How does the tone capacitor value affect the sound of your guitar?

How does the tone capacitor value affect the sound of your guitar?

Capacitors and Pots in The Haywire Custom Shop

How does the tone capacitor value affect the sound of the guitar?

Most guitars and basses with passive pickups use between .01 and .1 MFD (Microfarad) tone capacitors with .02 (or .022) and .05 (or .047) being the most common choices. The capacitor and tone pot are wired together to provide a variable low pass filter. This means when the filter is engaged (tone pot is turned) only the low frequencies pass to the output jack and the high frequencies are grounded out (cut) In this application, the capacitor value determines the "cutoff frequency" of the filter and the position of the tone pot determines how much the highs (everything above the cutoff frequency) will be reduced. The rule is: Larger capacitors will have lower cutoff frequency and sound darker in the bass setting because a wider range of frequencies is being reduced. Smaller capacitors will have a higher cutoff frequency and sound brighter in the bass setting because only the ultra high frequencies are cut. For this reason, dark sounding guitars like Les Pauls with humbuckers typically use .02MFD (or .022MFD) capacitors to cut off less of the highs and guitars like Strats and Teles with single coils typically use .05 MFD capacitors to allow more treble to be rolled off.

The capacitor value however, only affects the sound when the tone control is being used (pot in the bass setting) The tone capacitor value will have little to no effect on the sound when the tone pot is in the treble setting.

What is the difference between 250K & 500K guitar pots?

Either 250K or 500K pots can be used with any passive pickups however the pot values will affect tone slightly. The rule is: Using higher value pots (500K) will give the guitar a brighter sound and lower value pots (250K) will give the guitar a slightly warmer bassier sound. This is because higher value pots put less of a load on the pickups which prevents treble frequencies from "bleeding" to ground through the pot and being  lost. For this reason, guitars with humbuckers like Les Pauls use 500K pots to retain more highs for a slightly brighter tone and guitars with single coils like Stratocasters and Telecasters use 250K pots to add some warmth by slightly reducing the highs. You can also fine tune the sound by changing the pot values regardless of what pot value the guitar originally had.

What is a No Load guitar tone control and how does it work?

The No Load Pot is used on some Fender USA Strats, Teles and Fender basses and is wired like a standard tone control. From settings 1-9 it works like a standard tone then clicks in at 10 (full clockwise/ bright setting) and removes the pot and capacitor from the circuit. This eliminates the path to ground that exists with standard pots even in the full treble position. By eliminating the path to ground through the pot, the only load on the pickup is the volume pot. So, if 250K pots are used, the load is reduced from 125K to 250K and if 500K pots are used, the load is reduced from 250K to 500K (high resistance = low load) The reduced load allows more power output from the pickup and reduces the amount of high frequencies that bleed off to ground. This gives a noticeable increase in brightness and output in the full treble setting. The no load pot can be used in place of any standard tone control on any guitar or bass.

Does the number of control pots used affect the sound of a guitar?

Yes: Since the load on the pickups is determined by the total parallel resistance of all pots that are being used, using fewer pots will reduce the overall load and give a slightly brighter sound. Connecting more pots is the same as using lower value pots, two 500K pots will lose or "bleed" the same amount of treble frequencies as one 250K pot. To lessen the effect, switching should be designed (when possible ) to remove pots from the circuit when the related pickup is not selected. An example of this is the Les Paul: bridge controls are out of the circuit when in the selector is in the neck position and the neck controls are out of the circuit when the selector is in the bridge position.

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If you would like to order this or any other custom guitar, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss your guitar needs.

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Active Guitar Pickups - What Are They?

Active Guitar Pickups – What Are They?

Guitar pickups that are active can make a huge difference in your sound

Active guitar pickups low-impedance. They also enhance your guitar with quiet operation and lower magnetic requirements. Consequently, there is no unnecessary pull on the strings. Heavy passive magnetic pickups will hamper sustain or pull your strings out of tune. Big huge pickups hamper sustain. Active pickups will not do this. YAAYYY!  There are a variety of ways to “Activate” a pickup.  A small “buffer” preamp will do the work, but it will also amplify the hum and buzz the pickup produces. Just because any pickup is “active” doesn’t mean you’ll get great results just a strong, clean and quiet signal.  In The Haywire Custom Shop-we like EMG pickups. They are one of our favorite.

Active guitar pickups are reliable, clean, in addition, sound great

Active guitar pickups are reliable, clean, in addition, sound great and utilize an internal pre-amp (inside the pickup). As a result, not only makes the pickup louder, hence reduces the noise and they were made to be active!  In EMG’s the pickups have higher output than traditional passive pickups. The internal preamp is the most efficient way to operate an active pickup. All connections are shielded.  The output of the active pickup cable is low Z. Activation makes your pickups less susceptible to noise. Also, it avoids sloppy loose connections in a guitar and installation is easy. Easy installation. They have also introduced “solder-less” connections for players who want more simplicity. If you feel more comfortable with solder, cut the connectors off.

