Guitar Repair Technician 105 (GRT105): Electronic Repair & Diagnostics

1 day / 8 hours – Certificate course

Exclusively designed and delivered by Blackwood Guitarworks. A focused, hands‑on day that demystifies guitar wiring and electronics. Expect theory‑driven technique plus guided bench mentorship—bring your own project (cleaning scratchy controls, pickup swaps, custom switching, copper-tape shielding, 50s wiring, treble‑bleed, etc.) or practice on our in‑class exercises. Note: We don’t supply projects.

Who It’s For

Players, techs‑in‑training, and repair hobbyists who want clean, reliable wiring jobs, fast diagnostics, and confidence with common mods.

The book, “Complete Guitar Care & Maintenance“ is required for this class and is available at Long & McQuade (Canada), Chapters/Indigo, Amazon, or anywhere else that sells books.

What You’ll Be Able to Do

Signal path & component behavior: pickups, pots (value/taper), caps, switches, jacks, grounds, shielding.

Popular circuits & mods: Strat/Tele/LP fundamentals; treble‑bleed networks; 50s wiring; push‑pull/switching options.

Diagnostics workflow: multimeter essentials (resistance, continuity, voltage checks), simple audio‑probe technique.

Noise control: shielding strategy, star grounds, ground loops, continuity checks.

Soldering done right: iron setup, tip care, joint quality, heat management.

Class Overview (drop-down menu)

How pickups and electronic components function
Professional soldering technique
Using a multimeter for verification and fault‑finding
Strat/Tele/Les Paul wiring fundamentals
How volume & tone controls actually work (and sound shaping with cap values)
Treble‑bypass (treble‑bleed) options
Electronic modifications and customizations
Shielding strategy for quieter guitars

Bring‑Your‑Own‑Project (Encouraged)

Examples of suitable projects for the class:

Replace/upgrade pickups
Replace/upgrade pots, switches, jack
Add custom switching (coil‑split, series/parallel, phase)
Shield a pickguard or cavity
Add 50s wiring (Gibson‑style)
Add treble‑bleed network
Install/rewire a 5‑way blade, rotary, or push‑pull

Please check first if your idea is unusually complex (active preamps, full rewires with multiple miniswitches, exotic rotary schemes). We aim for one scoped project per student so everyone finishes confidently within the time we have.

Required Supplies & Tools (drop-down menu)

One working & functional electric guitar – arrive with strings on
A set of new strings
A towel or mat to lay your guitar on (we will be using tables)
A cloth or rag to protect your guitar while soldering
A small cellulose sponge for cleaning your solder iron
Fine electronic grade (22 gauge/ .032″), 60/40 rosin-core solder
Tweezers and a X-acto Knife are recommended
Wire Strippers, Wire Cutters
Any tools needed to remove any of the components being changed (if you’re not sure- ask!)
A “Third-Hand” will make your life easier but is not mandatory
Any parts & supplies you will be using for your project- make sure they fit in your guitar beforehand!
A wiring diagram for your layout (freely available on the internet)
**Name brand (ie. Weller, Solomon) 30W-40W pencil style Soldering Iron with a brand new tip