Can't leave well enough alone?

formula73

INTENSELY corrosive sweat
I was killing time on watch by listing my stuff and what I want to do to it when I realized I have a problem. GAS hasn't been much of a problem lately, and here's why:

Jay Turser JT-139T (natural):

I just wanted one. Comfy player but I've already spent too much on it. CTS/Switchcraft everything, direct-mount Nashville bridge, added master volume, custom P90s. It's fun but I'll probably send it on down the line.

Dean Firebird (black):

Originally an 81 E'lite made into a Firebird. Mahogany body/neck/ebony board. WCR Fillmores, brass Jackson TOM, stop bar.

History Jazz bass (natural):

Fujigen house brand, all stock. Ash body, maple neck/board w/binding, split blocks. B/T/Vol/Blend.

74 Gibson Ripper (natural):

Dimarzio humbucker/BLUSA L500XL(really). You'd be surprised how good a bass pup that can be.
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Seagull Mini Jumbo (natural):

Um...it's nice, I guess. For an acoustic.

92/93 Dean ML carved top (trans blue):

Chandler ghost build, super thick mahogany body/quilt maple cap, mahogany neck, ebony board. Bill Lawrence L350s. Weird look but awesome player and tone. WANT Faber Tone Lock ABR and adapter posts.
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30s Kalamazoo Oriole (gnarly old):

Oh-so-screwed up by my granddaddy. When he died, I had the sides and top repaired so it's playable. It still has the pencils he carved into bridge pins!

82 Greco EX800B (black):

To capitalize on the popularity of The Runaways, Greco sold this copy of Lita Ford's Hamer Standard. It was spraypainted or something and then partially cleaned off. It looks like utter crap but I plan on just keeping it that way. Stone stock. Ash body, mahogany neck(I think). HUGE frets on rosewood. Trapezoid inlays.
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Charvel Legend (white pearl):

MIJ Super Tele look with Tele tone. Reverse pointy maple neck w/rosewood. Stock Tele/Strat(n) pups. Alder body? It's all the Tele I'll ever really need and plus: it's weird. I like that.

80 Dean ML Standard (black):

Mahogany/mahogany/ebony. Original Super Ds with one rewound coil on the bridge. Vol pot replaced as the original siezed the day I bought it. WANT Faber Tone Lock ABR and adapter posts.

81 Dean ML Standard (white):

Same but with X2N and hs crack repair. It looks cleaner than the other but there's just something about it that doesn't feel as good to my hands, though I'll keep screwing with it. It might need a level. WANT Faber Tone Lock ABR and adapter posts.
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81 Dean Z Flame (black):

A bit beat but with plenty of life left in it. Mahogany/mahogany/rosewood. Right now running Wilde L500XL/Dean Nostalgia but I'm not really feeling it. WANT Faber Tone Lock ABR and adapter posts.
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Dean Czech Caddy (trans blue):

Fantastic guitar but needs a fret level and new nut. RD Ugly Americans pups, old brass Jackson TOM, Fretsonthenet brass pup rings (black). Thin mahogany body/maple cap/mahogany neck/ebony. Slick guitars.
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Outside (with the old pups)
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77 Ibanez 2630 (antique violin burst):

Pretty much a carbon copy of a 335 but with a bunch of upscale stuff. Flame maple top/sides/back, 3pc maple neck, ebony, abolone/MOP blocks. Right now running gold 85/81 combo but not feeling it. The stock brass/bone nut is a binding, plinking POS. Needs a new nut and a level.
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KxK V6 prototype (pearl white):

Mahogany/Mahogany/rosewood neckthrough. OFR, 85/81, PA2 booster. Slick player with the thinnest neck profile I've ever held. GodDAMN it's fast but I wish it had bigger frets.
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Washy Culprit (black):

Basswood/Maple/rosewood. OFR, CTS, Dimarzio X2N/Fred, SS 6000 frets. Not digging the pups. I need more brightness. It's a monster and can open giant beer bottles. Bonus!

Funky Munky Washburn 333 maple Blackjack proto (black):

Mahogany/maple/maple board. Black dots. Schaller Floyd. Dean Baker Act/SD 59. Killer player but I think the super-thick poly is choking the resonance. I'd like to strip it to see what's under there but I probably won't. The run never happened so this is the only maple-necked Blackjack around.
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Hondo 2 Les Paul Custom copy (wine red/half stripped):

One of the oddball setnecks. Solid ash body/maple neck/rosewood. Thinner body than Gibson. Super comfy player. Refretted with 6000s, Schaller tuners, Gotoh bridge, CTS, X2N/Super D. You wouldn't believe this is a Hondo. I NEED to get it refinished and reassembled.
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09 Gibson Les Paul Traditional Pro (tobaccoburst):

Square ear Super D/Dimarzio PAF. Stock electronics tossed for CTS. God, I love this guitar. WANT Faber Tone Lock ABR and adapter posts.
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73 Gibson Les Paul Custom (black):

Ex-Kahlered and filled by RS. Fantastic player with great big refret frets and Ibanez Super 70s pups. I think I'll put the Pat #s back in when I get back home and play it, as-is. This is, without a doubt, my pride and joy.
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93 Gibson Les Paul Classic Plus (some custom color that looks like wine red, to me):

X2N/Super D but will be 498T/490R soon enough. Amateur refret that plays ok but looks bad, ABR on some kind of conversion posts. I want to get it properly refretted and a Faber Tone Lock ABR with adapter posts. It's one hell of a player. I didn't like it much initially but it grew on me like a mofo. It's probably my best playing LP.
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74 Les Paul Signature (tobaccoburst):

Stone stock oddball full-hollow model with low impedance pups. It's a cool guitar but I'll probably let it go. It does rock like a mofo but I just bought it because it was different and I had the money at the time.

86/87 Burny Les Paul Custom RR thing (white):

Mahogany/maple cap/mahogany/super-dark rosewood. From what I've read, the actual split diamond hs inlay makes it an 86/87. Aside from the board, you'd think it was the real deal. It already HAS the Faber Tone Lock and was was really turned me onto them. The stock pups blow but a CC/59 set are going in there. It could use a level and a new nut.
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97 Hamer Korina Vector (natural):

The one that got away...then came back via Tattooed Carrot. Limba/limba/rosewood. JB/59, Faber Tone Lock on the adapter posts. Goddamn...perfect.
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08 Hamer Korina Vector (natural):

The one I ordered to replace the other one except with Dunlop 6000s, 59/59, and tortoiseshell plastic. Another keeper. WANT Faber Tone Lock and adapter posts and it'll be as perfect as the other one.

Kaufman EN-V (trans green):

Spec'd out from the 97 Vector but mahogany/mahogany neckthrough with a maple center strip and cocobolo board. The only V ever made by the brother of KxK's owner, it's proven itself bulletproof. Nitro checking, chips, and huge frets. Dean Flathead/A2 Nostalgia but they're getting changed out...with something I don't know yet.

04 Hamer Standard Custom "The Punisher" (trans black):

Mahogany/mahogany/super flamed maple/ebony with Punisher skull inlays by Ron Thorn. 81/60. This will stay stone stock, forever. Awesome player but that's not why I bought it. It's just cool.

89 Gibson V90 (white):

Trashed. Disgusting hs repair. I'm probably going to strip the parts and ebay it as a project. Totally beat and probably not worth fixing.

Burny 67 V copy (faded cherry):

Super badass guitar. Faded cherry as in sun faded, not halfassed. Big, zero angle neckjoint like the 70s versions, mahogany/mahogany/rosewood with a fat volute and stubby hs. If you didn't know better, you'd think it was the real thing. BBQ bucker/Armstrong Vintage. CTS/Switchcraft everything. This is the only guitar I ever refretted myself, using KxK's shop. Even with all those tools and all that help, I'm never going to do it again. What a PITA.

I don't know exactly why I can't leave well enough alone, but there it is. Feel free to post your projects, no matter how big or how small...
 
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Re: Can't leave well enough alone?