The output of the active pickup is low Z

Some find that the output level of your EMG pickup is too hot to get clean tones. The best fix is to reduce the height of the pickup.  The proximity of the pickups to the string has a lot to do with higher volume. If that doesn’t do it for you, then use the amp and guitar volume controls.

you can snug these pickups high right up under the strings

Unlike a traditional passive volume/tone system, the low-impedance EMG system lets you turn down the volume with very little effect on the tone, so you won’t sound muffled when you back off the volume knob. This is much like the Haywire Treble Bleed Option for passive style pickups.  Especially relevant you can snug these pickups high right up under the strings so they’ll hear much more subtle sounds, harmonics  percussive notes other pickups fail to hear.
Active guitar and bass pickups require a battery. The EMG has the “Select” models which are passive and don’t need one.  The pre-amp in the active pickups styles, located inside the pickup encased in epoxy, and is powered by either one or two 9 volt batteries. The EMG active pickups after-burners, numerous effects and EQs are powered by a 9 volt (IEC 6LR61/NEDA 1604A) battery.

Active guitar and bass pickups require a battery.

We recommend normal alkaline batteries (Eveready or Duracell, for example) for best results. These are easy to obtain, inexpensive and the same batteries that you would use in an effects box or wireless unit. Rechargeable batteries in EMG systems are not recommended. Although they are compatible electrically, They be problematic and have some “memory” issues.

Active Guitar Pickups Use Electronics To Improve The Sound of Your Guitar

EMG Active guitar pickups, EMG effects and EQ units can run off a single battery usually with no problems. Because the power drain on EMG products is very low,  you can get long battery life.  Furthermore, unplug when you’re not playing to maximize battery life..  If you have room for multiple batteries in your guitar, you can use two batteries wired in series to power your onboard circuitry for a total of 18 volts.

the power drain on EMG products is very low

The output level will not increase, but you’ll have more headroom and crisper sounds. This is excellent for percussive/slap bass styles where you can generate large instantaneous power levels across the entire frequency spectrum.
You can also wire two batteries in parallel to provide a regular 9 volt supply but with much longer lifespan between battery changes. Most of EMG’s  products are rated for 27 volts they recommend a maximum of 18 volts.  Any benefits of 27 vs. 18 volts are negligible.

jack included with all models has a switch that disconnects the battery

All EMG pickups and EQ systems are designed for extremely low power drain. The pickup jack included with all models has a switch that disconnects the battery when the guitar is not plugged in. So, unplug when you’re not playing as a good housekeeping measure to maximize battery life.
Each of their pickups requires about 80 microamps (uA), except for the Vintage Series pickups which require 220 uA each. EMG active EQ circuit requirements vary widely but are higher than pickups. NOTE: a standard 9 volt alkaline battery provides 580 milliAmpHours (mAh) of power. That means that it will provide 580 milliAmps for 1 hour or 1 milliamp for 580 hours. There are 1000 uA per mA. You can figure the approximate battery life of any setup by adding up the individual power requirements, then dividing 580,000 by this total. Here’s an example:
1 – EMG-81 = 80 uA
2 – EMG-SV = 220 uA*2 = 440 uA
1 – EXG = 410 uA
——–
Total required = 930 uA
Total life = 580,000 uAh/930 uA = 623 hours
If  your guitar stayed plugged in day and night, the battery would last a month. Under normal playing conditions, you would probably be looking at changing the battery once or twice a year.  Of course, you should always carry a spare battery and not try to drain it! Because EMG pickups are designed operate as Active guitar pickups, they’re not very functional without power.

you should always carry a spare battery

When the battery weakens over time, the output level will reduce and sound from your guitar will become more distorted. This is a sign to change the battery now. Below a certain voltage, the onboard active circuitry will stop working.  At  that point, you will hear little or no output from the guitar. Remember:  Unplug your guitar because of the output jack and battery relationship when using active pickups. Disconnect the cable when your guitar is not in use. This will prevent premature power loss from the battery.

Active guitar pickups can make a huge difference in your sound

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Installing A Bolt-On Guitar Neck

 Installing A Bolt-On Guitar Neck

    at: Haywire Custom Guitars Inc.

