I'm sure you guys have seen numerous amounts of modded xbox 360 controllers but here is my interpretation of some. Hopefully with this instructable you will be able to mod your own controller to how you like. Unfortunately at the time of typing this I actually have a broken wrist so I have tried to use pictures from the past I have took when modding. I would've liked to do a full step by step guide and enter the gamer comp but by the time I heal the deadline will have probably passed. Oh well here it goes. If you like this please vote for me. Thanks and enjoy!

Step 1: Tools for the Job

So you may have already realised if you have ever been inside an xbox controller that it's pretty fiddly in there, especially for me as I have giant hands. So when selecting the tools for the job I wanted them as small as possible. Luckily there are plenty to choose from! I would say that if you are buying tools from fresh I would personally buy the best I could afford.

So you will need..... A good quality soldering iron and solder. Small pliers and wire snips. Small Philips and flat screwdrivers. A craft knife. A T9 torq driver (you can use T8 also). A hot glue gun. A drill/dremel with 3mm drill bit and maybe a towel to wipe the sweat from your brow when you get stressed!

Oh also a good light source, a magnifier and one of those helping hand rigs (very useful).

Step 2: Parts Required

So obviously you will need an xbox 360 controller. I use the wireless ones but it should still work for the wired. You will need a clear parts kit. Some 3mm LEDs. Some SMD LEDs. A 1800ohm resistor. A 2N 3904 transistor and some wire to make up the wiring loom. I prefer to use 0.1x10 multistrand wire. Nice and flexible.

All parts mentioned are available online.

Step 3: Making the Loom and Positioning

So now the fun begins. You need to make up a wiring loom to fit inside the controller. There are many ways you could do this but this is how I have done it.

Basically wire up four of the 3mm LEDs in parallel (+ve to +ve/-ve to -ve). Nice and easy. Always test the loom before gluing it in place. Saves disappointment at the end lol.
You will then need to open up the shell and drill where the thumbsticks go. Again nice and easy. Once happy then glue the loom into place.

So basically the pictures should explain better how it should be done.

Step 4: Now for the Technical Part

So the loom is in place. You need to wire in the resistor and transistor now. This is not as hard as it sounds and there are lots of online guides showing you where to solder them to.
Firstly solder one leg of the resistor to the middle leg of the transistor. Once that is done you need to solder these parts to the back of the left trigger switch wiring. Unfortunately I only have a sketch of the points to show the solder positions but like I said there are lots of online guides.
Also while on the board it's a good time to swap the SMDs to the colour you have chosen. This takes some time and can be quite tricky. Also there are different types of boards so always check the polarity before soldering in place. You can so this by switching on the controller and laying the SMD loose on the contacts.

Step 5: The Shotgun D Pad

Now this bit I find really fun. Turning a spent shotgun cartridge into a cool looking D-pad. I shoot quite a lot so can get my hands on hundreds of these things which is handy. Firstly make sure the cartridges are empty. Sounds stupid but what you are about to do next would be dangerous with a live round. You need to heat the brass shell for about 10-20 seconds to warm up the plastic then quickly separate the plastic from the brass. Use two sets of pliers for this. Once separated set the brass to one side to cool. Next you need to trim the original d-pad so it fits inside the brass shell. Once it fits glue it into place and Roberts your fathers brother! Easy.

Step 6: Assembly

So for the assembly you mainly need to take care that you don't trap the wiring. If you do it could cause the LEDs to fault or other parts of the controller could end up with problems. Once again use online guides to find where to solder the LED loom to the board. If you found a good guide for the transistor/resistor position then it will also give you points for the wires. Basically you need to search for an ABXY led mod guide. That's what I used and just adapted it for the loom a created. Once assembled test the operation of the controller. The LEDs should only light up once the controller is switched on. If that happens then it's all good.

Step 7: Have Fun With Them

So there are all types of LEDs available on the internet so have fun with the colours. Also mix it up with the buttons. I have created many modded controllers and came up with lots of different styles over my time modding using bullet abxy buttons and colour-changing LEDs.

Also try making a theme for your controllers. This would help you decide on a style. Check out a few of the examples shown and have fun making them.

Finally thank you for checking out my instructable. Like I mentioned earlier I would have liked to do step by step but that will have to wait while I heal. Hopefully this will have inspired you to tackle your own controllers. Thanks again and if you feel I deserve a vote then please tick that box. Peace. :-)