Question for DU guitar players....

[vi5]

Have any of you replaced your own pickups? I have quite a few guitars, many of them fairly inexpensive ones that I'm now looking to tinker with because I like the feel of cheap guitars but would like to maybe get some different tones and sounds out of them. How difficult is this to do and/or can anyone point me to any sites with some good, basic tutorials? I'm not looking to change the knobs or hardware or any of the configurations or anything. Just very basic replacing one single coil with another single coil, or one humbucker with another humbucker. Are the wires pretty universal? In other words if I open it up and look at how the existing pickups are connected, would I be able to just clip those wires and then solder the same wires from the new pick ups to the existing wiring?

[Bassic]

1. Not sure how complicated it is.

The problem with cheap guitars is, even if you change the pickups, you're sound quality will still be pretty limited by the cheap wood they used to make it.

[vi5]

2. Not looking for better sound "quality"

Just different sound. I don't play or record music that is rooted in pristine sound. I tend towards the experimental and noisy. I'm just looking to get different TYPES of sound from these guitars. Not necessarily better in the technical sense.

[Richard Steele]

3. Not complicated- most are, as you say, 'pretty universal'.

I haven't played for quite awhile, but I rebuilt a "basket case"
recently for my nephew with the help of a wiring diagram from: http://guitarelectronics.zoovy.com/category/wiringresources/

[vi5]

4. Whoa...great resource link.....

Thanks so much. That's exactly what I was looking for and will cover all the different configurations I have.

[Richard Steele]

5. Very welcome! nm

[AllegroRondo]

6. I repaired musical instruments for years

and I would put this in the 'moderately easy' category. If you have some basic electrical and soldering experience, you should have no problem.

[fla nocount]

7. Any googled key word will give more info than you need

Try humbucking, P-80, Seymour-Duncan, Texas Special, Pearly Gates, Stratocaster S-1 wiring,etc.

You'll need some soldering skills

[montanto]

8. very easy

if you are just replacing single coils with hotter single coils there will only be two wires and they are very obvious (plus your new pickups should have instructions). the only time things get more complicated is if you are adding something like a coil tapped humbucker or single coil: then you've got four wires and two will need to be attached to a switch. Otherwise if you are not changing tone or volume pots you just solder and cover the joints with shrink tubing.

I agree with the earlier post that the actual guitar body and neck make a difference in overall tone. I have three strats and a couple of homemake guitars and they all sound very different even with the same pickups.

[vi5]

10. Thanks.....

Like I said, I'm very happy with the natural unplugged tone and playability of all the guitars. The wood, necks, bodies, etc. are quite good. The pickups on these tend to go quickly and are crackly and unreliable. I'm not expecting a drastic revision in the overall sound, just more reliability in the pickups and some slight adjustments in the amplified sounds I can pull from the pick ups.

[Bonhomme Richard]

9. Post in the Musicians group.

I'm sure you will get all the info you need.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

11. you should ask my gf Rockit. she builds guitars for a living. n/t