Understanding guitar electronics and setup

Anyone can point out a good reference book on electric guitar electronics. I want to start tinkering with my guitar, and would like a primer on pickups (winding, wires, grounding, coil splitting), switch and pots.

I would also be looking for a good book on how to set up a guitar: truss rod adjustment, tonality, recommended action, bridge saddles, etc.

Thank you,

Only 1 name stands out: Dan Erlewine. Considering the amount of times I've recommended him, I should include the reference in my signature lol.

Originally Posted by: mcharb72

Anyone can point out a good reference book on electric guitar electronics. I want to start tinkering with my guitar, and would like a primer on pickups (winding, wires, grounding, coil splitting), switch and pots.

I would also be looking for a good book on how to set up a guitar: truss rod adjustment, tonality, recommended action, bridge saddles, etc.

This is arguably the best book to start with. Essential if you intend doing your own setups. I bought my copy shortly after kicking off back in late 2017. Would buy the same again.[br][br]Supplement it with StewMac's You Tube channel videos and you've got most things guitar covered. Also check out Seymour Duncan's website for pickup installation and setup 101. They've recently revamped their website to include superb tutorials as well as access to a number of typical guitar config wiring guides which you can download for reference.

Thanks for the comments... I'll look into Dan Erlewine's books, and StewMac's Youtube channel.

For guitar setups I have been using this book. Covers every type of guitar and goes step by step through the process. I got the Kindle version for $4.99 and read it on a color tablet because there are a lot of photos. I knew nothing about set ups before hand and was paying $75 to $100 for them. I know have nine guitars and do them all myself. Not a bad return on the $5 investment. Plus I learned a lot about my guitars and can fine tune to my liking.

https://www.amazon.com/How-Setup-Your-Guitar-Like/dp/0991854144

Originally Posted by: ScubaCPA

For guitar setups I have been using this book.

Note: Snip & link modification in relevant sentence by me. [br][br]Thanks for the heads up on this. The online "Look Inside" was useless only showing the first couple of intro pages, which was as basic as 'parts of the guitar' duff elementry 'never even seen a guitar before beginner' stuff, but for hardly more than the price of a cheeseburger for the Kindle version, curiosity begged so I bought it. That said, it does proclaim clearly on the cover it's aimed at guiding "beginners" through the process made "easy" as possible.[br][br]Curiosity again got the better of me when in the opening pages also by this author list I saw the "Complete Guitar Care & Maintenance: The Ultimate Owners Guide" by the same author available in the Kindle Ed. This time I had to lash out the price of a double cheesburger to make a copy mine. = ] [br][br]At a prima facie glance, the latter covers most if not all of the material in the former, with extra stuff like electronics and soldering. Hardly a surprise, the proprietary wiring diagrams etc like the bridge references for electric are all classic Fender Strat, Tele & Gibson LP guitar specifc. The reviews of the latter list its "beyond the scope of this guide" disclaimer deferment shortcoming (as a common disappointed verified purchase reviewer criticism).[br][br]That said, while most info in any book these days can be found in online video and written tutorials, for the price of the Kindle Editions here collated in a single volume is sufficient info to get anyone with a little common sense and some rudimentiary tools through at least all the steps required of a performing a proper setup. An exceptional deal considering the comparative cost of having any work on your guitar/s performed by a shop/luthier anywhere. Two thumbs up.

P.S. After closer perusal, I ended up refunding on the first title, and keeping "Complete Guitar Care & Maintenance: The Ultimate Owners Guide". The second repeats the info in the first but includes additional material.

[br]For the absolute beginner, l recommend the first if wanting to have an intitial attempt to learn to perform your own setups. It is a more the step by step hand holding guide focussed on that. To say absolutely worth the < $5 for the Kindle version is obvious gross understatement. [br][br]With owning Erlewine in hardcopy, I didn't actually need the second volume either, but would recommend it as worthwhile to those seeking to learn to perform their own setups and regular guitar maintenance. I kept it as a handy portable .mobi format reference on my Android tablet and Chromebook, and ridiculous value.

I'll be adjusting the trussrod and bridge on my strat this weekend; it's about time and I'm pleased that the fender super 250L 9-42s lasted roughly 8-months lifespan.

In closing, I own all hardcopies of Dan's books. Don't have to worry about recharging them during maintenance

P.S. Do we need any excuse to start talking about tools?