Electronic Mods for Electric Guitars: 50s Wiring, Blender Pot and Co.
How a Small Circuit Can Make a Big Difference in the Sound of Your Guitar
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2X22MY9 Latin American luthier's hands soldering with a soldering iron and tin the wires of the microphone system of an electric guitar. Unrecognizable person · Source: Amilciar Gualdron / Alamy Stock Foto
The electronics of an electric guitar are a mystery to many guitarists. While pickup swaps and new amps are often the first upgrades that come to mind for your own sound, it is often small electronic mods for electric guitars that make the biggest difference in sound. Whether it’s a change in wiring, a pot swap, or an alternate circuit, all of these options offer a variety of ways to get the most out of a guitar, often without a huge financial outlay.
All About Electronic Mods for Electric Guitars
In this article, we’ll look at some of the most effective and popular electronic mods for electric guitars. These include the legendary ’50s wiring that adds transparency when the volume is turned down, the blender pot that opens up additional tonal possibilities for a Strat, and the 4-way switch for Telecasters that adds a humbucker-like sound to the classic Fender design. We have also tried to be as objective as possible about the pros and cons of electronic mods for electric guitars. However, if the thought of tinkering is enough to get you started, then so be it.
So, get out your soldering iron and get to work. Here are the best electronic mods for electric guitars.
50s Wiring: The Vintage Classic Tone
The so-called 50s wiring is a special type of wiring that was common on Gibson guitars like the Les Paul Standard in the 1950s. The main difference from modern wiring is the position of the tone control in the circuit. Whereas in modern wiring, the tone control is connected in parallel to ground, in the ’50s wiring it is connected directly to the volume control – with a capacitor soldered in between.
What does this do to the sound? Simply put, when you turn down the Volume control, the sound stays clear and defined, instead of becoming dull at a certain point. The big advantage is the new dynamics that can be achieved by working with the volume knob. Suddenly the response and volume of the amp can be controlled directly on the guitar without affecting the tone too much. Give it a try, the soldering itself is quick and easy to do.
Pros and Cons of 50s Wiring
Advantages:
- Clearer and more transparent sound when the volume is turned down
- More dynamics and interaction between volume and tone, more direct amp response
- No loss of highs as can occur with modern circuitry
Disadvantages:
- Tone control becomes more sensitive and can interfere more with the sound
- In some settings, the circuit can sound more aggressive (“cutting”)
It’s clear: For vintage guitar fans, the 50s Wiring is one of the best electronic mods for electric guitars to get that classic feel and sound. If you always turn everything up to 11, you probably won’t notice a direct difference.
Recommended Equipment for 50s Wiring
You want to try 50s wiring for your Les Paul? Invest in quality parts:
- Potentiometers: CTS 500k Audio Taper Potentiometer – perfect for Les Pauls and SGs
- Capacitors: Orange Drop 0.022µF Cap – for warm mids and clear highs
- Cables: Allparts Cloth Covered Wire – high quality cable for DIY experiments
If you don’t want to do the conversion yourself and don’t like soldering, you can also buy a pre-wired harness with 50’s wiring. My recommendation is always the ObsidianWire SC MKII. This plug-and-play solution makes it possible to test the 50s and 60s circuits. Check out Thomann here.
Blender Pot: Flexible Mixing of Pickups
Many guitarists love their Stratocaster (me too, since I reviewed the Fender American Ultra II Strat), but one of its limitations is the classic 5-way switching. In the standard configuration, the neck and bridge pickups cannot be used together – a sound you may know and love from Telecasters. At least that’s what I think. But don’t despair, that’s where the blender pot comes in.
A blender pot replaces one of the tone controls and basically allows you to seamlessly blend the neck and bridge pickups. In the center position, the classic Strat wiring remains, but turning the blender pot opens up a whole new world of tonal possibilities. A nice upgrade for your Strat.
