Guitar Project: DONE!

John and I finished our guitar project tonight!  We eventually abandoned the wiring guide that we found, opting for the stock Fender wiring diagram.  I’m not convinced that the other guy’s wiring diagram wasn’t good, it was just a bit lacking on the specific details that made it possible to execute it fully.

For example, he had a direction to screw a brass plate with a ring terminal into the bottom of the guitar to ground the body.  It seems that the standard ring terminals we could find were all aluminum, which does not solder in a fashion that we could make it work, even with flux solder.

Not to be deterred, we got the wiring put back in order (albeit with MUCH more solder on the joints from our less than skillful hands) and that portion was done.  One final issue: the shielding paint we used worked too well, and it seems with some wiggling would ground out the hot lead for the jack despite our best efforts.  Like any good DIY project, this one was solved with an ample supply of electrical tape once we ran out of options.

And let me tell you what: Klein pickups are FANTASTIC.  They are the quietest single coil pickups I’ve ever heard, clean and clear.  They were so good my cousin was convinced that the volume pot had been damaged and wasn’t working until he  hit an earthshaking chord through my Blues Junior.

Despite the trials and tribulations, I’m happy with the end results.  My guitar sounds great, has a newly enhanced neck with greater playability, and I know a lot more about its inner workings.

Tomorrow John is going to set up the action and intonation, and the whole project will be capped off by a show at the Brass Rail where John will be playing a few tunes on my newly revamped strat.

Now, its time for some much needed rest!