Hardwiring an electric guitar top and sleeve to a 3 pin, 3.5mm PCB audio jack input...

misch

Jan 8, 2026
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Hello to all...I am new to the forum and am looking for a little advice with regards to a project I am currently attempting.

A little on my background: I am a professional carpenter/joiner but have very limited experience with electronics. (Limited in this instance having the meaning of absolute beginner)

I have recently made an electric guitar (self made guitar body with cannibalised neck and new electrics), after several attempts, and some very sketchy solder joints. I managed to get the sound output of the guitar sorted.

I have since decided that I would like to fit a small, recently purchased 10w amplifier, with USB charge port into the guitar. The amplifier has a 6.35mm input in the front of the control panel as with most amplifiers. The volume knobs etc are fitted in line with the circuit board ( see diagram) on the front of the board. The aux, headphone ad USB inputs are fitted to the rear of the board, also in line.



I dismantled the amplifier, removing speakers and battery but left the front panel connected to the board.

I have figured out the routing of the wires to connect the aux and headphone jack output to a pair standard 6.35mm guitar jack sockets (removing the standard mono sockets from the fitting and replacing them with stereo sockets)

What I would like to do is connect the amplifiers 6.35mm input jack directly to the guitar's tip and ground wires, thereby enabling the guitar to play through the amplifier without using cable from the guitar output jack to the amplifier input jack.

My thinking is that I can solder on to the amplifier input jack pins and connect them to the tip and ground wires of the guitar in between the pots and the input jack. The guitar is obviously mono but the amplifier is stereo so has left right and ground. is this possible?

My hope is that I can run the left and right pin of the amplifier into the one tip wire of the guitar!?

As previously stated, I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing...which, possibly due to my p idiotic query, may very well be blatantly obvious to an experienced engineer.

Any help and advice would be gratefully received.
Many thanks in advance

Regards

Craig
 

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Delta Prime

Jul 29, 2020
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The guitar is obviously mono but the amplifier is stereo so has left right and ground. is this possible?
You put the cart before the horse!
Guitar “pick ups”voltage level outputs specifications can vary from peak to peak, peak and RMS values. Vintage one coils approximately 175 to 520mV RMS. Active pickups can be 1 volt RMS or higher when you start ripping on it or strum it hard.
What is the impedance of your pick ups?
So what kind of pick ups you got?
What brand of cigarette are you holding?
I am a “blues man” I roll my own cigarette.
 
Last edited:

misch

Jan 8, 2026
8
Joined
Jan 8, 2026
Messages
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Guitar “pick ups”voltage level outputs specifications can vary from peak to peak, peak and RMS values. Vintage one coils approximately 175 to 520mV RMS. Active pickups can be 1 volt RMS or higher when you start ripping on it or strum it hard.
That would be “instrument level”which is much lower than “line level”, which should be OK for a stereo pre-amplifier, but your output will essentially be mono for two speakers.
So what kind of pick ups you got brother?

No, you’re shorting out the preamp stereo inputs.
What brand of cigarettes are you holding?
I'm not entirely sure what voltage is but they are AlnicoV singles at the neck and and twin at the saddle.

So running one wire from either left or right, not both?
 

misch

Jan 8, 2026
8
Joined
Jan 8, 2026
Messages
8
You put the cart before the horse!
Guitar “pick ups”voltage level outputs specifications can vary from peak to peak, peak and RMS values. Vintage one coils approximately 175 to 520mV RMS. Active pickups can be 1 volt RMS or higher when you start ripping on it or strum it hard.
What is the impedance of your pick ups?
So what kind of pick ups you got?
What brand of cigarette are you holding?
Me and a blues man I roll my own cigarette.
I'm not entirely sure what voltage is but they are AlnicoV singles at the neck and and twin at the saddle.

So running one wire from either left or right, not both?
 

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misch

Jan 8, 2026
8
Joined
Jan 8, 2026
Messages
8
You put the cart before the horse!
Guitar “pick ups”voltage level outputs specifications can vary from peak to peak, peak and RMS values. Vintage one coils approximately 175 to 520mV RMS. Active pickups can be 1 volt RMS or higher when you start ripping on it or strum it hard.
What is the impedance of your pick ups?
So what kind of pick ups you got?
What brand of cigarette are you holding?
I am a “blues man” I roll my own cigarette.
I'm not entirely sure what voltage is but they are AlnicoV singles at the neck and and twin at the saddle.

So running one wire from either left or right, not both?
 

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misch

Jan 8, 2026
8
Joined
Jan 8, 2026
Messages
8
I'm not entirely sure what voltage is but they are AlnicoV singles at the neck and and twin at the saddle.

So running one wire from either left or right, not both?
I used to roll my own but I rarely do lately. If I tole now i don't use much
 
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