If a bolt-on neck will drop in a body with a bit of room to align it right or left that's a good choice so far. Generally when I prep or order a neck I'll fill the heel screw holes. If there are holes already drilled in the neck heel in it then you can try to use them but never trust holes on necks drilled by someone else.  It's always best for the most successful project to drill your own holes in the neck heel (and have a depth stop so you don't drill through the other side and blue tape works well). The optimum way with the least headaches is to simply dowel the holes. Use wooden Bar-B-Que skewers then add glue in the hole break them off in the holes, sand smooth and you ready to go. Now with a fresh clean surface to work with you can move to the next step.  So let's go over how to get it PERFECT.  I have used this method in hundreds of neck installs and it is the best technique. As follows and note: You'll need to add the "two E" strings to the neck before final installation on body to set the string margins exactly.

First: Tape the neck plate onto the back of the body vertically and horizontally leaving the holes exposed. Next, using a "C" clamp, add the neck, body and neck plate together and place a thin piece of wood in each jaw to protect the guitar fret board then tighten. Snug it but not too tight. Now, add the two outside "E" strings. This is where a very slight gap between the sides of the neck and body comes in handy and extremely helpful. 

Setting the margins is a critical operation, however not difficult.  Once you have clamped the neck and added the 2 outside strings, face the guitar and move the neck right or left to get the string margins set perfect on each side of the fret board all the way down.

Once this is done then you can enter the final installation steps. Take care to "mark the screw hole depth" on the drill bit with tape bit so as not to drill through the front of the fret board.  Ready? Tighten the clamp, spin the guitar around and drill one hole. Add the first screw (some liquid dish detergent always helps the journey for the screw threads to enter smoothly), spin the guitar back around to check your string margins again and the neck hole alignment within the back plate. If the neck needs adjustment then tap hard on the head stock with the heel of your hand to get everything aligned again. Now you're ready for the rest of the holes to be drilled.

 It is not a difficult process but methodical and deliberate. You follow this on EVERY install and your necks will all come out with the perfect amount of margin space between the outside strings and the edges of the fret board.Once in the neck may need shims to tilt it either up or back. Be sure and add shims if necessary. They are sometimes critical to eliminating "Buzz".

  This technique will assure that everything is straight and true. The small gap will help to accomplish this and give you enough room to set the margins exactly right on each side.  Let me know if I can assist further. Also please write us from the Haywire Custom Guitars website and let us know what you're interested in.   

Rick Mariner-Haywire Custom Guitar Shop

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If you would like to order this or any other custom guitar, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss your guitar needs.

Buzz Kill - There are two kinds of guitar buzz......

There Are Two Kinds Of Guitar Buzz......

 

The first is a mechanical or "guitar fret" buzz from high frets or very low action on a guitar where the frets haven't been leveled on the guitar fret board. This kind of guitar buzz rarely translates through an amp.

 

 My friend Curtis called me when he discovered the cause of a recent "mystery guitar buzz"  thought to be in his guitar but instead when he switched off his "push-on" style knob in his music studio to operate on the dimmer lights the "buzz" disappeared. He asked if I knew about that. Sure I knew about it. Sometimes we forget to share information with our friends until they jog our memory. Thanks Curtis!  Now that you reminded me of the buzz. Musicians have a lot to deal with during performances: club owners, equipment failures, another band playing on their stage tonight because someone double booked etc. It also reminded to to share some solutions with my guitar playing friends to make their lives a bit easier.

The second  type of guitar buzz is an "electronic or electrical guitar buzz" from extraneous and malfunctioning electronics, poor ground circuits, loose guitar ground wire and variable resistor switches. These inline with the circuit the amp is plugged into can wreak havoc. For this problem solver we'll concentrate on the most common forms of electrical buzz that drive musicians crazy.

What Curtis discovered was how a rheostat acts in a circuit with a guitar amp. What is a "Rheostat"?  Simply, a device used to regulate an electric current by increasing or decreasing the resistance of the circuit. Some common uses of a rheostat are to dim stage and room lights, to control the speed of an electric motor.  They are used to control the volume of a "house" sound system. It's usually in the form of a push-push on-off wall light control button in place of a light switch. They are used to lower the lights in a room,club, on-stage, in-studio and drive musicians crazy. Armed with this information you are now more prepared to do something.

Some solutions: Calm down. Think. Get your heavy duty extension cord. Look for alternate sources of power in the room. You're looking for an isolated output, ensuring that any electrical noise and interference present on the incoming power supply is filtered out. Try each outlet until the buzz is gone in which case you are no longer in the circuit with the problem. If you still have a problem check to see if you are using a three prong plug. That is important. Most of all you need a good ground. Therefore be sure you have all three prongs working due to any ground issues

Another effective solution to use is a "power conditioner".

Why?  First of all, it has an isolated output, thereby ensuring that any electrical noise and interference present on the incoming utility supply is filtered out. Simply put, a "power conditioner" is used for surge protection and noise filtering. The rig I use has an amp top mounted 3 space rack. There is a power conditioner in one of the spaces (see photos below). As a result if you use a power conditioner or try all of the above solutions something is bound to go right!

