Mod Garage
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Love to hot-rod your guitar? Let Dirk Wacker show you how to do it right. In his Mod Garage blog, he explores cool projects , shares wiring diagrams, and even manages to weave some historical perspective into the technical details.
ARTICLES
The Fascinating Peavey T-60 Tone Circuit
July 3, 2020
With out-of-phase and coil-switching options, a treble-bleed network, and individual volume and tone controls for each pickup, this dual-humbucker’s wiring was ahead of its time when it came out in 1978.
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DIY Relic’ing: Break the Shine
May 29, 2020
When aging a project guitar, it’s best to take it apart and start small. First, we focus on the metal.
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Decoding Jerry Donahue’s 5-Way Telecaster Wiring
April 24, 2020
Over the course of his stellar career, the ace string bender and former Hellecaster has had several signature models, each wired to his unique specs. We’ll show you how to squeeze his sonic wizardry into your T-style guitar.
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The DIY Relic Job—Fantasy or Reality?
February 28, 2020
Yes, it is possible to age your instrument. But there are pitfalls to avoid and techniques to master.
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Rock the 5-Tone Tele
January 31, 2020
Here’s how you can squeeze five different sounds from Fender’s iconic 6-string.
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Meet the Mother of All Shielded Cable
December 27, 2019
Working with vintage-style wire that has an exposed, braided-metal shield takes skill and patience. But you can do it—we’ll show you how.
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Mod Garage: Dig Out-of-Phase Tone? Then Make It Variable!
November 29, 2019
Let PG’s mod guru show you how to wring more sounds from your dual-pickup guitar.
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Mod Garage: Goo Begone!
November 1, 2019
Behold the magic of the homemade electrolysis bath.
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Mod Garage: Inside Yamaha’s Dry Switch
October 4, 2019
Passive bass-cut switches have been around since the late ’50s—maybe even longer. Here’s a new twist on a classic theme.
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Mod Garage: Working with Shielded Coax and Teflon-Insulated Wire
August 30, 2019
If you want pro results from your modding adventures, you need to learn how to handle these specialized types of cabling.
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Mod Garage: Three Ways to Wire a Tone Pot
August 2, 2019
How you connect the tone cap and potentiometer to the volume control has a huge effect on your sound.
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Mod Garage: Make a DIY Electrolysis Bath
June 28, 2019
Rust begone! You’re no match for this homemade cleaning tool.
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Mod Garage: The Blender 7-Sound Stratocaster
May 31, 2019
A virtually infinite palette of Strat tones at your fingertips? You bet.
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Mod Garage: Exploring “Outlaw” Pickup Parameters
May 3, 2019
Inductance, resonant peak, and Q factor: What the heck do they mean and how do they affect electric guitar tone?
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Mod Garage: “Jimmy Page” Les Paul Wiring
March 29, 2019
With 21 switchable sounds, this mod can turn a LP-style guitar into a veritable tone monster.
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Mod Garage: The Pros and Cons of Plastic-Coated Wire
February 22, 2019
It’s the most common type of wire found in modern production electrics. But how much do you actually know about it?
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Mod Garage: Deep Diving into Treble-Bleed Networks
January 22, 2019
Does it bug you to lose treble when you roll back the guitar volume? Here are three solutions to that problem.
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Mod Garage: Working with Wire
December 28, 2018
What are the best tools and practices for wiring a guitar? And what’s up with “push-back” wire? Glad you asked.
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Mod Garage: How to Shield Humbucking Pickup Covers
November 30, 2018
Metal covers offer shielding, but they also rob high end. Is there a way to get around this and have the best of both worlds?
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Mod Garage: The Sound of Silence—Revised and Expanded
November 2, 2018
We’ll show you how to get 15 switchable sounds from a pair of 4-conductor humbuckers, courtesy of an avid PG reader.
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