FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions
Q: Why are your wiring kits cheaper than others that I have found on the Internet?
Q: How do your wiring kits compare to kits from RS guitarworks?
Q: Will your Vintage Les Paul kit fit my import LP copy?
Q: I need a kit for a guitar that I do not see listed on your site, do you make custom kits? What is the cost to have a custom kit made?
Q: How long does it take for your shipment to arrive to another country outside the U.S.?
Q: I live outside the United States, will there be import charges on my order?
Q: I have an Epiphone Les Paul, do the original knobs fit on the new pots or do I have to buy USA sized knobs?
Q: Can I get the LP or ES kits with a gold switch and ouput jack?
Q: Will your LP kits fit in my Tokai Love Rock?
Q: How do I know if I need the long shaft pots or the short shaft pots for my Les Paul?
Q: Will I have to enlarge the volume and tone holes in my guitar for the new pots to fit?
Answers
Q: Why are your wiring kits cheaper than others that I have found on the Internet?
A: We are a family owned and operated business and since we do not employ others outside of our family at this time, our profits are our wages. Since we do not have to pay employees and then have money left over to pay ourselves this reduces the cost to our customers. We also do not have a storefront open to the public and we only advertise on the internet, these two points help keep our overhead down and once again reduces the cost of our products to our customers.
Q: How do your wiring kits compare to kits from RS guitarworks?
A: Please understand that we do not in any way wish to play down or undermine any of our competitors and we will try to be as unbiased as possible in answering this question.
We use swtichcraft jacks and switches like RS Guitarworks does but on our ES kits we use a short straight switch instead of the angled switch, difference? Shape.
RS advertises that they use CTS pots that are made specifically for them with a special taper. We do not have any more information then that about the pots they use. We use CTS pots made specifically for MOJOTONE that keep within a 10% tolerance and we test each of these to insure that tolerance when we receive them. Will they have the same taper as the ones RS uses? We can’t answer that, but we have found ours very reliable. We also have a volume mod option for our Vintage kits, this is simply a 220k resistor and 47pf capacitor in parallel with each other that keeps the presence (brightness) of a guitar as you turn down the volume. Most of the time a guitar sounds its best with the volume at 10 and as soon as you start to turn it down it starts to darken up, not with these volume mods in place, the brightness remains as you turn the volume down.
We use Vitamin T oil filled caps in our kits and RS uses Jensens. We chose the Vitamin T’s because they brought the vintage tone we were looking for at less than half the cost of the Jensens. We have not done an audio comparison between the Jensens and the Vitamin T’s but we did do a comparison recording between the Vitamin T’s and a set of vintage Bumblebees from a 1957 ES336 and what we found surprised us a little. At first we thought the bumblebees were a tad bit warmer but upon further evaluation we found that the Vitamin T’s brought out more volume and when we turned the vitamin T recording down a little or the bumblebee recording up a little they sounded identical to us.
We do not know what gauge wire RS uses in their kits but we do know that we use heavier gauge wires than other kit manufacturers for the best electrical transfer possible. We like to use heavier gauge, solid core and thick stranded wire instead of the hair thin, light gauge wire that are used in cheaper kits that are sold by other manufacturers and on eBay. From what we can see RS does not use inferior wire for their kits, we just do not know if they use the same gauge as us.
Without doing a side by side comparison of our kits and RS kits, but just looking at the specs of the components we would say that there would be very little difference, if any, in the tone between the two kits. We are pretty sure if you asked RS the same question they would disagree and they may be right, like we said, we have not done a side by side comparison. I would suggest checking out the testimonies page on our website and see what our customers say about our kits.
Q: Will your Vintage Les Paul kit fit my import LP copy?
A: Our Kits will fit most copies as long as they have the same layout. For example our LP kits will fit fine in Agile and Tokia LPs but the distance from the switch to the volume knob on a Tokai is longer than a standard LP so it needs a longer wiring harness. To be sure you get a proper fit with an import guitar, check our Custom Kits page, take the proper measurements and pictures and email them to us. If it is only a difference in length of wire and the layouts of the pots it will not cost any extra for a kit built to your layout specs. Also, any guitar besides USA made Gibson’s will probably need to have the pot holes opened up for the new pots to fit. Don’t worry, this is not as hard as you may think, just check out our Instructions and Diagrams page and click on the “Pot Hole Mod” button to see what is involved to make the new pots fit.
