Modification #1: On-board
preamp (I do not recall the brand, but it was not worth the money):
Control: Gain only controlled
by rear tone knob.
Function: This is actually a stacked
control, with the bottom portion controlling the tone. However, I
wanted to maintain the standard appearance, so I set the tone to a pleasing
level and kept lower section below the pickguard. In hindsight I
probably should have reversed the wiring between the gain and tone portions
of the controller. This would have let me keep the tone portion accessible
and I could have simply left the preamp all the way up.
Modification
#2: Phase switch on middle pickup.
Control: Push-pull pot
under the middle (tone) knob.
Function: Throws the middle pickup
electrically out of phase with whatever other pickup it is combined.
 Modification
#3: Neck pickup "on" switch
Control: Push-pull pot
under the volume knob.
Function: This is a simple SPST
(single pole-single throw) switch which adds the neck pickup to combinations
where the neck p.u. would otherwise not be present. This gives you
at least two additional combinations of pickups. If you already have
the bridge p.u. selected with the 5-way blade switch, then add the neck
pickup, the combination is usually described as Telecaster-like, but I
guess that would depend on your pickups among other things. As you
have probably already guessed, the other combination is all three pickups
at the same time via the bridge/middle pickup + the neck. I found
neither combination to be particularly special.
Modification
#4: High-pass capacitor
Control: n/a
Function: Placing a very low value
capacitor (.001 microfarad works for me) across the appropriate lugs of
your volume knob (or knobs) will keep your tone from loosing the high frequencies
(i.e., getting "muddy").
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