Haywire Custom Guitars 

Buzz Kill - There Are Two Kinds Of Guitar Buzz......]

 

Since power line conditioners provide effective and reliable protection against voltage fluctuations they clean up line disturbances. They deliver an enhanced level of power protection consequently referred to as a ‘CLEAN’ supply. - See more at: Power Conditioners

Your guitar needs an isolated output, hence ensuring that any electrical noise and interference in the area on the incoming power supply is filtered out. Kill your guitar buzz.

 

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GUIDE FOR BUYING

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GUIDE FOR BUYING

Out of the hundreds of places to buy custom guitars, Haywire Custom Guitars is one of the top websites to buy custom guitars online according to GUIDE FOR BUYING.

News from Top 25 Custom Guitar Websites. Quote: “Whether you play rock, the blues, country or another style of music, the right guitar makes all the difference. Custom guitars are ideal for beginners, expert players and even people who simply collect musical instruments.

Having a custom guitar means that it is made exactly to your specifications. The shape, hardware, colors and other components are chosen by you so that it fits into your hands like a glove. There are several companies who have an excellent reputation for making guitars according to GUIDE FOR BUYING”.

Haywire Custom Guitars Award Winner

I would like to congratulate Haywire on being the best of the best places to buy custom guitars online!

News from Guide for Buying- Top 25 Custom Guitar Websites.

Quote: “Whether you play rock, the blues, country or another style of music, the right guitar makes all the difference. Haywire Custom guitars are ideal for beginners, expert players and even people who simply collect musical instruments.
Haywire Guitar Repairs is your place for expert stringed instrument repairs. In detail, upgrades and servicing. Above all, every Guitar is handled by an experienced guitar technician. In particular, we get your guitar in peak playing condition. Check Haywire guitars official website. Largest guitar shop in the Myrtle Beach area with the deals on new and used guitars. Stop in for new guitars, guitar ideas, guitar repairs. In addition guitar upgrades. Professional guitar service and guitar repair in the Myrtle Beach, SC area.
Haywire Guitar Repairs and Maintenance, including:

• Guitar repairs include: New guitar strings for your guitar, quality guitar repairs, set-ups, modifications, electronics repairs, re-frets
• Also, Full 8-point setups
• Intonation Setups
• Action and truss rod adjustments, fret levels, alignments and more
• Guitars for children
• Light weight guitars for women

Guitar Fret renew and repair, specifically:

• Re-fret
• Fret level
• Re-Crown
• Polish new work and test
• Recessed Heel Crest Option
• All guitar adjustments

Electronics upgrade, Haywire Guitar Repairs & guitar mods, in detail:

• Electronic modifications on all stringed instruments
• New Pickup installation, hence better signal
• Wiring customization with new pots, switches, tone controls, 7 Sound switching and Treble Bleed circuits
• Personalized upgrades and modifications
• Guitar neck shaving, thinning, profiling as a result, better guitar comfort.

Warmest regards,
Marife Lindsay
GUIDE FOR BUYING

April 30th, 2019|best places to buy guitars|0 Comments

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About the CEO: Rick Mariner

Mr. Rick Mariner Owner and Founder and CEO of Haywire Custom Guitars Inc. He is a member of The Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans (A.S.I.A.) as well as a guitar player. Rick holds a bachelors degree from University of Md. and a Masters degree from George Washington University. Rick developed his exclusive 8 – Point “Gig- Ready” guitar process that allows for Custom Guitars that are “GIG-READY”. With Rick’s many years of development and guitar set-up experience, Haywire Guitar shop “Builds satisfied players… one Haywire guitar at a time”.

My Guitar is Not a Thing. It is an Extension of Myself.

It is Who I Am.

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Haywire Custom Shop Guitar Neck Reshaping To Customize A Guitar

Have you ever considered....

guitar neck reshaping to customize a guitar just for the way you play?

Firstly, when in the middle of a gig do you notice some hand fatigue, inability to reach notes or the feeling there's something slowing you down?  Did you ever pick up a friends guitar and say to yourself, "I wish my guitar felt this good".  Have you found a guitar somewhere that looks exactly like your and had to go grab it to see what it felt like?  Most importantly, were you surprised?  Likely it didn't feel like yours did it?  Players begin the customization process the very day they get a new guitar. Guitar neck reshaping is often desired but hardly attained without the proper resources.

Guitar neck reshaping is often desired.........

