When customizing guitar electronics many factors come into play. The capacitors, potentiometers (knobs) and even the wire used can have a major impact on the overall tone of the guitar. If you scour the internet looking for the right combination of components for your wiring project get ready to be frustrated and confused.
There are traditional theories when it comes to which capacitors and potentiometers align themselves best with certain guitars and pickups. When you delve deeper into the subject, the countless combinations are as varied and numerous as tone tastes are subjective.
If you do finally find what you think is the perfect combination of components, which wiring diagram are you going to follow. Do you wire the pickups series or parallel? Neither is incorrect but each will give a very different and distinct tone.
Making this task a bit easier are aftermarket guitar accessory manufacturers that now offer loaded-pickguards. These pickguards are prewired and delivered to your door ready to drop into your guitar projects. Some even come with the pickups already installed. The problem lies in the quality. Many of these loaded pickguards are mass manufactured in China with subpar electronics. In most cases these electronics will actually be worse than the electronics you are upgrading. So what are your options?
I would suggest Champtone Custom Guitars in Saugerties, NY. Champtone has done the hard work for you. They source the best components available and match them for wiring kits you can purchase with one simple check out. No more second guessing which pots go with what capacitors and which wire to use. If you are still not comfortable diving into the back of your guitar and navigating a wiring diagram Champtone Custom Guitars still has you covered.
Champtone Custom Guitars also so sells pre-wired kits. These kits come ready to drop in your guitar delivered on a template similar to your mounting configuration on your guitar or pickguard. These electronics are not only leaps and bounds better than your standard loaded pickguards, they are also considerably better then the electronics that come stock in many high-end guitars.
It is this quality and attention to detail that had us turn to Champtone Custom Guitars for the electronics on our 2013 TMRZoo.com custom Fender Telecaster. Just the concept of this guitar is a bit complexing. A Telecaster that looks classic but has the ability to go from a vintage telecaster voice to a searing hot modern Les Paul tone. Champtone Custom Guitars got it done.
Our 2013 build captures the vintage Telecaster vibe with one noticeable difference. This is the quietest Telecaster anyone in the office has ever played. Equipped with a push/pull tone pot the Telecaster can coil split its Dimarzio Super Distortion pickup, for that classic Tele voice. Even when plugged into our longest effects chain the 60 cycle hum is nonexistent. In humbucker mode, the guitar has enough heat to peel paint off walls.
Champtone custom wire kits are an inexpensive and dramatic upgrade for any guitar. I would strongly suggest checking them out for your next build project or for an upgrade for and existing axes. You can find more information about these kits and all of Champtone’s products on their website at Champtone.com
