WIRE CHOICE

Some like ‘modern-style’, others opt for ‘vintage’. But what do different wiring methods actually bring to your sound, asks a reader

Q As a novice 70-year-old guitar player/collector, I have 13 guitars: Ibanez, Gretsch, Spear, Indie and some others. I get somewhat confused by the different pickups on offer and how they are wired, and which one does what. But my question is, does it make a difference how the pickups are wired to the pots/ jack socket? Does the wire gauge make a difference? Some guitars for sale say they have ‘50s style’ wiring, whatever that means.

I have just made a T-style guitar from different parts and while I’ve used the original wiring for the neck pickup, I used telephone wiring – coloured orange, white, blue, white for the bridge pickup and jack socket – and it all works okay. But I haven’t seen anything relating to the actual wire. So, can you tell me, does different gauge for wiring affect the sound? Tony Lloyd, via email

A I remember a visit some years ago to Fender’s USA factory where the late, great Dan Smith was showing us around, including the company’s mapmaking section. He held up a piece of cloth-covered wire and explained that nobody else used it any more but Fender did “because it sounded better”. He winked then laughed. And, of course, the cloth-covered wire does sound better, doesn’t it?