#Fender musicmaster wiring diagram how to#
#Fender musicmaster wiring diagram upgrade#

Commonly Used Tools Soldering IronĪ soldering iron is basically a tool that allows you to transfer heat that in turn melts the solder which is used to join two pieces of metal. These can often be a source of trouble and need to be kept tight to reduce noise. When the lead is plugged into the output jack the signal can be transferred. They are usually connected from a ground wire and input wire. These are generally 1/4' and transfer the signal created by your pickups to your guitar amp. The output jack is where you plug in your guitar lead. The video below demonstrates how pickup selectors work and will help you visualize things a little better. For instance, a Fender Stratocaster typically has a 5-way pickup selector which allows for selecting each individual pickup along with combinations of each. Pickup SelectorĪs the name suggests a pickup selector allows the guitarist to switch between pickups to influence the tone of what they are playing. There's a great video below from Stewmac that provides an overview and demonstrates how different types of capacitors can impact tonal quality.ĭon't understand how pickups work or want to understand the difference between a single-coil and humbucking pickup? Rather than cover old ground, this article on guitar pickups provides an overview of how guitar pickups work and how they differ in tone.Įssentially pickups create a magnetic field that allows guitar strings to create a signal by displacing the magnetic field which can then be transferred from your guitar to your amp.

But as your knowledge increases you may like to experiment with different capacitors to test the results they can have on your guitar's tone. Capacitors vary greatly and come in a range of materials from ceramic, film, paper and electrolytic (mainly used with active pickups).įor now, just understanding why a capacitor might be included in your kit is probably enough information.

In most cases, they are used to filter out very high frequencies before being sent to ground (the output jack) which controls the warmth of your guitar's tone. CapacitorsĬapacitors are typically used as filters to control tone. This is much less common and won't play a role in assembling an electric guitar kit in most cases. Pots can also come as 'blended' in which case it will control two pickups and may even have a toggle switch dedicated to just the one pot. Decreasing the amount of signal in your volume or tone pot increases the amount of signal being grounded.Ī basic overview of how they function might, the volume pot will receive a signal from the pickup selector it will then transfer this signal to both the tone pot and output jack. They essentially decrease the amount of signal passing through the guitar. Pots in their most basic sense are DC resistors used to control the volume or tone of your electric guitar. Commonly Used Electrical Components Potentiometers (Pots) In the following, I will cover some basic terminology so that when we refer to tools or components such as capacitors in the following articles anyone new to building guitars will have a good idea of what we are talking about and what the purpose of the particular component is.

#Fender musicmaster wiring diagram how to#

Watch this video instruction to learn how to wire an LP hollow style kit.

#Fender musicmaster wiring diagram upgrade#

However, if you purchase a kit guitar such as an LP® style kit or you want to upgrade your electrical components (which is often the case with an entry-level kit) understanding some basics about guitar electronics is useful. Telecaster® style kits are significantly easier to work on as the scratchplate will often be pre-loaded with pickups. If this is the case, I strongly suggest starting with one of the easier models in regards to wiring e.g.

This can all get a little tricky and can become overwhelming especially if you have never tackled this type of job before. It's not a one size fits all job either, wiring up a Telecaster® style kit is different to wiring a Stratocaster® style kit and a Les Paul® style kit or hollow body is different again. You will also need to be able to follow schematic diagrams of pickup configurations. This typically involves a soldering iron and a basic understanding of guitar electronics. Depending on your choice of guitar kit you may be required to perform a small amount (or a large amount) of work wiring the guitar.