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Guitar & Bass Mods

Bass Bench: Oil, Shellac, Nitro, Polyester, and Urethane: What Gives?

Let’s put the marketing hype aside and look at the basic properties of instrument finishes.

Mod Garage: The Sound of Silence—Revised and Expanded

We’ll show you how to get 15 switchable sounds from a pair of 4-conductor humbuckers, courtesy of an avid PG reader.

Mod Garage: Swap That Tone Knob for a Warmth Control

Here are five inexpensive ways to bring your passive tone control to life.

Mod Garage: Dialing in the Passive Tone Control

Do you always leave your tone pot wide open? Here’s how to squeeze more utility from this oft-neglected knob.

Bass Bench: Psycho Tricks of the Low End

Sometimes we bassists can’t crank up enough to experience our fundamentals in all their glory. But wait—there is a simple solution.

Bass Bench: Oil, Shellac, Nitro, Polyester, and Urethane: What Gives?

November 9, 2018

Heiko Hoepfinger

Let’s put the marketing hype aside and look at the basic properties of instrument finishes.

Mod Garage: The Sound of Silence—Revised and Expanded

November 2, 2018

Dirk Wacker

We’ll show you how to get 15 switchable sounds from a pair of 4-conductor humbuckers, courtesy of an avid PG reader.

Mod Garage: Swap That Tone Knob for a Warmth Control

October 5, 2018

Dirk Wacker

Here are five inexpensive ways to bring your passive tone control to life.

Mod Garage: Dialing in the Passive Tone Control

August 24, 2018

Dirk Wacker

Do you always leave your tone pot wide open? Here’s how to squeeze more utility from this oft-neglected knob.

Bass Bench: Psycho Tricks of the Low End

July 29, 2018

Heiko Hoepfinger

Sometimes we bassists can’t crank up enough to experience our fundamentals in all their glory. But wait—there is a simple solution.

Mod Garage: Ultra-Flexible HH Wiring

July 27, 2018

Dirk Wacker

Crave more sounds from your dual-humbucker guitar? Here’s how to make that happen.

Signal to Noise: Don’t Overdo It

July 18, 2018

Steven Fryette

When you bond with an instrument, it pays to think twice about tearing it apart.

Mod Garage: Lean, Mean Series Wiring for Telecasters

May 25, 2018

Dirk Wacker

It’s easy to convert the middle position on a stock 3-way switch into a potent “solo preset.”

Mod Garage: Breakthrough! Electroswitch’s New 6-Way Strat Switch

April 27, 2018

Dirk Wacker

Now it’s easier than ever to add that missing Tele-inspired dual-pickup configuration to your Strat.

DIY: No-Brainer Mods!

April 17, 2018

Michael Adams

How to transform four affordable axes—a Gretsch Jet Club, an Epiphone Les Paul SL, and a Squier Vintage Modified Jag and Precision bass—into absolute gems.

Mod Garage: Meet Göldo’s Double Wafer 3-Way Switch

March 30, 2018

Dirk Wacker

When it comes to 3-way pickup selectors, there’s a new kid in town. Would you like an introduction?

Mod Garage: How to Shield Single-Coil Pickup Covers

March 2, 2018

Dirk Wacker

Can you get benefits of shielding without sacrificing high-frequency shimmer? Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Cheap Thrills! 12 Hacks Under $12

February 16, 2018

Andy Ellis

It’s easy to repurpose everyday items to help you maintain your equipment and play better. Just learn to think sideways.

Mod Garage: The Sound of Silence

February 14, 2018

Dirk Wacker

Here’s how to adapt the cool humbucker coil-splitting scheme found in Fender’s Select Carved Top Jazzmaster to your guitar.

Bass Bench: The Mystery of Aging Strings

February 11, 2018

Heiko Hoepfinger

What causes our strings to lose their upper frequencies over time?

On Bass: Low-End Life Hacks, Part 2

January 31, 2018

Victor Brodén

Even good habits can be hard to break, but if you occasionally try, you might discover a better bass modus operandi.

Mod Garage: Reverse-Engineering a Generic 4-Conductor Humbucker

December 26, 2017

Dirk Wacker

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.