel free to visit our website, ask questions, share it with others, make comments or simply enjoy.

For guitar builders. How much can a luthier expect to make?

My son wants to go to school to build guitars. I want to know if he is wasting his time.

Becoming a successful luthier is a little like becoming a rock star (but with less drugs). Even after going to school, being a luthier is still one of those trades that you're expected to apprentice in for some time before you actually make a real money.

How much can you make? I know that some of the craftsmen in the big name custom shops make some pretty serious money (around 100k). And then, there are guys around Austin that, while they do good work, don't have a "name" yet. So, they're just getting by (and a lot of them play in the evenings to make ends meet).

That all said, I've had guitars worked on by a "name" guy around here and he did a crap job. I my name had been Johnny Winter or Billy Gibbons, I might have gotten better service. So, I go to a guy who works out of his house now and does the best fret file and polish jobs I've ever had. But, he just can't charge that much right now.

My daddy used to tell me that if you make a million dollars a year and hate what you do, you're underpaid. If that's what makes him happy, then tell him to go for it. But, like a lot of trade schools, it will probably be very expensive (around $30k).

Tell him to have a back-up plan in case that doesn't work out.

Good luck.

Greetings from Austin, TX

Ken

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The Secret To Maximizing Your Guitars Potential

Poorly setup guitars really make playing the guitar a bigger challenge. As if it is not an endless challenge itself. But why make it more difficult? As you probably know by know, the faster you learn to play brings you more personal gratification and desire.

What is 'guitar setup'? Basically it means to have the specifications adjusted to the actual factory standards or your personal specs. Simply put, a set-up includes:
#1. adjusting the height of the strings over the neck
#2. making sure your frets are level or the same height all the way up the neck
#3. intonation
#4. adjust and lubricated all remaining components, in general.

The purpose here is to help you to have a guitar you can play to it's max potential. Hopefully without confusing anyone or using unusual terms that don't really mean anything to you. As a matter of interest, I have rarely handled a new guitar, especially Gibson Guitars, that are really poorly set-up from the factory. Realistically speaking, it it a real mystery as to why more time is not spent setting up the guitars at the factory.

The Fender and Squier line of guitars seem to be the best set-up guitars from the factory, especially the Artist Series and Custom Shop series, and sometimes they leave a lot to be desired. I don't really want to beat down any brand of guitar, it is not personal.

That being said leads me into the fact that every guitar a guitar store unpacks should be set-up before it is shipped or sold. Due to many conditions, it is not realistic for guitar retailers of any type to set-up every guitar. With the low profit levels guitar dealers are saddled with, it is not economically possible.

Regardless of whether it is new or used, once your guitar is properly set-up and adjusted, you may not recognize it in terms of how well it plays and just as important, how excellent it now sounds. It does not matter what your feelings were in term of playability and tone, your mind will be changed and blown.

I got lucky, my teacher of many moons is not just a brilliant teacher, he is a bona-fide Guitar Hero. He has 51 years of playing, including a music education at Berklee School of Music. FYI, that is one of the top two leading music schools in the world. Period. Richard Mac plays at a level only achieved by guitarists like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Eric Johnson and other players in that class, although he clearly has his own vibe.

Back to the subject, my score from Richard, other than teaching me to be a pretty good player (always getting better) is all about guitar set-up. He is sick about having every one of his many guitars set-up before he even plays it. Since I am his disciple, I now set-up every guitar I own immediately upon arrival. Believe this, I bought an Eric Clapton Custom Shop guitar a few years ago and set it up immediately. Actually it was well set-up from the Fender Custom Shop, but It had to checked and set-up perfectly.

The point is that if you buy a Mexican Standard Stratocaster and set it up properly, you have a guitar that plays as good as an American Standard Strat at four to six hundred dollars less. Same thing with an Epiphone guitar. Why buy a poorly set-up Gibson Les Paul for a few thousand bucks when you can buy an Epiphone guitar for less than half that price and have a better playing and sounding guitar?

Lets get down to brass tacks. A good guitar set-up is less than a hundred bucks. Believe me, that is a steal. A lot of precision work along with some expensive tools go into a set-up. Not to mention the 'love' built in by the luthier or guitar maker. I spent a lot of my life rebuilding automotive transmissions, and anyone in the know, knows they are precise and delicate. Guitars take the same delicate precision and time to make right. Don't take my word for it, cough up the bucks and at least try it.

Not mentioning the many upgrades possible would be a disservice to you. If you had designs on upgrading your pickups or adding a TBX active tone control, locking tuners or whatever you can imagine, this is a great time to do it. Like I said, you can change the entire vibe of your guitar by locating a well trusted guitar maker/luthier.

For more information and ways to get a good set-up, and other cool guitar upgrades or modifications contact Guitar Players Center for a competent luthier who has the experience. Point of importance, don't just shop by price, not every guitar maker/luthier is the same. Get a reference first, it's the 'love' that counts most, not the cost.

About the Author

For more information about Guitar Players Center Bone Guitar Nut or Guitar Upgrades. Feel free to visit our website, ask questions, share it with others, make comments or simply enjoy.

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