Posts tagged: pickup

How to make your own guitar pickups

Some Part-Time Musicians (PTMs) have the goal to pick up a new instrument, or perhaps to learn new things with an instrument they already know and love. Some folks can’t stop at that. They must know how to build one.  :-) Handmade Guitar PickupNeither obsession is the “right” obsession for everyone, and they certainly aren’t mutually exclusive. If you are “that kind of person”, this article may scratch an itch you didn’t even know you had. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Some time ago, our friends at Instructables posted an article showing how to make your own guitar pickups. We had intended to run this shortly after our feature on replacing your guitar’s pickups, but other topics pushed it aside. No longer! Even if you aren’t inclined to tinker, this is fascinating stuff.

The Bottom Line

You can make your own guitar pickups for less than $10 each, but the real benefits to doing so don’t start or end at price. If you want to design your own, learn about the inner workings of your axe, or just inspire awe and envy among your gearhead friends (!), this project is a great way to do it. Enjoy!

All the best,
Mark

Disclaimer: Any destruction or improvements you manage to cause are your responsibility. Take full credit or blame for them yourself! If you’d like to share a cautionary tale or words of encouragement, though, feel free to drop us a line. We’d love to hear from you!

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How to replace the pickups in your guitar

If you’ve ever daydreamed about replacing the pickups in that old axe of yours but thought it would be too difficult or risky, your waiting days may be over.

Guitar Pickup

Written by a fifteen year-old – yes, fifteen! – this article details how to remove and replace your existing pickups, ending up with something a little more to your (ears’) liking. Though it wasn’t a perfect ending, it demonstrates very well that with a little time, money, and patience, you really can get a great new sound from that old guitar!

My first foray into working on (rather than playing) guitars was when, out of desperation, I experimented with adjusting the intonation on a faux Stratocaster I owned. The results were beyond encouraging, as detailed in this article. I always figured swapping pickups would be too involved to tackle myself…but now I’m getting ideas. Aren’t you?  8-)

What do you think? Are you up to the challenge? If this has pushed you over the edge, please let us know! And if you’d like to chronicle your upgrade, we might even post an article about your travels. Drop us a line; we’d love to hear from you.

Keep playing,
Mark

Note: If you’re shopping for pickups or other gear, please consider supporting your PartTimeMusician.com advertisers! Just follow the links in the right-hand column to explore your upgrade options. Thank you!

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