Articles by Dirk Wacker
Mod Garage: Fighting Fret Wear
June 22, 2018
What does a vintage barber shop have in common with advanced fret maintenance?
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Mod Garage: Lean, Mean Series Wiring for Telecasters
May 25, 2018
It’s easy to convert the middle position on a stock 3-way switch into a potent “solo preset.”
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Mod Garage: Breakthrough! Electroswitch’s New 6-Way Strat Switch
April 27, 2018
Now it’s easier than ever to add that missing Tele-inspired dual-pickup configuration to your Strat.
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Mod Garage: Meet Göldo’s Double Wafer 3-Way Switch
March 30, 2018
When it comes to 3-way pickup selectors, there’s a new kid in town. Would you like an introduction?
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Mod Garage: How to Shield Single-Coil Pickup Covers
March 2, 2018
Can you get benefits of shielding without sacrificing high-frequency shimmer? Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
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Mod Garage: The Sound of Silence
February 14, 2018
Here’s how to adapt the cool humbucker coil-splitting scheme found in Fender’s Select Carved Top Jazzmaster to your guitar.
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Mod Garage: Reverse-Engineering a Generic 4-Conductor Humbucker
December 26, 2017
If your guitar’s pickups are unbranded, you’ll face uncertainty about its internal wiring scheme. Learn how to crack the all-important color code using basic diagnostic tools.
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Mod Garage: Dan Armstrong’s “Super-Strat” Wiring
December 12, 2017
Maybe a stock Strat’s five sounds aren’t enough for you. Okay, how about 12?
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Mod Garage: May the Phase Be with You
November 10, 2017
Use this “traffic light” table to avoid potential issues when combining single-coils from different manufacturers in one guitar.
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Mod Garage: How to Shield Single-Coil Pickups
October 13, 2017
Here’s the secret for reducing unwanted hum and noise without losing sparkle and highs.
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Mod Garage: The Quad-Pot, Dual-Humbucker Wiring of Doom
September 15, 2017
Guitarists can’t have it all when it comes to onboard tone control. Oh, yeah? Let’s reconsider.
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Mod Garage: The Triple-Threat, Solo Humbucker Wiring
August 18, 2017
Like to keep things simple? Here’s how to coax three sounds from a stripped-down guitar sporting one 4-conductor ’bucker.
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Mod Garage: Build a Pickup Phase Tester, Part 2
June 25, 2017
When installing replacement pickups from different manufacturers, it’s a crap shoot whether they’ll be in phase with each other. This fun DIY project helps you avoid out-of-phase nightmares.
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Mod Garage: Build a Pickup Phase Tester, Part 1
June 2, 2017
Do you like to try out different pickups in your guitars? This handy, inexpensive device will spare you a lot of potential grief.
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Mod Garage: Switchable Modern-Retro Les Paul Wiring
April 28, 2017
Here’s an easy and inexpensive way to give your beloved axe two distinct voices.
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Mod Garage: Two Easy Ways to Improve Tuning Stability on a Flattop
March 31, 2017
Struggling with slipping strings or strange rattles? Here’s how to deal with the potential culprits.
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Mod Garage: Get a Grip on Pickup Phase
March 10, 2017
When you mix and match pickups from different manufacturers, you have to deal with their electrical phase. Here’s how to understand what’s going on.
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Mod Garage: The Super-Flexible, Super-Simple Telecaster Wiring
February 17, 2017
The ultimate stealth mod for Leo’s classic solidbody? You be the judge.
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Mod Garage: Four Ways to Configure a 4-Conductor Humbucker
January 20, 2017
Unravel the mysteries of series, parallel, and coil-splitting wiring schemes.
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Mod Garage: What’s the Deal with Pickup Polarity?
December 23, 2016
To successfully install replacement pickups in a guitar, you need to understand this essential parameter.
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