Capacitors: Values and Types October 29, 2022 John There a few topics more likely to cause arguments on guitar forums than capacitors (caps). So, let’s have a look at what’s really going on. In a guitar signal path (note that I am not using the term ‘circuit’ – more on that later), capacitors are usually […]

What’s a Treble Bleed Mod? May 10, 2020 John 7:14 pm You may have noticed that as you roll off volume you lose the treble end of your sound faster than the low end and you end up with a dark, muddy tone. There is a physics-related explanation, involving relative resistance and capacitance between potentiometers […]

Humbuckers, Polarity and Phase November 28, 2019 John 7:07 pm In the last blog we looked at why you get unwanted hum from single coil pickups. Now, we are going to look at two coil pickups or ‘humbuckers’ as they are commonly known and also why magnetic polarity and wind direction are so important when […]

Tactics for Dealing with EMI and Hum November 10, 2019 John 6:57 pm In this blog we’ll look at what causes pickups to hum and how to deal with it. We’ve had a couple of guitars in the workshop recently which have had hum issues, so it’s worth recapping how and why this happens. How […]

Vox Custom 24 September 5, 2017 John In 1992 the flat on the North Peckham Estate I was living in was burgled and my Westone Thunder Jet was stolen along with a Session 90 amplifier. Of course, I’ve regretted their loss but the theft of the guitar and the fact that I was insured allowed […]