Fingerboard Radius – How Does It Affect Magnet Stagger?
Your Instrument's Fingerboard Radius is an important part of your instrument, especially when it comes to selecting Pickup Magnet Stagger!
READ ARTICLEEssential Reads
Essential tips, tricks, mods, and more. Become a guitar wiring master here.
Demystifying Humbucker Color Codes
Learn how to match different manufacturer's humbucker color codes with our easy guide.
READ ARTICLE
The Correct Way To Remove Metal Filings From Pickups
Learn how to efficiently and safely remove metal filings from your guitar (or bass) pickup's magnets!
READ ARTICLE
4 Unique HSS Strat Wiring Tips For More Versatility
In this article, we discuss Strats with a Humbucker in the Bridge (HSS)! There are a few tips and tricks for interesting HSS wiring, so read on!
READ ARTICLE
5 Powerful Ways To Coil Split Your Humbucker
Today, we're discussing some exciting and unique ways to approach Coil Splitting with Humbuckers!
READ ARTICLE
Reverse Pickup Polarity The Easy Way With Multiple Leads
This is the last installment of our Phase and Polarity series. If you want to read more, check out these previous articles: Part 1: Reversing Phase with Single Coils Part 2: Reversing Phase with Humbuckers A few weeks ago, we discussed how to reverse your pickup’s phase by examining the different properties that combine to create the pickup’s overall phase. […]
READ ARTICLE
6 Powerful Ways To Wire Up A Tone Pot
There are many ways to wire up a tone pot, and it can be confusing deciding which one to choose. Different eras of wiring produce different tones, as Modern wiring sounds different from ’50s wiring. We’ve wired up tone pots on our best-selling Telecaster Control Plates and Prewired Pickguards in many different ways. Today, we’re only going to focus on […]
READ ARTICLE
Install Your Telecaster Pickups Like a Pro With These Simple Tips!
Installing Telecaster Pickups can be a tricky business. Installing the Bridge pickup alone can give you sweaty palms. Even worse, if those sweaty palms lead to a slip, you can nick a coil wire and kill your pickup. At Fralin Pickups, we’ve seen it all. We’ve seen the mangled coil wires from the mounting screws and punctured coil from the […]
READ ARTICLE
Learn how to choose between 250K and 500K Pots now!
We frequently get asked about pot values when a customer orders one of our Prewired Telecaster Control Plates or Prewired Pickguards. Pot value has a significant impact on your instrument’s final tone; it’s essential to choose wisely. We mainly get asked how to choose between 250K pots and 500K pots. Let’s dig in! CHOOSING BETWEEN 250K AND 500K POTS: When […]
READ ARTICLE
How to Reverse Pickup Polarity Part 2: Humbuckers
Note: this two-part article was originally one article, and I edited it into two parts for clarity and brevity. If you want to learn more about Polarity in general, read Part 1. Reversing the polarity of a Humbucker is a relatively simple task when compared to a single-coil pickup like a Stratocaster or Telecaster pickup. When changing the phase of […]
READ ARTICLE
How to Reverse Pickup Polarity, Part 1: Single Coil Pickups
This is Part 1 of a 2-part series on reversing pickup polarity. This article focuses on Single Coil Pickups. For Humbuckers, see Part 2. Needing to reverse your pickup’s phase is something you most likely never want to encounter, but it’s an essential skill to have. If you are reading this article, you most likely experienced the ‘Out of Phase’ […]
READ ARTICLE
What’s The Difference Between ’50s Wiring and Modern Wiring?
This is a very high-level overview of this topic. Different Tone Caps, Pickups, body woods, playing styles, etc. will all affect the outcome of your tone. ’50s Wiring vs. Modern Wiring – What Gives? If you have a Les Paul® or Telecaster Deluxe, chances are you have run into this thing called “’50s Wiring“. What is it? Is Modern Wiring […]
READ ARTICLE
Stratocaster Wiring – Tips, Mods & More!
It’s no secret that the Fender Stratocaster® is one of the most popular guitar models of all time. Because of this, we sell a lot of Strat pickups. Our most popular Strat models are our Clean & Clear Vintage Hot and our Thick & Dirty Blues Specials – they simply sound like a Strat should. Today, we’ve got some useful Stratocaster wiring […]
READ ARTICLE
What does Overwinding and Underwinding a pickup do?
A question we get asked often is, “what does overwinding a pickup do?” or, “what does underwinding a pickup do?” It’s a simple question, with a slightly complicated answer. Fortunately, we know how to answer it without making your head spin. When making a guitar or bass pickup, one vital ingredient of the pickup is the coil. The coil consists […]
READ ARTICLE
The Nashville Tele Problem
Nashville Telecasters are an interesting hybrid of two of the most popular guitar styles out there. Nashville Teles offer a Telecaster body and feel, and Stratocaster pickup layout. By adding a middle pickup in between the Neck and Bridge pickups of a Telecaster, you can get more of that traditional Strat ‘Quack’ out of your Telecaster. Adding a Middle Pickup […]
READ ARTICLE
Fralin Pickups 30th Anniversary!
