Tone Switch in Gretsch Style

In this post I will show you my idea for a Gretsch style guitar tone switch. It's a three position (cap1 - off - cap2) low-pass filter selector. It can be a very useful tool, if it's well tuned.

In my circuit, I'm using different capacitors values than Gretsch. I'm also using a SPDT on-off-on toggle switch, which is easy to buy and comfortable in mounting.

The lower value tone cap will help you in getting fat overdrive tones.

The higher value capacitor is good for clean, really smooth sound.

I've got three version of this wiring. One is for classic Filtertron pickups (Gretsch, TV Jones). Second is for use with Fender style single-coils.  Third is for PAF style humbuckers and P90's.

Diagram:

Cool Tracks With Guitars III - Blues

Here comes another playlist. Today I'm presenting songs in blues vibes. They are showing few different schools of blues guitar. You will find here some modern licks and some portion of vintage, old-school way of playing.

| Click to listen |

1. Still Nameless - Pure Truth

2. Doctor Blues - America

3. Gleb Bones - Opposite street

4. Chino - La noche da para mas

5. Nicolas Larouche - Dawn Rock

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Leslie West - The Guitar Tone Legend

It's time for another guitar tone legend - Leslie West. This guitarist is a „concentrate” of best blues, rock and heavy metal things. You can find in his songs just whole history of rock music. Heavy, memorable riffs and awesome, really fat tone are typical for Leslie's music.

Leslie is a great part of The Mountain band. He's got also many good solo projects.

He is a very influential person for other guitarists - like Eddie Van Halen, Michael Schenker or Richie Sambora.

Leslie is well known from using Les Paul Junior guitars (my wiring mod). He's using also Flying V (another of my wirings), his signature guitar made by Dean, or some headless stuff from Steinberger and Ed Roman.

Lets listen:

Mountain - Southbound Train

Mountain - Mississippi Queen

Leslie West - Never In My Life

The Leslie West Band – Money

Mountain - Don't Look Around

Links:

www.mountaintheband.com

www.dinosaurrockguitar.com/new/node/66

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_West

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_West#Equipment

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Guitar Wiring a la Frankenstein (Eddie Van Halen, Charvel)

You can build your own Frankenstein guitar like Eddie Van Halen. This is not so difficult today. I will show you my idea on how it can be done from the electronics wiring side.

My wiring is designed for use with a Stratocaster style guitar.

I'm suggesting a Strat, because it's a very comfortable guitar for modifications. It has got easy to change pick-guard and electronics. Many on-line stores are selling parts for these instruments.

The market has got a lot of Squiers and other, economical constructions stylized on famous Fender. You can also use some MIM Strat or even Warmoth parts.

My wiring design is based on one pickup: single-coil sized humbucker (or full size for Fat-Strat). The circuit is quite original - it's not a copy of the Frankenstein. It has got three signal controllers: volume control, tone switch and killswitch. I think, that they can be very useful for fans of shredding and heavy rhythms.

Diagram:

Gibson Les Paul Jr and SG Jr Wiring Mod

Today, I would like to present my wiring modification diagram for Gibson's Junior guitars: Les Paul and SG. I really like P90 pickups, so I decide to make something especially for them.

My wiring design has got a few extra options. It can work like a typical "volume + tone" circuit, or with some special tone shaping tools.

Extra parts: two 500K push-pull potentiometers, 0,033uF film capacitor, 4,7nf ceramic cap, 500K resistor. You will need also some additional wires.

Diagram:

Fender Jazzmaster Wiring Mod

Fender Jazzmaster is a very versatile kind of an electric guitar. Four pots and two switches are giving a lot of tone configurations. It's also something interesting for me, as someone who like to get his own way of signal control.

I made a customized diagram of the Jazzmaster wiring. The basic difference is in the way of controlling brightness and darkness of the guitar tone. My wiring has got many options for both pickups. The original Jazzmaster circuit is offering more for the neck, than for the bridge position.

Diagram:

Custom Wiring for Explorer, Flying V, ML, Razorback

In this post I would like to present a custom wiring diagram, designed for electric guitars with high output pickups and three pots. Something right for many metal guitarists. It can be done, for example in: Gibson Explorer, Flying V; Dean ML, Razorback .

This guitar wiring will help you get more screaming and distinct tones.

Main parts: DPDT on-on toggle switch, 500K volume pot, 250K volume pot.

The diagram: