making cheap guitars awesome

[idsnowdog]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

Original Guitar:
$50 Craigslist Chinese Squier Tele. The ceramic bridge pickup wasn't bad, but it lacked definition. The guitar came with 500K pots which was an odd choice for a Tele. The top loading Squier bridge sucked because the intonation screws bound the strings and the string angle was awkward for changing strings.

Modifications:
Changed wiring from modern to 50's. Enlarged the neck route to fit a mini-humbucker. The string through body bridge I bought was also too small so I had to enlarge the pickup hole to fit the pickup. I ruined my first Vintage Noiseless because the bobbin rubbed against the baseplate and it shorted the coils. Stupid engineering move by Fender so buyer beware!

I started out with a 250K volume which was too dark for the neck mini, so I went with a 500K volume pot instead. The Vintage Noiseless bridge was a bit bright with the 500K pot, so I ran a 1M resistor in parallel with the pot so it sees a 333K load. I also switched the tone over to a 250K pot with a .022 capacitor. The neck mini was still a bit dark with a 500K pot so I put a .015 capacitor bass trap on the hot lead to balance it better with the bridge. I also drilled the body to accept ferrules which improved string loading and tone.

Parts changed:
6 saddle string through bridge.
Fender Vintage Noiseless bridge.
Ferrules.
GFS 3 ply pickguard.
GFS hot mini neck.

Parts on order:
Fender Malmsteen brass nut.
Roller string trees.

[Muffleberry]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

I stated that I agree with #6

Then I shall retract my statement, and re-word it accordionly.

You seem to disagree with about 95% of what everyone else says and agrees with.

Is it lonely up there by yourself?

???

[DreX]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

Then I shall retract my statement, and re-word it accordionly.

You seem to disagree with about 95% of what everyone else says and agrees with.

Is it lonely up there by yourself?

???

This is totally a worthwhile direction to take this thread in. I'll tell you why I seem to disagree a lot: because posting "yeah, me too! I agree!" is generally lame, substanceless small talk for people who have a need to communicate for the sake of communication, to remedy their own loneliness perhaps. I'm here to have conversations of substance about all things electric guitars. The fact that I only post in about 5% of the overall threads posted means that I agree with roughly 95% of everything that is written. I can't fathom how cheap your time must be to even justify this line of inquiry.

[Snake Aces]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

This is totally a worthwhile direction to take this thread in. I'll tell you why I seem to disagree a lot: because posting "yeah, me too! I agree!" is generally lame, substanceless small talk for people who have a need to communicate for the sake of communication, to remedy their own loneliness perhaps. I'm here to have conversations of substance about all things electric guitars. The fact that I only post in about 5% of the overall threads posted means that I agree with roughly 95% of everything that is written. I can't fathom how cheap your time must be to even justify this line of inquiry.

[DreX]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

Protip: if you don't want an answer, don't ask a question.

[Snake Aces]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

Protip: if you don't want an answer, don't ask a question.

[Muffleberry]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

This is totally a worthwhile direction to take this thread in. I'll tell you why I seem to disagree a lot: because posting "yeah, me too! I agree!" is generally lame, substanceless small talk for people who have a need to communicate for the sake of communication, to remedy their own loneliness perhaps. I'm here to have conversations of substance about all things electric guitars. The fact that I only post in about 5% of the overall threads posted means that I agree with roughly 95% of everything that is written. I can't fathom how cheap your time must be to even justify this line of inquiry.

Hey man, you win!

I bow down to your superior intellect. Any original thought that I may have had, you just
threw out the window, and you are the supreme ruler.

Go on with yo bad self, bro!

[Muffleberry]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

Protip: if you don't want an answer, don't ask a question.

I'm glad you could clarify that, ohhh great leader...

[DreX]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

Thanks! and appreciate your unpromted insults, friend.

[Muffleberry]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

Thanks! and appreciate your unpromted insults, friend.

Did you report me for that?

I think you are awesome, bro. I don't understand why you are arguing with me.

You win!

[DreX]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

Did you report me for that?

I did not, friend.

[autologic]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

One reason one might upgrade a cheaper guitar is a situation like the one I have right now. My girlfriend recently bought me an Epiphone G400 in worn brown. I love the way it looks, and I have big plans for it. I could never, ever sell this guitar, so I plan to upgrade everything on it and make it my #1. Its actually a surprisingly good axe for the money, but will be even better after I upgrade the pickups (the rest of the electronics except for the jack seem solid, but the volume knobs will eventually be replaced with push/pulls), the bridge and stop tail, and a good fret level/crown. Most of my guitars are cheap guitars anyway, if the wood sounds good, it makes me happier to have something I have modded and made perfect for me.

[Demanic]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

Tweaking and modding stock and less expensive equipment of many different natures is quintessential to the American spirit. I like to personalize stuff, no matter how good, just so I don't sound exactly like everyone else on the block. I own several low to mid value instruments and I've modded all of them to one extent or another. Even if I ever get a high dollar instrument, I will still mod it if it doesn't come to me exactly how I want it. That would be: good wood or synthetic body and neck, Freeway switch or Triple Shot rings, TonePro or Khaler bridge (depending), Duncan, Lace or Dimarzio (or a combination thereof) pickups, Graphtec string saddles and nut, Grover locking tuning machines.

[kramersteen]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

Wow.. who's really the lonely one here?

I can introduce to my old best friend stratman if you like?

[kramersteen]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

This is my cheap modder charvel charvette. It cost me $50 to buy


The neck is twisted and the frets are all worn out so i have plans to mod a neck i have here. It's a long term project btw but i am hoping it will look a bit like this ****ty mock up i did.