Well, we made it. 30 years strong! We’ve come a long way: from humble beginnings to now – one of the best-known guitar pickup makers in the world. Since 1989, we’ve been growing slowly and steadily, and we couldn’t be more proud of that fact. For 30 years, we’ve strived to provide our customers with hand-made pickups, concentrating on quality, […]
READ ARTICLE
Introducing: Lindy Fralin’s Push Pull Blender Pot
We’re excited. You should be, too. Lindy finally pulled the trigger on something he has always wanted – a Push-Pull Blender Pot. This custom pot can add a load of versatility to your Stratocaster®, Telecaster®, or Gibson®. Now, you can achieve more advanced wiring customization by adding a Blender Pot and a Push-Pull configuration. Lindy has been taking normal Push-Pull pots […]
READ ARTICLE
What is Wax Potting?
Wax Potting is an essential part of the pickup-making process. At Fralin Pickups, it is the last step of the manufacturing process before it goes to the shipping room. It is a delicate and vital technique that requires a good deal of attention to the details. We get asked all the time about Wax Potting. What is it? Is it […]
READ ARTICLE
5 Essential Guitar Pickup Luthier Tools
In this article, we want to talk about five essential tools a luthier can use when installing and diagnosing pickups. These tools are tools we use all day, every day. The best part about them: they are all very simple to use (and inexpensive)! 1.) Magnetic Polarity Checker A Magnetic Polarity Checker is pretty crucial. If you don’t have one, […]
READ ARTICLE
4-Way Switching With A Push-Pull Pot
Recently, we’ve heard that certain 4-Way Switch manufacturers are not 100% compatible with the Fender Telecaster Control Plate. We’ve found that the switch swings too wide, getting blocked by the Plate itself. This prevents the switch from making full contact to all terminals, and thus not working correctly. Our 4-Way Switching mod will solve this problem. We’ve done some brainstorming […]
READ ARTICLE
How To Choose The Right Humbucker Lead
There’s a lot you can do with a humbucker pickup, wiring wise. Choosing the right Humbucker Lead will help you get the job done right. Humbuckers are a powerful tool in the guitar pickup toolbox. They have their own sound, and their own function: they don’t hum! (duh) They are also very versatile. You can wire them a plethora of […]
READ ARTICLE
8 Common Guitar Pickup Rookie Mistakes!
Lindy Fralin Pickups has been around for over 25 years, and in that time, we’ve seen all levels of guitar and bass player. From the bedroom hobbyist to the full-blown touring pro, we’ve all had to start somewhere. We’ve also seen all levels of guitar players make these simple mistakes, time and time again. This is our list of the […]
READ ARTICLE
Watch Lindy Fralin Restore A 1967 Telecaster Bridge Pickup!
The BEGINNING: Lindy Fralin Pickups was started from a pickup repair and rewind business. It’s how Lindy started building pickups, and how he started designing new models. It’s the cornerstone of our business that helped turn us into the full-scale manufacturing shop we are today. We’ve repaired and rewound some of the rarest and most sought-after Fender® and Gibson® pickups out […]
READ ARTICLE
How Does Coil-Splitting Work?
Coil Splitting is a simple, usable way to add another dimension of tone to your guitar. You can essentially double your tone, with a flip (or pull) of a switch. You can use this to clean up a beefy humbucker or get your tone to “cut through” a lot more. If you want to understand what’s going on when you split […]
READ ARTICLE
How To Use A Multimeter with Guitar Pickups
The Multimeter is one of our most-used tools in our workshop. It’s used to test pickup continuity, phase, and resistance of our pickups. Within a few seconds, we can test a pickup to determine what might be wrong with the pickup. Let’s talk about how we use our Multimeters, and how you can use this powerful tool correctly! The Basics: […]
READ ARTICLE
How Do I Check My String Spacing?
String Spacing is a time-old question we get asked all the time – 49.2mm, 49.5mm, 50mm, 52mm – which one is right for my guitar? Today, we’ll talk about how to check your string spacing, and answer some basic questions you might have about string spacing in general. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT? Pretty important. The pickup’s magnets or pole pieces […]
READ ARTICLE
How To Mix Single Coils and Humbuckers
Mixing Single Coil pickups and Humbuckers present a wide array of challenges to the average guitarist. HSS Strats, Telecasters, and other mixed-pickup guitars all have this problem, and most of the time, it goes overlooked by the guitarist. We get a lot of calls and spend a lot of time talking through this issue – there’s no one real solution […]
READ ARTICLE
Flipped Control Plate For Telecaster®
For October, we’re going to be taking a break from the usual electronics mods! (Whew.) Instead, we’re going to focus on a more practical mod for your Telecaster. Lindy first saw this mod being used by Bill Kirchen, and soon used this mod on all of his Telecasters. Introducing the Flipped Control Plate. This mod gives you easier access to […]
READ ARTICLE
Understanding D.C. Resistance For Guitar Pickups
D.C. Resistance, or a pickup’s Ohm reading, is not the “Holy Grail” of understanding a pickup’s output – it will give you a rough understanding. On occasion, we get a customer’s email stating that “their 8.2K Pure P.A.F. bridge reads 8K – What’s Wrong?” The answer is simply “Nothing at all.” There are a lot of variables that can make […]
READ ARTICLE
How Do Humbuckers Work?