Q: I need a kit for a guitar that I do not see listed on your site, do you make custom kits? What is the cost to have a custom kit made?
A: Yes, check out our Custom Kits page to see what is needed for ordering a custom kit. The cost of the kit will be comparable to a similar kit that we already carry. For example, if you wanted a Vintage series kit for a Fender Telecaster Deluxe with a 3-way toggle, 2 volume and 2 tone controls it would cost about the same as our Vintage LP kit.
Q: How long does it take for your shipment to arrive to another country outside the U.S.?
A: We ship by USPS First Class International and it usually takes 10 to 14 business days for the package to arrive. Shipments to Brazil can take up to 6 weeks. If after 14 business days you have not received your package please check with your local post office to see if it is being held for import taxes.
Q: I live outside the United States, will there be import charges on my order?
A: Any import charges that may be incurred will be the responsibility of the buyer. The cost of importing an item is different in every country and the charges can vary depending on the carrier as well. We offer our products worldwide and with so many variables it would be impossible for us to keep up with any possible importing charge in every country. We have no idea if there will be a charge or how much it will be when we ship it, our carrier does not give this information to us because they do not keep it themselves. The import charge is the responsibility of the importer (buyer) and must be paid when delivered to its destination.
All International purchases will be put on hold for 24 hours before sending it on to the shop for assembly and shipping. If we do not receive an email canceling your order then we will assume that you wish the order to go through and we will send it to the shop. If you wish the order to go through immediately just email us with your consent and we will forward the order on to the shop without waiting the 24 hours. If you wish to cancel your order based on this information please email us immediately, we will refund your payment if you have already paid it and we will cancel the order with no negative results to you.
Q: I have an Epiphone Les Paul, do the original knobs fit on the new pots or do I have to buy USA sized knobs?
A: The original knobs from the Epiphone can be made to fit with a some coaxing but you do run the risk of cracking or splitting your knobs. Since the pots are split shaft you can pinch the top of the shaft together a little and then slowly push the old knobs on. We have done this on a lot of Epiphone LP’s and SG’s that have come through our shop but we have had some knobs split. If your knobs are old and seem brittle then they may split and you will need to replace them. You may want to consider purchasing some USA sized knobs to go with your kit.
Q: Can I get the LP or ES kits with a gold switch and ouput jack?
A: Yes, but there is one caviat, the switch would be a panasonic switch with a gold metal tip. We have to make this substitution because Switchcraft does not make a gold short shaft switch at this time. The panasonics have been very reliable and they are what we use for all of our gold kits. We also will replace the washer and nut for each of the pots with a gold washer and nut. There will be an additional $6.50 cost for the gold hardware, if you find this acceptable jJust email us with the request and we will send you an invoice by way of PayPal.
Q: How do I know if I need the long shaft pots or the short shaft pots for my Les Paul?
A: Usually only Gibson Les Pauls need the long shaft pots for their thick arch tops but some other manufacturers do make a thick arch top LP style guitar. To know if you need a long shaft pot you will need to take one of your volume pots out of the guitar and measure the bushing (the threaded part of the shaft). If the bushing is 3/4″ long then you will need the long shaft pots, if it is 3/8″ long then you will need the short shaft pots.
Q: Will your LP kits fit in my Tokai Love Rock?
A: Yes these kits will fit the Tokai Love Rock but there are a couple of things you will need to know. We have had some Tokai’s in the past that needed a longer switch harness, so if you buy the VLPK-1 with the Switch you will need to measure the distance from the switch to the neck volume knob, if it is more than 12 inches you will need to send us the proper measurement and we will build it to fit your guitar. Also you will need to check to see how long your volume and tone pots are to know if you need the kit assembled for Gibson’s which come with the long shaft pots or just the regular kit which comes with the short shaft pots. To know which one you need you will need to take one of your volume pots out of the guitar and measure the bushing (the threaded part of the shaft). If the bushing is 3/4″ long then you will need the long shaft pots, if it is 3/8″ long then you will need the short shaft pots.
Q: Will I have to enlarge the volume and tone holes in my guitar for the new pots to fit?
A: If the holes are 3/8″ wide then they are fine, if they are smaller they will need to be opened up for the new pots to fit. It’s not as hard as it sounds to make the holes larger click here to see some instructions on how to do it.