There are many possibilities for better playing guitars.  For example: a neck that allows you to change the scale length of your 25-1/2" Fender scale guitar to the shorter Gibson scale of 24-3/4". This kind of customization shortens the distance between frets and lowers string tension for easier, quicker playing.  Thought about it?  Never heard about it?  It's very attainable for any player who is desiring a change. Some players  need a change as in guitar neck reshaping but can't really verbalize what they need.  Instead we'll often hear, "this guitar is uncomfortable, it's hard to play, my hands ache after a while or I can't play as fast as I want to. The spectrum of player comfort is extremely wide.

The spectrum of player comfort is extremely wide.....

Guitars are manufactured for "sales" not your comfort. Companies build in the middle of the spectrum to "general players" with "average hands" with "average" needs.  They take nothing into account regarding the comfort or needs of players "outside" the middle of the spectrum.
So, if your an average guy, with average hands and middle of the road in every way-you'll be fine with an general off-the-rack guitar built for average sales produced by almost every guitar company. As a result, because of your style differences, hand size, physical limitations, unusual playing style you don't fall in the "middle of the spectrum" so we can help.  Guitar neck reshaping an existing can be the best customization ever for you and your guitar neck.  Your guitar neck contour or back shape of the neck is important for optimum play-ability and hand comfort.  $135 plus return shipping may be the best money you ever spent on your guitar. Call us 843-347-5742 or email us : haywire@sccoast.net

In conclusion, you'll need help to determine which guitar neck reshaping process works best for your playing comfort. Think about a comparison with a neck you know that you already prefer. Above all, if you know what you need then you're 90% there then we can get you all the way there. Compare the dimensions of the neck you'd like to change to those of your "favorite" neck for a start.  A set of digital calipers is all you need to do that!

 

Haywire Custom Guitars-Play Painlessly with a new ergonomic guitar neck shape

Could Your Guitar Be A Roadblock To Success?

Could Your Guitar Be A Roadblock To Success As A Guitar Player?

A hard to play guitar could be a roadblock to success as a guitar player and musician. At Haywire Custom Shop, we prep a guitar with our "8 Point Gig Ready Process”.  Of course not every step is completely necessary on every guitar, for example if the pickups on the guitar we are working on are potted (dipped in wax) no need to cover that again.  As a result, our process has an underlying agenda.

we avoid problems that create roadblocks to your success

Which is to act as a screening tool for an overall view of your guitar integrity as well as play-ability. By going over each step it can and often does lead to checking into other issues that need attention. So, basically we do a preliminary forensic guitar test to determine the overall baseline health of the guitar.
The most important part of your guitar is its neck.  Because all guitar necks are subject to great stress as a result of string tension and seasonal change, there are times when a neck may take on a slight bow (or warp) or neck hump.  However, if it does, there is no cause for alarm we'll find it when we check for the straightness.

insure your success as a guitar player

Therefore we avoid problems that create roadblocks to your success as a guitar player.  As they arrive in the shop, each guitar neck is checked and adjusted to be sure it is true and straight to ensure proper alignment on all axis. This step ensures proper action and allows for better and consistent string height and easier guitar tuning and playing. If a neck is bowed, then playing at the bowed area in the neck is always more difficult. The reason is that the strings are higher off the neck at the area of the bow. A player has to remember to slightly change his/her technique when playing around that spot. Rather than have to deal with that we make sure the neck is parallel to the strings and all action up and down the neck is the same. In that way, a player only has to think about the  music and not how hard to push down the strings in certain problem spots.  Finally, our inspections and fixes can help insure your success as a guitar player. Make sense?

 Play Effortlessly

Can You Get An Accurate Read Of Sounds By Instruments Being Demonstrated In Video Clips?

Haywire Guitar

 The answer is clearly-maybe but probably not.  Videos?  Sound clips? Sound files? Accurate sounds from instruments being demonstrated by instruments for sale are almost impossible. Why?  There are too many variables in the way a guitar can be made to sound such as; the speaker used, the amp (is it tube or solid state?), the EQ settings on the board when recording, any effects being used, gauge of strings, the player's style, proximity of pickups to the strings. A small change in any one of these things can and will change the sounds coming out of an electric guitar. 

It's very difficult if not impossible to get a true read on the actual sound of any guitar in a sound clip being used to "demonstrate" how an instrument sounds. It's smoke and mirrors on the part of the sales team. They want to sell you on what a guitar CAN sounds like with a fabulous player at the helm of the demo. You still don't get it?  You can get a close idea of what a guitar sounds like sometimes in a clip however when you plug in to your "rig"-it will be lots different!  Don't expect miracles by relying too heavily on sound clips and sound files when buying guitars and pickups. You'll be disappointed every time. If you're relying on a "sound clip" to get what you need then you're setting yourself up for problems. The best you can do is get close. What you have to do as a guitar player is find an instrument with an ergonomic shape that you can tolerate, a weight you can live with, next and unfortunately on the list-color,  neck feel, neck profile and fret size with the last consideration being-pickups. All you need is a good signal from your pickups-period. Guitar players have lots of choices in ways to over-process themselves and their instruments. Look up-guitar effects pedals for instance.

