Geni Swing Guitars

Pickguard Wiring

Recently, the bridge pickup on one of my favorite guitars stopped working. The guitar is a Yamaha semi-hollow body electric guitar in the style of a Gibson 335.

Upon visual inspection of the wires through the f-hole, I quickly discovered that a single wire had broken off at the point where it was soldered to the volume pot. Under normal circumstances this would have been a snap to fix, but the difficulty in working on this style of guitar is that the only way to access the wiring is through the f-hole. There is no back access panel that makes it easy to get at the guts of the guitar, like there is on a Les Paul.

I like to do my own guitar repair and set up. I hate paying people to things I can do myself, I like to do them my way, and I get a great deal of satisfaction from a successful guitar repair. So I was determined to work this one out for myself.

So, after grabbing the dental floss from the medicine cabinet, I took the guitar out to my garage workshop and got to work. I laid the guitar on its back on some carpet remnants on my workbench, and removed the strings. It was time for a new set anyhow.

Then I removed the knobs. One by one I loosened the nuts that tighten the pots to the guitar body and tied a piece of dental floss to the posts. I made sure each piece of floss was around 3 feet long. I did the same with the switch and the input jack.

Once this was done, I removed the pick guard, because it covered a large section of the f-hole. Then I completely removed the nuts on the pots, switch and input jack, and very carefully pulled the entire assembly out of the guitar through the f-hole.

Once the harness was removed I grabbed roll of masking tape and taped the floss to the guitar body at the holes. This was to ensure that the ends of the floss would not go into the guitar, making it even more difficult to get the wiring assembly back into the guitar.

Then I fired up my soldering iron and fixed the broken connection. While I was at it I thought it would be a good idea to check all the other connections to make sure they were solid. I did not want to have to do this again.

Then it was time to test my work. I plugged the guitar into the small practice amp I keep on my workbench, and then I checked each pickup and each position of the switch by tapping the pickup pole pieces with a screwdriver.

Satisfied that everything was working right, I unplugged the guitar and very carefully slid the entire assembly back into the guitar through the f-hole. Then I pulled on the floss, starting with the input jack which was the farthest away from the f-hole, to get each component back in place. I put the nut on each component as once it was in place, and once they were tight, I plugged the guitar back into the amp to test again.

I must admit, I held my breath at this point, because I really did not want to take everything out again! But fortunately everything worked right. I removed the floss, put the knobs back on and I was done.

Now I have one of my favorite guitars in working order again, and the next time I have to do a repair on a guitar with f-holes I will have this experience to fall back on.

Marc Greenwald loves everything about guitars, especially playing them. He blogs at http://100blueslicks.com

Lace Music Group Alumitone SSH Loaded Pickguard Pickup Set - Aluminum $349.99 This pickguard pickup set features an alumitone pickup design for less resistance, heightened output and clear frequency response. The included mini CD features a variety of color wiring diagrams for easy installation.

Fender Fat Strat Pickguard $24.99 Fender Fat Strat Pickguard

Fender Telecaster Pickguard Shell $39.99 Fender Telecaster Pickguard Shell

Fender Gold Pickguard Screws $16.99 Fender Gold Pickguard Screws

Fender Pickguard Screws $4.49 Fender Pickguard Screws

Coloriffic Pickguard Eol $11.99 COLORIFFIC PICKGUARD EOL

Wiring block $59.99 Black Box - Wiring block

Wiring Harness $25.99 Wiring Harness; Ignition Control;

Lace Sensor Blue-Silver-Red Prewired Pickguard White $227.99 This prewired electric guitar pickguard contains Lace Sensor Blue, Silver and Red pickups. The Lace Sensor pickup has been in production since 1985. Used exclusively by Fender until 1996, the Lace pickups prewired into this pickguard have the same specifications and the same great tone. Lace Sensor-Blue Guitar Pickup: Slightly increased output with the warmer 50's humbucking sound in a single-coil configurationPostion: neck, bridgeResistance: 12.8kPeack Frequency: 2100Inductance: 6.58 henriesLace Sensor-Silver Guitar Pickup: A fat 70's single-coil sound with increased output and more midrange.Postion: neck, midResistance: 7.1kPeack Frequency: 3000Inductance: 3.38 henriesLace Sensor-Red Guitar Pickup: The hottest output of our Sensor Series. Perfect for the bridge position when fat, punchy humbucking output is required.Postion: bridgeResistance: 14.5kPeack Frequency: 1850Inductance: 8.12 henriesLace includes a warranty card and other useful information regarding Lace Music Products.Includes 3" mini data CD with color wiring diagrams

