Category Archives: Guitar Builders

Guitar tone pot value is something most of us don’t think about unless you really like to get into the weeds of tone. But many players do like to mix and match them, optimizing their tone control and guitar to play, sound, and react just the way they want. So we’re going to take a…

Seymour Duncan rail pickups are bold. Even with a cursory glance, the magnetic bars cutting across their face jumps out at you. It’s striking when compared to the pole pieces or screws in most pickups. And these rail humbuckers are a fast track to inject your guitar with that same attitude. But rail pickups are…

Push-pull pot wiring is the perfect way to add more tonal options to your Les Paul or LP-style guitar. Coil-tapping, split-coil, in and out of phase, or parallel-series options become available with the flick of your wrist. The mods are easy to do. It’s extremely affordable. And it doesn’t require any permanent changes to your…

Canada isn’t a country we normally associate with high-end guitars, although they should be. Godin have been making guitars in Quebec since the early 1970s, and have expanded to three factories in the region, as well as one in the northeastern US. Godin Guitars seems to be constantly coming up with new designs, from their retro Richmond…

When last we left off, I’d installed the ’59 set in my resurrected-mutant 80s Kramer Voyager. It sounded great, but the idea was to see how different combinations worked in the guitar, so we’ll be moving on to the next bridge pickup combo (the ‘59 neck remains). While the ’59s sound great, and fully nail…

When I was a kid first starting out on guitar, there was no widespread “DIY” market to speak of. That was just beginning. You basically took what you could get at your local music store, and liked it. Unless you were daring enough to try the also embryonic mail-order market and run with something you…

For those that read my last review of the 59/Custom Hybrid and the STK-S7 used as an S/H combo (or as a primer for anyone that didn’t), l love Strats with Floyds and S/H pickup combos. That’s probably my No.1 favorite pickup combo, followed by a S/S/S combo with a vintage Strat bridge, and then any LP-style two humbucker setup (Floyd optional!).

Building your own Strat-style guitar is one of the most fun and rewarding experiences I’ve discovered. I started as a teen, inspired by Eddie Van Halen, and never stopped. I was mesmerized by all the inner workings and details that came together to make a killer sounding, classy-looking guitar that played great too.

Choosing a set of pickups for a Super Strat with a single-volume, single coil/humbucker pickup configuration isn’t as easy a task as you’d think; especially if you’re looking for versatility. There are a few things to consider, particularly balancing the neck pickup with the bridge humbucker.

Some players, myself included, have noticed a subtle but palpable difference between direct-mounted pickups and those mounted more traditionally in pickguards, or in the case of most Super-Strats, mounting rings.