Pros and Cons of the Blender Pot
Pros:
- More sound options without additional switches or mods
- Neck and bridge pickup combination for Tele-like sounds
- Stepless adjustment of mix ratio
Cons:
- Requires minor circuit modifications and some soldering experience
- May be unfamiliar to some players due to the loss of a tone pot
Recommended Gear for the Blender Pot
- Blender potentiometer: CTS No-Load Blender Pot – works like a normal pot, but can be removed from the signal path
- Pre-wired kits: ObsidianWire Custom Blender Wiring Kit – plug-and-play solution for easy retrofit without soldering
4-way Switch for Telecaster: Extra Power for More Tonal Variety
The classic Telecaster wiring with its 3-way switch offers three tried-and-true pickup combinations: neck, bridge, and both together. But many Tele players want an option with a little more punch and output-that’s where the Telecaster 4-way switch comes in.
This modification introduces an additional switch position that connects both pickups in series. The result is a fatter, more powerful sound that is almost humbucker-like. This modification is an exciting alternative to the standard wiring of the good old Telecaster, especially for blues, rock and harder styles.
Switch Positions of the 4-Way Circuit
- Bridge pickup (classic Tele bridge sound, twangy and direct)
- Bridge + neck (parallel) (the well-known “middle position” of the Tele, more balanced sound)
- Neck pickup (warm, full sound for jazz and blues)
- Bridge + neck (serial) (fatter, more voluminous sound with more output and mids)
The fourth position produces a broader, more assertive sound that is especially powerful with distorted sounds. It won’t turn a classic Tele into a metal beast, but it will give it a little more oomph.
Pros and Cons of the 4-Way Switch
Pros:
- Provides humbucker-like sound without additional pickups
- Significantly increases the Telecaster’s tonal versatility
- Easy to use with the existing 4-way switch
Cons:
- Requires a small modification to the neck pickup (loosening the additional ground terminal)
- May be slightly louder than other positions in some settings
Recommended Gear for 4-Way Switch Electronic Mods
- 4-way switch: Oak Grigsby 4-way switch – high quality switch for precise switching
- Pre-wired kits: TAD T-Style 4-Way wiring kit – high quality solution for quick modding
Pre-Wired Kits vs. Soldering
Not every guitarist has the desire or experience to solder, so I have already mentioned some pre-wired kits in my gear recommendations. Pre-wired wiring systems that can be quickly and easily installed in a guitar (sometimes even without soldering) make electronic mods not only accessible, but also low-risk for electric guitars.
However, for tinkerers who want to delve deeper into electronic mods, soldering is certainly the better choice. It allows you to create custom circuits and install special components to your liking. And at the end of the day, DIY is cheaper than using pre-wired kits.
Whether you choose to use a pre-built kit or build it yourself depends on your own skills and preferences. And as always, the choice is not exclusive. I have used both and will certainly use one or the other Mojotone kit in the future. These things are just great.
Conclusion & Recommendation
Each of the presented electronic mods for electric guitars offers a unique way to expand the sound and versatility of your instrument.
There is also the question of which instrument to modify. Classically, the presented electronic mods for electric guitars are used as follows
- 50s wiring – perfect for vintage lovers who want clear highs and more dynamics from their Les Paul
- Blender Pot – for Strat players looking for additional tonal options
- 4-way Telecaster switch – ideal for Tele fans looking for a fatter sound
For beginners of electronic mods, pre-wired kits are the best way to get started, as they can be built without soldering experience. Advanced guitarists who want to customize their sound should try DIY modifications like 50s wiring or blender pots – it’s not as bad as it looks at first.
The electronics of an electric guitar are not fixed – with small changes you can significantly influence the sound. If you dare to try our electric guitar electronics mods, you will be rewarded with a guitar that sounds like you.
What electric guitar electronic mods have you tried? Let us know in the comments below!
*Original article is written by Jan Rotring for GEARNEWS.de.
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