Bottom line-let me repeat, the last consideration of a guitar purchase being-pickups. It's not rocket science. Pickups won't make you sound great. Sorry to give you the bad news but someone has to do it. Great playing makes you sound great-period. Guitarists: let that simmer for about six months while you practice and before your next gear purchase. Guitar players are vain. That's almost a given. They are  shallow and therefore are subject to and sensitive to what people have to say about their rig, their sound, their gear, their playing. They look to blame everything for not getting the right sound with the exception of their own skills. They almost never question those. How do I know this? I deal with guitar players every day. The favorite is to blame the elusive sound they seek on the "pickups".
The best advice I can offer is to make a decision-then make it right. What do I mean by that? Get an instrument that has all the comfort, feel and weight you need then learn to adjust it so the action is perfect, the strings are just right, the signal is strong then learn how to play it. It sounds easy enough. Let me repeat myself one more time-guitar players are very superficial. How do I know this? I work with guitar players every day. Now, not all of them are that way-just 95%.  Let me give you just one example. A customer in Arizona this year received his guitar from us. He promptly returned it with a terse message. "I can't play this guitar-is unplayable". By the end of the message the reason for the return was very apparent. A screw was missing from the pick guard rendering the whole guitar useless. I can go on with many stories like this about the ways guitar players embarrass themselves and give away their superficiality, but I don't want to bore you with the details. I am sorry to say there are however lots of similar examples.

The goal here is not to complain about guitar players but to simply point out that listening to a sound clip of guitar pickups is just another players interpretation of what sounds he can get from a particular rig-and that's it. Please don't think you'll be the next Hendrix or Stevie Ray because you bought a $300 set of pickups-it won't happen. Just learn how to play properly and find a style you're comfortable with-preferably your own. You don't have to sound like someone else to be good.
 
We have to be dedicated to something and it's either build great guitars or be great at recording them. We are similar to the Fender and Gibson custom shops except-we use everyone's pickups including our own. We can put in anything you like in a guitar but the unique sound you play with. You should know we do put every guitar through quality control. If it feels, sounds and looks great only then, do we sell it. We can help you become a better player by providing all the tools you need. You must provide the skill.

USA Haywire Custom Shop Customer Support go to website: 

Haywire Custom Guitars website here: 

https: www.HaywireCustomGuitars.com 

Shop Phone number:

 843-347-5742 

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Benefits Of Wider Fret Boards Include: Better Action, Pull-offs, No Crowded Fingers

Haywire Custom Guitars Custom shop has been in operation for many years and we are experienced in the needs of guitar players. We try and address issues they don't know how to address. One of the ways we accomplish this is to add custom necks onto guitars with features only seasoned guitarists would understand and appreciate. 

For example, we'll add a neck with a wider fret board so that the guitar player would have more room to move around on the guitar without the feeling of being crowded. We can only however go so wide and still maintain decent string alignment with the pickup pole pieces. As the nut widens, so also does the string spread at the heel of the neck. To make it all work, we widen the fret board over a 16th of an inch on either side. This results in a normal string to fret board edge margin over the full length of the neck. 

The benefits of the wider fret board include but are not limited to: better action, better pull-offs, no crowded fingers when chording, easier finger placement, clearer notes and more real estate on the top of the fret board for the guitarist to play. It is just a building technique to add comfort to playing a guitar that you cannot get from "off the rack" instruments in a music store. There are real benefits to a custom extra wide necks and a good luthier who understands what techniques to apply to an instrument so it will be easier to play. We do it all the time. They know that guitarists need to improve their playing and anything they can do to facilitate that will be appreciated. We think about and apply these techniques every day in our shop for our customers.

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The Mystery of "Roasted Maple" Guitar Necks

Be careful when adding a "Roasted Maple" neck on to a guitar body. 

While there are advantages such as being less expensive when no finish is required and the fact that the roasting process brings out a beautiful caramel color in the wood. There are drawbacks.

Remember the nature of "Roasted Maple" is to be very brittle. Therefore, look closer at the roasted neck than you normally do other necks, specifically the screw holes. It's very interesting but can be a difficult problem if you are not aware of  the characteristics of the roasted wood. Screw threads on the neck plate screws can strip out in the neck holes. It's caused by the roasted wood being so brittle that the insides of the holes are much more prone to strip out versus an non-roasted Maple neck. If you have ever worked with 100 year old wood then you know what you're dealing with. Roasting ages wood significantly.

