Guitar re-wire project

[cOOter]

I've been doing my own guitar re-wires of late.

The "Hondo" (US company) $25 Fender Strat copy I got from the old tip shop's been
OK up-until late, but the tone and volume pots were starting to get scratchy.

So re-wire time  



Had 500k pots in this. (adds more treble)
Fender single coils usually come out with 250k pots.
Had .047 capacitors on the tone pots.
Fender usually use one .022 cap on the last tone pot,
but this wiring has three caps on all three pots.  



Another view of the original wiring.



Two new Jap made 250k pots.
The middle pot is now a hole filler.

I went for the one tone control option (.022 cap) that affects all three
pickups which in theory makes life easier. (yes, but with less tone combo choices)

The earth wire to the tremolo isn't installed here yet. If folks are doing their own mods,
make sure you earth out the hardware or risk death.

Schematic used: http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wir...ffswitches



Pick-ups tested hot. Resistance is high at 8.5k to 8.8k
which is fine by me. I can lower them a bit for extra finger
picking clearance and added clean single coil quack.

Pickups overall width is wider and length slightly short than the standard gauge.

No junk ceramic bar magnets (come on, who used them in the 60's?)
on these. I'd say Alnico 5's, maybe Alnico 2
The pots are even waxed and have extra earth plates.
Who even does that on cheap guitars anymore?  


Hit up Jaycar for x3 spade mini toggles as well.

Now it sounds farking cool and kinda looks like Mark Knopfler's (Dire Straits) S8218 Strat with similar mini toggles installed.

Three toggles allows more pickup options e.g all pick ups off..or all on....or....bridge and neck pick ups on only...as well as the usual settings the original 5 way switch preformed.

El'cheapo guitar, but with the mods I'm happy to use this longer rather than run out and pay $800+ for the same sound from the real thing.

I'm looking for more practice, so if anyone out there wants a free standard or custom re-wire let me know and I'll hack ya axe

[cOOter]

Me mother picked up an unloved Chinese Strat type clone from the seconds shop for $15.
LOL, most of it is made of fiberglass. I was going to use it for parts. The neck would be nice on the Hondo.


"Azalea Premium Edition"   Next to nothing on the net about them. Company must have gone broke.



Nice green finish - yellow yuck streaks are light reflections from outside.
Put on some new strings -- it doesn't sound that bad.


Has a nice Telecaster twang in position 4, so I decided to fix it up.
That useless chrome string lock will be replaced with a bone nut as there's no bridge tuning.


Inside looked like spaghetti - any wonder the tone pots weren't working.
Five way pick-up selector only worked on position 2, 3 and 4.


I ripped the crapola 5 way switch out and added three mini toggles instead.



Not the pretties re-wire, but I can now see where everything is.
Unlike the Hondo, both tones were used in this rewire.
Bridge pick-up isn't effected by the tone pots.


Schematic used: http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wir...ffswitches

[Thunderbird]

Beautiful, though not as nice, nor as crusty as my Fender Precision Bass clone. 

I might actually have to dig it and its amplifier out as sort them out, haven't been touched since the 60's man 

[cOOter]

Since the 60's?  

Canadian YouTuber called Dave is good for getting repair tips from.
He prefers to play bass, but repairs both bass and guitars.

Crusty bits are easy to recover, but warped necks on the other hand..

Fender Jazz Bass Geddy Lee Signature

[Thunderbird]

I don't "think" the neck is warped or twisted, but I put a crappy plastic and ill fitting upper bridge thing on it and now its busted.

A mate came over once and picked up the old dunger and bloody hell, he can play! I never heard the thing sound so good!

So it seems it is capable of making pleasing bass sounds, just not in my hands 

The amp is so old it uses germanium transistors throughout, and now needs attention, it hisses at me. 

Another project for another rainy day, today was fix my smelly old Toshiba laptops broken hinge.

[cOOter]

I don't "think" the neck is warped or twisted..

That was just a worse case example and an informal introduction to, Dave.

Anything less than neck problems is good news. 

That hiss u has might bees a carpet python laying eggs in yer amps rear cavity?

I'm not much  on amps, but I'll have a crack at a bass recon anytime no fee.

[add animated guitar dude icon here one day]

[cOOter]

Azalea update for my online resume'..


BEFORE: Silly sloppy chrome string lock - useless on this guitar, as there is no tail end bridge tuners.


AFTER: Crickey, more money on this tip shop guitar....
Half an hour cutting into the rosewood (dark stuff) a wee bit with the rotary tool
to make room for a $5 bone nut. (the white thingy)

Turned out OK for my first conversion. I even lashed out an extra $20 for some fancy
"Elixir" strings (they sound like new even after many years)