“Why Not Try It Myself” Two Tips for Guitar Modifications or Repair
Modifying any instrument can be a long and stressful process, but also incredibly rewarding in the end. Throughout the journey, often musicians find various unreliable or conflicting sources online, find out they are missing the right parts and tools for the job, and experience a long series of trial and error working with the different parts and electronics. In order to assist musicians embarking on the long and often drawn-out process of modifying a guitar, we have comprised a list of steps through talking to Leaf Castillo, a gigging guitarist who recently modified his Squier Jaguar.
Research
“I spent hours scrolling through online forums and watching DIY (Do it Yourself) videos, even before I began gathering my supplies” Leaf states “I felt a mix of excitement, frustration, with a ton of trial and error.” The key to any successful ‘mod’ project is hours of video tutorials and browsing forums. Research frequently and effectively, and keep an eye out for any conflicting information. With conflicting information, make sure to fact check with a source you can trust. After your research is complete, source all the parts and tools you will need to begin any modification or repair.
Patience
Patience is crucial when doing your first modifications. If you are learning how to solder for the first time, or even your first time looking under your guitar’s pickguard to see the wiring, it can be overwhelming. “The wiring was probably the hardest part as I had to first learn how to solder, then figure out what I was doing.” Leaf says “It was a little heartbreaking when things didn’t work out the first few tries–but that ‘aha’ moment when everything does work makes all the painstaking challenges worth it.” Cutting corners and rushing through the process will make the whole modification or repair journey more time consuming and potentially lead to issues in the future.
With a great deal of preparation and patience, you will be ready to begin modifying your guitar. When discussing how the modification process has changed his view of his guitar with Leaf, he states “That Squier has stuck with me through a lot, and modding it just brought that connection full circle. I guess modding it helped me fall back in love with it and inspires me to play.”