| Author | Message | ||
     Tombo |
Winter is always a good time for modifications, but instead of the bike I have been working on one of my guitars. It's an American Standard with Alnico v pickups. It is actually my favorite guitar but the bridge pickup was lacking for me. I thought about changing just the bridge pickup but just like my bikes, you can't stop with just one change. Using an aluminum pick guard with a Gilmour style micro switch, SD bridge, Fat 50 neck and 69 Abby in the middle. Knowing there are other guitarists in the Buell world had me curious as to what mods members have had good luck with? Like Buells, I think strats take very well to modifications.  | ||
| Lemonchili_x1 |
Nice! Much like bikes, making a guitar your own is sooooo rewarding  I've messed around with pickups a little. I messed around with active EMG's for a while but have now gone back to passive's, especially P-90's. My favourites that I've modded are... A Schecter Damien 7 with an SD Invader in the bridge and an SD Full Shred in the neck, with 3-way mini toggles so I can single coil either coil of each pickup. It was a gamble going for such high output pickups, but I've found I really like high output pickups into a mild overdrive or fuzz pedal into an amp with not too much gain The other is also a Schecter, an ATX Solo 7. It came with active SD Blackouts which were really "hi-fi" but a bit too "nice" for me. I got some 7-string P-90's made by Vintage Vibe Guitars in Hawaii. It turned out really well | ||
| Xdigitalx |
I have a jet black Epiphone Dot Studio,.. I bought a pair of Gibson 57 classic plus pickups for that I intend to install... and my frankenstien bass.. with direct line out from semore Duncan 1/4 pounders... I bought a mim bass body new pickguard and pickup covers for... I am pretty sure the electroncs are late 1970's era. (as was the bass) they have light rust and are dirty but working. The neck is bad but has the feel that I love, no new necks I have felt have it. I may send that out to get refinished but,.. I also may just try it as is. Been drueling at: http://www.stewmac.com/ http://www.warmoth.com/ (all day long!!) https://www.allparts.com/ You could spend all day browsing there for days... | ||
| Tombo |
I have coil cutters on a few guitars but never thought about 3 way switches to have even more flexibility. Favorite humbuckers so far are Gibson Iommi. Hope to finish the Strat up this weekend and see how it sounds, then I will be thinking about the next project. A quilted Warmoth body with vintage Dimarzio neck would be a good start. | ||
| Court |
>>>You could spend all day browsing there for days... You're right. Thanks for making 3 hours of my day, yesterday, GREAT! Gads . . . I was unaware of those sites and suddenly have a truck load of stuff on the way. That is pure guitar porn ! | ||
| Xdigitalx |
It is an amazing site for sure. I started documenting the Pbass restore, but... mine is not really a restore .. just half-ass version of it. I miss playing it too much and don't care that much how it looks,. (even though I have a 96' P Deluxe) I choose black finished body and red pick guard... I just worry about the fretboard... which, when I was 18 or 19, I used zip strip which did NOT work on the fretboard paint and I attempted to scrape it off ..  Got Parts, bridge, neck plate and screws, pickup foam, pickguard and screws, Bridge cover...   The imperfections in the finish don't effect the playability as the strings just hits the smooth center between the frets, but looks like crap. I may just smooth it up and rattle can some clear poly from Stewmac. My problem will be... (I have seen/read procedures for this online) will be waiting the xx days for the finish to set before I install it. | ||
| S1owner |
Wait the time One of mine I built I was impatient and could not wait to assemble. I had to strip it all as it never cured fully because I took it out of the controled air and the humidity hot into the finish!!!! | ||
| S1owner |
These are awesome guitars if you ever get the chance to play one/ own one jump on it. I was fortunate enough to live by his shop before he passed and would spend many a day picking his brain! http://www.benedictguitar.com/history.htm Make sure to go through and look at his builds!  | ||
| Tombo |
Was able to get to soldering and the new strat setup sounds as good as I had hoped, especially the SD SSL-5 bridge pickup (a lot stronger and much more sustain). The 69 in middle does not sound much different to me than the Alnico V and the Fat 50 neck has a smoother sound to it. The alloy pickguard looks great on black. Time to spend some time on the AllParts and Warmoth sites. | ||
| S1owner |
Warmoth radius necks are sweet. Did not like building my own so I used their one piece neck through blanks for alot of my builds. Bet your strat has some power growl make those notes sing! |