Lace Sensor Gold Prewired Pickguard White $209.99 The Lace Sensor Gold pickup in this prewired pickguard is designed to provide world class tone. Lace has built these world famous patented pickups since 1985. Used exclusively by Fender until 1996, Sensor Gold pickups have the same specifications with the same great tone. Crisp top end and bell-like tone, the Lace Sensor Gold pickup uses the latest technology to provide excellent tone for today's players.The Lace Sensor Gold has a unique radiant field barrier system that surrounds both the coil and magnets, reducing annoying 60-cycle hum. The patented Lace Micro Combs replace traditional bobbins, yielding a wider tonal range and better string balance than traditional electric guitar pickups.Unlike ordinary pickups, the Lace Sensor Gold generates 36 separate magnetic "sensing" fields that, in the areas where they contact the string, "read" the strings' vibration. (Regular pickups only generate anywhere from 4 to 12 fields).The Lace Sensor Gold's Radiant Field Barriers are metal slides that frame the inner core of the Sensors and perform two functions. The first is to shield the Sensor pickup from outside noise and 60-cycle hum. The second is to produce broader, yet more concentrated, umbrellas of sensing field than standard magnetic pickups.Less Noise, More HarmonicsAs compared to standard guitar pickups, the Lace Sensor Gold reads a greater physical area of the string, while picking up less outside interference. This makes the signal-to-noise ratio nothing short of phenomenal for a single coil system. Also, a wider range of harmonic content is read by the Sensor, delivering a more complex tonal response.Increased Sustain, Truer PitchSince it operates so efficiently, Lace Sensors can use much lower energy magnets than ordinary pickups, and this in turn brings about a whole new realm of properties. In regular guitar pickups, the magnetic fields are so strong they physically dampen, or drag on, the strings' vibration, Reducing sustain and actually changing the pitch. But in the Lace Sensor Gold, string dampening is virtually nonexistent. This means your sustain is increased dramatically while the string holds its true pitch for the duration of the note.Lace includes a warranty card and other useful information regarding Lace Music Products.Includes 3" mini data CD with color wiring diagrams

EMG ST-12 SRO Dual Humbucker Prewired Pickguard Black $189 Coming off the successful release of the SRO Series open coil pickups, the ST-12 SRO Dual Humbucker Prewired Pickguard features SRO OC1 humbuckers loaded in black or white Strat style pickguards. With the pickups preloaded and wiring complete, the most time consuming part of the install is getting the stock pickups out of your guitar.Traditional open coil design with the perfect balance between clarity and high gain, the SRO OC1 is perfect for rock, blues, metal, or country. Don't let the passive design fool you; there is plenty of power when you want it. With specific designs for neck and bridge, the Alnico V bar magnets provide the right amount of sustain and distortion.Dual humbucker open-coil designSpecific neck and bridge pickupsExcellent sustain and distortionEasy installation

EMG ST-11 SRO Single Coil Prewired Pickguard Black $189 Coming off the successful release of the SRO Series open coil pickups, the ST-11 SRO Single Coil Prewired Pickguard features SRO SC1 single coils loaded in black or white Strat style pickguards. With the pickups preloaded and wiring complete, the most time consuming part of the install is getting the stock pickups out of your guitar.The SC1 single coil pickups feature a combination of warm, clear tone with the traditional percussive attack of pole-pieces. They're designed with Alnico V Bar magnets specifically wound for neck, middle, and bridge positions. The result is an enhancement to the classic Strat style pickup with a bright top, warm mids, and just the right amount of low end. The SC1's are a perfect upgrade to any guitar.Triple single coil designSpecific neck and middle/bridge pickupsBright top, warm mids, and perfect low endEasy installation

EMG ST-12 SRO Dual Humbucker Prewired Pickguard White $164.43 Coming off the successful release of the SRO Series open coil pickups, the ST-12 SRO Dual Humbucker Prewired Pickguard features SRO OC1 humbuckers loaded in black or white Strat style pickguards. With the pickups preloaded and wiring complete, the most time consuming part of the install is getting the stock pickups out of your guitar.Traditional open coil design with the perfect balance between clarity and high gain, the SRO OC1 is perfect for rock, blues, metal, or country. Don't let the passive design fool you; there is plenty of power when you want it. With specific designs for neck and bridge, the Alnico V bar magnets provide the right amount of sustain and distortion.Dual humbucker open-coil designSpecific neck and bridge pickupsExcellent sustain and distortionEasy installation

