It's not like these pickups NEED a hot tub disco light to be exciting, but hey, a little mood lighting never hurts. I recently upgraded a beat-up old Les Paul with a pair of Seth Lover humbuckers, a journey detailed here and here. While I was in a makeover frame of mind, I […] 
Okay, DIYers—get ready for Part 1 of our first project. Warning: It ends with a bang! Download the step-by-step instructions here. (You might want to print out a copy to use on your workbench.) Post any thoughts, questions, or curses in comments. […] UPDATE, Sunday, October 2nd: We had a nice little online meeting Friday eve. I’ll be posting a PDF with step-by-step instructions for Project 1 on Monday, the 3rd. Check back here! Now that people have had a few days to assemble tools and parts, we’ll be diving into our first project after the weekend. Again, […] 
Can you hear me now? Most modern guitar pickups are potted. That means they’re dipped in wax to prevent their components from vibrating against each other in high-volume situations, which can produce unwanted feedback. The process also prevents pickups from becoming microphonic, amplifying sounds traveling through air along with the magnetic information generated […] Check out this short article from Beavis Audio Research. Great advice on choosing a soldering iron, and a nice introduction to some of the basic moves, plus a few good jokes. Many other fine tutorials at this superb DIY site.
Chicarrelli on Jack White: "He has an attack unlike anyone else. The concussion of his playing is just unbelievable." Joe Chiccarelli is one of music’s most respected producers and engineers—and one of the most versatile. After making his mark as Frank Zappa’s studio right-hand, he went on to work with such artists as […] My fave of many youtube soldering tutorials. He should have added: Don’t touch the hot end of the iron. Work in a ventilated space. Wash your hands afterwards. Don’t eat the solder. Sheesh! What’s wrong with kids these days? 😉
"Let me teach you a thing or two about CHUNK, sonny!" The other day I posted a few audio clips I’d recorded using a Guild Archtop fitted with a Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Dynasonic® pickup. Going with the ’50s theme, I strung the guitar with flatwounds and coughed up a few Eisenhower-era licks. […] 
WARNING! This post contains the answers to the quiz! If you still want to take the test, stop reading now and challenge your ear here. Don't worry, it's only Photoshop. We would never inflict anything this hideous on one of our winners. It was only two weeks, but it feels so […] 
I hereby call to order the first meeting of the Tonefiend DIY Club! Our mission: To attain tonal mastery over our guitars, amps, and effects with the least possible damage to our gear, bodies, homes, and pets. When the smoke has cleared (and all the smoke alarms have been reset) you’ll be able to install […] |
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