Yamaha RGX ... my beater. Currently under the knife. I've routed the edges to give them a bigger radius. Moving the jack location. Plugging neck and middle pickup routes. Modding it for a 2 point wilkenson. Definately giving it a refret ... possibly a bound ebony fingerboard as well. Will get a verigated gold leaf finish.

Clarion ... A homebuild that's been in the works for a while. Mahogany body with flame maple cap, wenge neck with ebony fingerboard. Right now I need to fabricate a brass string holder for the hardtail, the truss cover (Cocobolo), and get it ready for paint (clear poly satin). I'm also considering building wood pickup coverings out of some spare flame maple and cocobolo for it.

I also need to work on getting my Les Paul Custom up to speed with a change in string gauge and complete electronics overhaul. And the SG needs to have its fret ends dressed.
 
Re: Can't leave well enough alone?

You forgot to mention you want to sell the Punisher to me...
 
Re: Can't leave well enough alone?

Pretty impressive list, I'd love to see pics of the Dean Firebird
 
Re: Can't leave well enough alone?

1976 Ibanez Goldtop Les Paul bolt on needs electronics overhauling.

1979 Hamer Standard dot neck '59 Sunburst (Dark Cherry) Mahogany/Mahogany/Rosewood Could use a lil sprucing up in every aspect and advice from Murkat on some TLC after 33 years of playing it. 30 of them in my hands.

1983 Hamer Blitz Black with Kahler Needs electronics work.

1983 Hamer Blitz Blue to Black burst w/ Kahler Same thing.....

198? Hamer Special WyldBil modded Mahogany/Mahogany/Rosewood Needs the electronics sorted out a bit.

1982 Hamer Cruise Bass dark sunburst on Mahogany Needs to have the body refinished and the neck straightened.

1989 Gibson Explorer 90 Mahogany/Maple/Rosewood Needs to have the electronics and hardware put back on it and setup.

Late 70's Mighty Mite Star Guitar in Bird's Eye Maple Body/Neck/Rosewood Needs a better refinish and then setup.

'78 BC Rich Mockingbird in Clear Maple Body/Neck with Walnut stripes on body. Needs electronics work done.

'80s(?) LPC/BC Rich Explorer Mahogany?/Koa? with Rosewood board needs refinish and hardware reassembled.

'97 Arpeggio Korina Flying V Prototype '58 style V reproduction that ultimately needs neck reangled or could seat the bridge like Warmoth has offered lately on some bodies. Could be adapted to counter lack of tilt to neck causing other problem.

Late '80s Asian Explorer copy Plywood body Mahogany/Rosewood neck Yellow with Black Hardware I relabled it Hammer after seeing so many Hamer Evilbay ads that had Hammer as the brand even though guitar CLEARLY says Hamer. Needs work in many ways to be playable but one day......

So there you have my list of those that need a lil somethin' something.
 
Re: Can't leave well enough alone?

Yep. I never realized it was getting there until it came time to move. I've sold more than a couple and I plan on selling a few more, if I can bring myself to. The problem is that all of these are the 'keepers'-the ones that I might change this-or-that on but otherwise, rock and rock, hard. The funniest thing is that I've only really got 3 amps: a Marshall Mode Four, a Metaltronix M1000, and a Bugera 333xl. Honestly, the M1000 is my baby but the 333 is more versatile. The Mode Four works well enough but it's probably going to move along after I get back. I've only GOT those 3 but more than a few have come and gone.

For you attention span guys, I'm going to try to post some pics. Bandwidth out here is terrible so it's really hard to get photobucket to load and I don't have pics of all, but I'll post what I can get at...
 
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Re: Can't leave well enough alone?

I feel ya, man. I inherited a lot of gear when my dad died, plus I had several items of my own before that. I am just as bad with cameras.
 
Re: Can't leave well enough alone?

That's a lot of cool stuff man, I'd love to have that Greco EX, and Rippers are just badass.

I realized last night that I have as many speaker cabs as I have guitars, and four are 4x12's. One is going away, but I won't be able to bring myself to dump anything else.
 
Re: Can't leave well enough alone?

I want that Greco explorer copy. That would just sit so nice on me.
 
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