Hi - read the great thread on the X350 pushbutton Tone circuit and wondered if anyone has removed the capacitors from the circuit and did the changes improve the sound on the various settings? Also anyone using the multiple pushbuttons down at once approach?
Guild X350 X375 pushbutton sound improvements ?
- Thread starter Lost City Ranch
- Start date
I can't answer your question, Ken, but welcome to LTG!! Quite an nice collection of vintage Guilds you have already!
walrus
walrus
Thanks so much - look forward to seeing all the cool threads that will pop up
I hate like mad to modify any old guitar even 1% but I hear these Franz pickups sound so amazing, and the caps on the neck pickup make it sound like pure mud and the bridge is almost too bright.
If you, or your tech, are careful then I would think the caps could be removed in such a way that they could be added back in. Keep in mind that just because something is vintage/original doesn't make it useable. You want to be able to USE this guitar.
Think of an early vintage telecaster with the goofy muddy sounds it makes. Nobody would leave that unmodded because you want to unlock the true potential of that instrument.
As soon as you remove the caps and plug the guitar in you'll have zero regrets!
Think of an early vintage telecaster with the goofy muddy sounds it makes. Nobody would leave that unmodded because you want to unlock the true potential of that instrument.
As soon as you remove the caps and plug the guitar in you'll have zero regrets!
Rudehog
Member
Caps could be bad, maybe replace with the same value.......
If you are cutting things out you want to cut the leads of the caps and resistors.
It appears that what you have there is two capacitors that are each coupled with a resistor.
If you need more direction perhaps someone can draw on the photo.
As I am looking closer at the photo though it looks like the caps/resistors might be in-line with one of the pickup leads.
So you may need to do some soldering. If you don't do soldering then have a trusted tech look at it.
It appears that what you have there is two capacitors that are each coupled with a resistor.
If you need more direction perhaps someone can draw on the photo.
As I am looking closer at the photo though it looks like the caps/resistors might be in-line with one of the pickup leads.
So you may need to do some soldering. If you don't do soldering then have a trusted tech look at it.
Yeah that's exactly what's happening jazzman. I was trying to figure out if I was missing something, since so many ppl had mentioned just "cutting them out". I knew the answer but just wanted verification lol. I'll go ahead and try the soldering job in the morning. Thanks so much for your help!
Not a problem! Hope all goes well.
One tip I would offer is to clip a small heat sink on the lead of the capacitor or resistor you are desoldering.
Sometimes that old solder takes a little time to melt and if all of that heat goes into the cap or resistor it can melt.
Now this is all based on the notion that you'd want to save the components.
If they're going in the trash then go nuts!
A small clip on heat sink should be available at your local radio shack or any electronics store.
One tip I would offer is to clip a small heat sink on the lead of the capacitor or resistor you are desoldering.
Sometimes that old solder takes a little time to melt and if all of that heat goes into the cap or resistor it can melt.
Now this is all based on the notion that you'd want to save the components.
If they're going in the trash then go nuts!
A small clip on heat sink should be available at your local radio shack or any electronics store.
I went ahead and did the deed. MAJOR difference. I really need to thank this forum for all the great information, I wouldn't have known this was possible if it wasn't for you guys sharing so much great info. I made a few videos of the new guitar, might've gotten a little carried away, my apologies for their length. This is Part 1 of 3 lol:
mrfett - would love to compare notes on the X375 - I clipped the big capacitor and the guitar opened up, but didn't do anything with the resistors. Mine is a 56 and would like to think these Franz pickups are as good as I read about on the forum. My name is Ken and my email is lostcityranch@gmail
mrfett, that video is great! What a cool guitar!
walrus
walrus
Great video, and discussion! It does sound a lot better after the mod.
Considering that this guitar comes to us from the early 50s, you have to wonder where the designers were going with it, and how it would have sounded when it was new. Hard to imagine they were designing it to be able to drive an amp into distortion. Rather, they'd probably do what they could to avoid that.
But that was then, and this is now. And what we expect from an electric guitar today is very, very different.
Your effort in putting the videos together is awesome. And so is the guitar.
Considering that this guitar comes to us from the early 50s, you have to wonder where the designers were going with it, and how it would have sounded when it was new. Hard to imagine they were designing it to be able to drive an amp into distortion. Rather, they'd probably do what they could to avoid that.
But that was then, and this is now. And what we expect from an electric guitar today is very, very different.
Your effort in putting the videos together is awesome. And so is the guitar.