Electric Guitar String Ground

Tech Talk, Electric Guitars, Electronics / Erik

Potential sources of EMI are all around us: cell phones, radios, computers, and fluorescent lights are just a handful of common sources. To compound the issue, the human body is a natural antenna for electromagnetic interference.

To eliminate the EMI that a player inherently adds to the signal, a wire is attached in such a way as to connect the guitar strings to the instrument’s electronic ground.

While the player touches the strings, this wire effectively cancels out the noise that a players body adds to the signal by giving it a path to ground. This crucial length of wire is known as the “String Ground Wire”.

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Highwood Vintage Contoured Strat Saddles

Tech Talk, Electric Guitars, Installations & Upgrades / Erik

Fender “vintage style” stamped saddles have been used for decades on Stratocasters and many other S-style guitars. Made of bent steel, they are highly adjustable and posses a classic look.

However, for some playing styles, these saddles have a major drawback. Highwood Guitars Parts HG Contoured Vintage Guitar Saddles retain the look of the original Fender design with key improvements.

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Fender Jazz Bass Mods and Upgrades

Tech Talk, Electric Guitars, Fender Guitars, Installations & Upgrades / Erik

The Jazz Bass is an iconic Leo Fender design. The second of his ground breaking solid body basses, Since its introduction in 1960, this instrument has been fundamental in the development of players sounds in musical styles across the spectrum: funk, disco, Reggae, progressive rock, jazz fusion, etc. Below are a few ideas to help you put your own spin on this classic design.

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Mods and Upgrades For Fender Stratocaster

Tech Talk, Electric Guitars, Fender Guitars, Installations & Upgrades / Erik

Simple changes to an instruments hardware can make a huge improvement in the feel and tone. For some players, half of the fun is picking and choosing the mods you like to create a personalized guitar that fits your needs and tastes.

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Fender Factory Tour

Tech Talk, Electric Guitars, Factory Tour, Fender Guitars / Erik

Fender’s Corona facility was opened in 1985. While Fender has factories and offices all over the world, this is where the flagship guitars and basses are made. This is also where they assemble their American made amplifiers and the home of the Fender Custom Shop.

In September of 2011, I was able to tour and photograph the facility. At the time, Fender had recently resumed offering public tours. What follows is largely a repost of content that originally appeared on an earlier version of this website. Having rediscovered the photos, I am resharing them in the hope that they may be of interest.

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Electric Guitars