Emg St-12 Sro Dual Humbucker Prewired Pickguard White $189 Coming off the successful release of the SRO Series open coil pickups, the ST-12 SRO Dual Humbucker Prewired Pickguard features SRO OC1 humbuckers loaded in black or white Strat style pickguards. With the pickups preloaded and wiring complete, the most time consuming part of the install is getting the stock pickups out of your guitar.Traditional open coil design with the perfect balance between clarity and high gain, the SRO OC1 is perfect for rock, blues, metal, or country. Don't let the passive design fool you; there is plenty of power when you want it. With specific designs for neck and bridge, the Alnico V bar magnets provide the right amount of sustain and distortion.Dual humbucker open-coil designSpecific neck and bridge pickupsExcellent sustain and distortionEasy installation

Emg St-12 Sro Dual Humbucker Prewired Pickguard Black $189 Coming off the successful release of the SRO Series open coil pickups, the ST-12 SRO Dual Humbucker Prewired Pickguard features SRO OC1 humbuckers loaded in black or white Strat style pickguards. With the pickups preloaded and wiring complete, the most time consuming part of the install is getting the stock pickups out of your guitar.Traditional open coil design with the perfect balance between clarity and high gain, the SRO OC1 is perfect for rock, blues, metal, or country. Don't let the passive design fool you; there is plenty of power when you want it. With specific designs for neck and bridge, the Alnico V bar magnets provide the right amount of sustain and distortion.Dual humbucker open-coil designSpecific neck and bridge pickupsExcellent sustain and distortionEasy installation

Used Emg St-12 Sro Dual Humbucker Prewired Pickguard White $164.43 Coming off the successful release of the SRO Series open coil pickups, the ST-12 SRO Dual Humbucker Prewired Pickguard features SRO OC1 humbuckers loaded in black or white Strat style pickguards. With the pickups preloaded and wiring complete, the most time consuming part of the install is getting the stock pickups out of your guitar.Traditional open coil design with the perfect balance between clarity and high gain, the SRO OC1 is perfect for rock, blues, metal, or country. Don't let the passive design fool you; there is plenty of power when you want it. With specific designs for neck and bridge, the Alnico V bar magnets provide the right amount of sustain and distortion.Dual humbucker open-coil designSpecific neck and bridge pickupsExcellent sustain and distortionEasy installation

Emg St-11 Sro Single Coil Prewired Pickguard Black $189 Coming off the successful release of the SRO Series open coil pickups, the ST-11 SRO Single Coil Prewired Pickguard features SRO SC1 single coils loaded in black or white Strat style pickguards. With the pickups preloaded and wiring complete, the most time consuming part of the install is getting the stock pickups out of your guitar.The SC1 single coil pickups feature a combination of warm, clear tone with the traditional percussive attack of pole-pieces. They're designed with Alnico V Bar magnets specifically wound for neck, middle, and bridge positions. The result is an enhancement to the classic Strat style pickup with a bright top, warm mids, and just the right amount of low end. The SC1's are a perfect upgrade to any guitar.Triple single coil designSpecific neck and middle/bridge pickupsBright top, warm mids, and perfect low endEasy installation

Emg St-11 Sro Single Coil Prewired Pickguard White $189 Coming off the successful release of the SRO Series open coil pickups, the ST-11 SRO Single Coil Prewired Pickguard features SRO SC1 single coils loaded in black or white Strat style pickguards. With the pickups preloaded and wiring complete, the most time consuming part of the install is getting the stock pickups out of your guitar.The SC1 single coil pickups feature a combination of warm, clear tone with the traditional percussive attack of pole-pieces. They're designed with Alnico V Bar magnets specifically wound for neck, middle, and bridge positions. The result is an enhancement to the classic Strat style pickup with a bright top, warm mids, and just the right amount of low end. The SC1's are a perfect upgrade to any guitar.Triple single coil designSpecific neck and middle/bridge pickupsBright top, warm mids, and perfect low endEasy installation

BS803-018 Wiring Mount $2.35 Wiring Mount

Wiring harness $8.42 Wiring harness for two batteries in 24V system.

Wiring Kit $39.99 Tow Ready has these Wiring Kits available to assist you in wiring your vehicle and trailer for a professional finished product.