The stripping of the brittle wood screw threads inside the holes cause the screws to loosen their grip. Strings will pull with lots of pressure when in tune and can cause the screws to slip and the neck to pull away from the body-thus lifting the strings off of the fret board.

This will  cause higher action and make it much more difficult to play. Soon you will be "Fighting with your guitar",  Eventually, the action will to be way too high to play.

When I set it the action on this guitar the last time before shipping, it was very low however the vibration and bumping of travel plus the tension of string pulling can cause the very slow release of the screw threads, screw slippage and thus higher action.This is all very imperceptible at first but will accelerate over time and causes lots of playing problems. 

 I sent back to a customer, a Roasted Maple neck, he asked me to add to a body. When he got it back  he told me it was difficult to play. The whole "difficult to play" problem was very puzzling for me. It went out playing great. Since he didn't change anything I needed to look further into what could have happened. He sent it back and I went to work. I took the whole guitar apart and studied every piece to try and track down what happened. Then, I remembered, the nature of "Roasted Maple" is to be very brittle.

After I discovered this could be an issue not widely known, I filled the neck holes with some small dowels to decrease the size and increase the grip of the screws.

Next, I found some screws with a larger diameter thread to further decrease the hole size.

With those two changes it made the holes extremely tight and much less prone to slipping and more able to keep the neck where I wanted it for great low action.

I re-assembled the entire guitar, re-aligned the neck, oiled the fret board to lessen the loss of moisture which causes even more brittleness. leveled the frets, polished them, added new strings, lowered the action more, re-set the intonation, tuned it and tested and it plays just great. So with all of the changes bearing in mind the characteristics of the wood-I think the mystery has been solved. As always we can add any neck to any body for you.

                                                                     Rick Mariner

Haywire Custom Shop-Guitar Neck Adjustment Information

Haywire Custom Guitars Neck Adjustment Information

How to straighten your guitar neck with an adjustable truss rod 

The neck of your guitar is adjustable.  It has been made of selected hardwood, and it is kiln-dried to insure proper curing.  The adjustable rod both strengthens the neck and facilitates adjustment of a bowed neck.
Because all guitar necks are subject to great stress as a result of string tension and seasonal change, there are times when a neck could take on a slight bow (or warp) or neck hump.  This will rarely occur.  However, if it does, there is no cause for alarm if you follow the procedure below for proper correction. 

Angled Headstock style of adjustable truss rod (above)

Loosen all strings (it is not necessary to remove strings from guitar).  Pull loose strings to one side so free access to neck adjuster can be gained.
Remove cover (if it has one) so neck adjuster is exposed.  Generally it's an Allen screw or a hex nut.
Sight down the neck from the top (as sighting a down the barrel of a rifle) in order to see just how much of a bow or hump the neck has taken.  Hold the neck up at eye level and sight along the edge of the fingerboard on both treble and bass sides.  It best to place a straight edge on the neck during this process. There are special ones made with cut outs for the frets called a Notched Straightedge below.

 

 If neck is bowed, tighten the adjustable nut  clockwise    

 If neck has hump, loosen the adjustable nut  counter-clockwise 

Place Allen key or hex  wrench on guitar neck adjustment nut and turn very gently (small fractions of a turn at a time).  Keep checking the neck as you proceed with each nut turn.  Once the neck is straight give the adjustment nut a very slight added turn to compensate for the tension the loose stings will add once they are installed and tuned.  TIGHTEN  for " BOW " and LOOSEN  for HUMP. 
Special Note: Be careful not to tighten the nut too much  ( i. e. when it becomes hard to turn ), because it could result in stripping the threads or perhaps even breaking the truss rod. 

Below: see example of a end of the guitar neck Heel or Buttend type-truss rod adjustment 
 

On certain models of Solid Body Guitars the adjustment of the truss rod is made at the lower end of the fingerboard called the Heel or Butt  End. The procedure of adjustment on those is same as above, follow the same pattern of correction as outlined.
If there is string buzzing after you are certain the neck has been straightened, locate the fret at the playing position that causes the buzz. Lower the fret by gently tapping with hammer.  If necessary, file fret down, level and re-crown it.

The New Gotoh Side-Adjuster for Warmoth Pro Guitar Necks       Mechanics For easy and convenient truss rod adjustment

To make truss rod set-up and adjustment more convenient, Warmoth "Pro" Construction necks feature the Gotoh side adjustment mechanism. Inserted between the usual truss rod adjustment nut at the heel and the truss rod, this ingenious device uses inclines and wedges to adjust the rod tension. Initial set-up is still accomplished at the traditional butt end but future small adjustments are then conveniently done on the side of the neck. Unfortunately Gotoh does not offer these mechanisms left handed. Lefty Warmoth "Pro" necks only offer heel adjustments on straight necks, and peg-head adjustments on angled necks. Blog Home For easy and convenient truss rod adjustment              The factory setting is with the side adjustment mechanism centered within its operating range. To adjust your neck for the first time, use the following steps: Neck Adjustment Procedure  Tighten the slotted heel-adjust nut (See A) until the fingerboard is perfectly flat (has no forward curve.) This should cause the side adjust nut to be recessed into the heel approximately 1/16" (1.6mm). Attach the neck and tune the strings to pitch. Detune strings and make necessary relief adjustment using side-adjust nut (See B) and allen wrench. Repeat as necessary.

