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Guitar Circuit Wiring

Guitar Electronics Comparisons

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In this video, I finally bring together the results of the last 20 or so videos, and demo the results of my Epiphone Riviera P93 electronics overhaul.  I first demonstrate the original Epi setup, then swap in my new electronics, and then replace the pickups with a matched set of new Vintage Vibe Guitars P-90’s.

The new electronics include CTS 500k audio taper pots, no-load mod on the tone pot, an Orange Drop .01uF tone cap, all new shielded wire, and a new Switchraft L12A jack.  So, if you’re wondering what it might sound like if you change out your pots and caps in your guitar, this should be a good example.   (Note, I’m changing the jack for mechanical reasons, not to improve the sound). More

Wiring up the Jack

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This is part 5 of the video series on wiring up guitar electronics.

In this video, I show how to wire up the jack.  I’m replacing the original Epiphone jack with a Switchcraft L12A.  The L in the part number indicates a longer 3/8” bushing, which is just a bit longer than the Epi jack.  I’m hoping this well allow me to fit a lock washer in addition to the regular washer and nut, so the jack will stay tightly in place rather than falling into the body of the guitar so much (as I showed in my Don’t Know Jack video). More

Connecting the Tone Cap

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This is part 4 of the video series on wiring up guitar electronics.

In this one, I show how to wire up the tone capacitor to the tone pot.  I’m using a .01uF Orange Drop, which I selected for a slightly narrower range compared to the typical .022uF.  I never turned the tone all the way down with the .022, since it turned the sound into mud.  So with .01uF cap, it won’t be as dull when turned all the way down – making the full range of the pot more useful.

Organizing Wire, Connecting Volume Pots and Switch

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Here is part 3 of the video series on wiring up guitar electronics.

In this video, I talk about how to lay out wires in a semi-hollow body so they aren’t ugly through the f-holes, using shrink wrap tubing to keep things organized.   I also show how to connect a volume pot, soldering the braided shield of a wire to the back of a volume pot that already has other wires connected to it (using needle nose pliers as a hold-down).   Lastly, I start wiring up the switch, and show what to do if you’ve lost track in the tubes of which wires are which.  If your multi-meter doesn’t have continuity mode (beeps when a connection is made), you can just use resistance mode and look for connections on 0 resistance.  Another idea to avoid confusion is to use different colored wires for each volume pot, or try to label them before running them through the tubes.

Soldering Pot Backs

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This is part 2 of the video series on wiring up guitar electronics.

All the metal parts of the guitar need to be tied to a common ground, including the pot bodies.   If you don’t do this, you end up with noisy ground problems.  A good place to wire the ground is to the back of the pots.

There’s a few tricks for successfully soldering to the backs of the pots.  First up is a hot iron.  I’ve tried with a 25w iron, and it just doesn’t cut it.  40w works, but be sure to let it heat up for 10 minutes or so before trying.  I use a cheap Radio Shack iron which switches between 25 and 40w.  Also, you need to roughen up the surface of the pot to get off any oil or grease, and to give some good grooves for the solder to adhere to – I just use 100 grit sandpaper. 

Wire It Up

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At last, after what seems like an eternity of video editing, I’m ready to roll out this new series of videos about wiring up guitar electronics.   In these videos, I demonstrate how to lay out the components, select wire, strip and tin shielded wire, solder the backs of the pots, arrange the bundles of wires inside tubing, wire up the pots, the switch, the tone capacitor and the jack.

Here’s the first part of the video, covering initial preparations, component layout and wire selection and prep.