We all know the sound – that pesky buzz that can ruin a perfect take in the studio, or distract your audience when playing live. We’re talking about 50-60 Cycle Hum – the annoying interference that can really have an effect on your playing and tone. Today, we’re going to talk about Hum: where it comes from, and answer our […]
READ ARTICLE
August Mod Of The Month: Push Pull Volume Kit
For August, we’re talking about the Fralin Volume Kit, or Treble Bleed Circuit. The Volume Kit is basically a Capacitor and Resistor tied together to solve a simple problem on your guitar – loss in highs when you roll your volume down. On traditional volume pots (250K’s are the worst for this), when you roll your volume down, your tone gets darker. […]
READ ARTICLE July Mod Of The Month: Blender And Gradual Tap Madness!
Last month we talked about our “Gradual Tap” mod. If you haven’t seen this, go back and check that one out – we’ll be using 2 of them in this month’s mod, coupled with another blender pot to get really cool tones out of your Les-Paul® style guitar. With this mod, you’ll need: A guitar with 2 humbuckers equipped with […]
READ ARTICLE June Mod Of The Month – The Gradual Tap
For June, we’re doing a nice and easy way to get a plethora of tones out of your humbucker. This month, we’re talking about the Gradual Tap* Mod. This mod utilizes a Humbucker with a 3-Conductor lead that sounds great tapped. Examples of our humbuckers would be our Unbucker, our Standard Humbucker, or our High Output Humbucker. It also utilizes our […]
READ ARTICLE
How Do Blade Switches Work?
3-Way, 4-Way, 5-Way, Toggle, Blade, Rotary – There’s a lot of switches available for your electric guitar. Some come in a variety of designs and can introduce some new functionality to your guitar. These little connectors are powerful when you know how to use them, so let’s learn how they work! Today, we’re going to talk about Blade Switches. Blade […]
READ ARTICLE
All About Alnico!
In this day and age of the electric guitar, we’ve pretty much seen it all. AlNiCo 2-8, Ceramic, Samarium Cobalt – guitarists and innovators are always trying new things to get different tones – but, what’s the difference between them? How do you choose? We’ve decided to make a little magnet “Cheat Sheet” for your reference, and experimentation. Let’s start […]
READ ARTICLE The Bright Switch
The Bright Switch is a simple mod that you can add to any guitar that will make you go “woah!” as soon as you engage it. All you need is some basic soldering skills and a Push-Pull Pot that is the correct value (250K/500K) for your guitar. (More on Pots and Pot values here.) What it does: On the technical end, […]
READ ARTICLE
Get Better At Soldering: 6 Tips & Tricks
I remember learning how to solder like it was yesterday. What I remember most is just feeling awkward, like watching a baby deer trying to walk for the first time. Soldering is one of the most critical skills to have when working on your guitar. I always hear people say “I’m not good at soldering” or “I can never do that.” Because of […]
READ ARTICLE
Push-Pull Pot Power!
A Push-Pull Pot can add a ton of versatility to your guitar! They are a great way to add a switch, or other cool mods without modifying your guitar too much. You can use them to reverse the phase, split a Humbucker, or trick your guitar out in a fresh way. They can be a little tricky to wrap your head […]
READ ARTICLE
Lindy’s Original Winding Machine
I’m super excited about writing this post. This post highlights Lindy’s original hand-built winding machine. Basically, this post not only showcases a part of history, but it also serves to showcase something else. Lindy Fralin is a legend in the pickup industry. It’s just one of the reasons why we love coming into work every day: getting to work with someone who […]
READ ARTICLE
4-Way Switching For Your Tele
We get asked about 4-Way Switching a lot. It’s a simple mod that when added to your Telecaster, puts your pickups in Series, instead of Parallel. You can get a pretty beefy tone with both pickups on like this, and it adds a new dimension to your favorite guitar. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PARALLEL AND SERIES? In a standard guitar, like […]
READ ARTICLE
How Do Volume and Tone Pots Work For Guitar?
Volume Pots and Tone Pots are an integral part of your guitar’s tone and setup. By understanding your Volume Pots and Tone Pots a little more, you can make sure you pick the right Pot type and value for your guitar. THE BASICS: A Potentiometer (or “Pot” for short) is a type of variable resistor. By turning the Pot, you […]
READ ARTICLE
What’s The Deal With Pickup Polarity?
If you’re reading this article, you probably were trying to order a single pickup. Trust us – it’s not too difficult to find your pickup polarity, and it’s well worth the effort. For identifying your magnetic polarity, we recommend buying one of these: Schatten Magnet Polarity Tester IMAGINE THIS SCENARIO: You just purchased a Bridge pickup for your guitar. You’re excited […]
READ ARTICLE