Haywire Custom Guitars info about guitars, guitar neck shaves, guitar terms, guitar improvements, guitar modifications, guitar repairs

Haywire Custom Guitars #1Spot for Guitar Players Information

Haywire Custom Guitars Blog-A blog about guitars,Haywire guitars custom shop, guitar neck shaves, guitar terms, guitar improvements, guitar modifications, guitar repairs, guitar necks, guitar bodies, custom guitars,electric guitars, Fender guitars, Stratocasters, Telecasters guitar tips and guitar resources.Great Tips and Ideas for Guitar Players! http://www.haywirecustomguitars.com, http://haywirecustomguitarscustomshop.blogspot.com/2017/08,http://haywirecustomguitars.com/blog.html

Welcome to Haywire Custom Guitars-- guitar blog!

While working on guitars, I have found great satisfaction in figuring out how things work, why they work, and how they might be able to work better. Through the years, I’ve been very fortunate in meeting some wonderfully skilled and knowledgeable people that have been kind enough to share their knowledge and expertise with me. In the beginning, I often wondered why some of these people were willing to spend so much of their own time to share their experiences, but as I became older and more experienced myself, the answer to my question became simple as I realized how gratifying it was to share knowledge and experience with others.  

Guitars are fun, and this blog is an opportunity to share some of the things that I’ve learned over the years with everyone. If you’ve ever wanted to know a bit more about all things related to guitars, take some time to browse through the different articles in the blog.

If there is a particular subject that you might want to know more about, but can’t find it in the existing articles, send me an email about what it is so that I can add the information to The Haywire Custom Guitars blog.

Thank you for checking out Haywire Guitar Info.  I hope you find the information useful to you, and find the experience of learning about guitars enjoyable.

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A Weak or Intermittent Signal in an Electric Guitar Circuit

Do I have a 5 Way Switch Problem in My Guitar?

I bought a Fender Strat  guitar a few months ago. After I received it I have a problem concerning the five way switch intermittently working.  I used it for awhile to see if it would clear up. The switch works much less now. I have to mess with it just to get it to work and then at times it will work but at only very low volume. I try moving it thinking there could be a sweet spot that the switch will work and sometimes it is there and sometimes not. What is the problem?..........Thanks, Marco

What you're describing doesn't sound like it's necessarily a switch problem. It could be one of several common circuit problems. 

It sounds more like a wire coming loose from a soldered connection and making partial contact and thereby creating a weak signal leading into the amp. But let's look into other causes.

The 5 way switch has 5 connections typical in a Strat pickup configuration.

Each set of contacts in the 5 way switch can be in one of two states: either "closed" meaning the contacts are touching and electricity can flow between them and the pickups are selected, or "open", meaning the contacts are separated and the switch is nonconducting and that is the pickup selection that is "off".

The switch mechanism actuating the transition between the pickups. 

It may be possible that one contact is not working correctly, but it is extremely rare when there is a problem in "every" position of a 5 way switch.  That generally indicates a weak signal flowing somewhere in the circuit. This may lead to the conclusion that it's the switch but it could be a weak signal somewhere in the circuit causing the interruption. 

Most specifically let's say there is a weak signal to the amp because the circuit is incomplete or weak. 

A weak or intermittent signal in any electric guitar circuit can be caused by any one of the following several things:

1-a bad cable from the guitar to the amp

2-a ground wire out of place intermittently touching a hot wire

3-a loose wire

4-a cold solder joint

5-a wire that is only connected by a thread

on one of the multi-strands of the stranded composition of the wire

6- wire on the output jack is loose or barely making contact

7-not enough tension on the tongue (hot) contact on the guitar output contact

8-bad switch

9-poor solder connection to the switch

These are the most common and easily fixed guitar problems.

It is possible that a solder joint just needs to be re-heated, or a

wire is just hanging by a strand or two and needs more contact.

Any of these can mimic a broken pickup a broken switch, a bad pot etc.
Maybe the switch is fine after all. Take a look and tell me what you see.

Rick Mariner
Haywire Custom Guitars Inc.
Haywire Custom Shop
https://www.haywirecustomguitars.com
843-347-5742

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