W
WickedCoach
Guest
Lets see some pics of crazy modded guitars. Include what you paid for it stock, and how much you have spent on the mods.
ericmeyer4
New member
Re: Lets see all the heavily modded guitars
Here is my B-Bender Telecaster.
Vintage style ash body that I routed for a humbucker, installed a SD Vintage Stack/'59
Wired the '59's coils in parallel
Added an open face cover to the '59
Used a modified Broadcaster wiring (see diagram below)
Bent the toggle switch
Added Fender witch hat knobs
Ashtray bridge with cutaways
Installed a Hipshot B-Bender
Removed the bender's string retainer and replaced it with a roller string tree
Added locking tuning pegs
Adding strap locks with an additional strap button- Creates a loop to hold my cord
Here is my B-Bender Telecaster.
Vintage style ash body that I routed for a humbucker, installed a SD Vintage Stack/'59
Wired the '59's coils in parallel
Added an open face cover to the '59
Used a modified Broadcaster wiring (see diagram below)
Bent the toggle switch
Added Fender witch hat knobs
Ashtray bridge with cutaways
Installed a Hipshot B-Bender
Removed the bender's string retainer and replaced it with a roller string tree
Added locking tuning pegs
Adding strap locks with an additional strap button- Creates a loop to hold my cord
ImmortalSix
John Mayer's Mankini
Re: Lets see all the heavily modded guitars
$99 Squier '51, got it as a gift on my 22nd birthday - from my girlfriend, who later became my wife.
All mods made possible by help from all ye kind people of the SDUGF.
It's got $160 worth of pickups in it, $20 worth of pots and switches and caps, $20 worth of bridge, $15 worth of TUSQ nut. So about $215 in mods.
edit: just remembered I took the P-Rails and Triple Shot out and sent them to astrozombie. Astro - you better be playing that sh!t!!!
It's got a new bridge and nut and stuff, too. I replaced everything that wasn't wood, except for the tuners, pickguard, and strap buttons.
Here are some progress pics from the modding.
I love this guitar so much.
$99 Squier '51, got it as a gift on my 22nd birthday - from my girlfriend, who later became my wife.
All mods made possible by help from all ye kind people of the SDUGF.
It's got $160 worth of pickups in it, $20 worth of pots and switches and caps, $20 worth of bridge, $15 worth of TUSQ nut. So about $215 in mods.
edit: just remembered I took the P-Rails and Triple Shot out and sent them to astrozombie. Astro - you better be playing that sh!t!!!
It's got a new bridge and nut and stuff, too. I replaced everything that wasn't wood, except for the tuners, pickguard, and strap buttons.
Here are some progress pics from the modding.
I love this guitar so much.
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ItsaBass
New member
Re: Lets see all the heavily modded guitars
2005 MIM Strat, sage green metallic. I bought it new for $435 out the door.
I kept it bone stock (only changed the strings once) until earlier this year. At that point I did the following:
- Super Vee Bladerunner vibrato. $161 shipped. (Overpriced for its quality, IMO, but a decent unit.)
- Sperzel tuners, custom ordered. $70 shipped.
- Fender CS '54 pickups. I've had them in and out of a few guitars for about 10 years. I think they cost about $130 originally.
- Two Di'Marzio push/pulls. $28.
- One CTS pot. $5.
- Two Orange Drop caps. $5.
- CRL switch. $10.
- Custom wiring just cost about $2 worth of cloth-insulated wire.
- Deglossing the body and glossing up the neck probably took about $4 worth of sandpaper.
The custom wiring consists of a neck on switch, and a switch to put the bridge and middle pickups in series. Here is what you get with the wiring:
push/pull set to parallel: stock old school Strat wiring (except with two caps instead of one, and a five way instead of a three way.)
push/pull set to series:
1. bridge
2. bridge through middle pickup tone control
3. bridge+middle in series through middle pickup tone control
4. same as 3, but with the neck pickup in parallel to the two series pickups (It's a good tone – open, yet with strong output.)
5. neck
Plus you can add the neck pickup in parallel to any of those 10 settings. Bridge+neck is one of my favorite tones I've ever got from a Strat.
One of the greatest features of this wiring is that it provides an Esquire-esque element. When the series/parallel push pull is set for series, the bridge pickup alone can be run raw, or put through the tone control at the flick of a switch. Those are pretty much the main two positions I need during a gig, especially since I am used to playing an Esquire as my main guitar.
$435+161+70+130+28+5+5+10+2+4 = $850 even. That's a lot to put into a MIM Strat, but IME, that's usually about the bottom end of what it takes to make any guitar fully to my liking, either by buying it outright, by building it from parts, or by buying a cheap guitar and then modding it.
2005 MIM Strat, sage green metallic. I bought it new for $435 out the door.
I kept it bone stock (only changed the strings once) until earlier this year. At that point I did the following:
- Super Vee Bladerunner vibrato. $161 shipped. (Overpriced for its quality, IMO, but a decent unit.)
- Sperzel tuners, custom ordered. $70 shipped.
- Fender CS '54 pickups. I've had them in and out of a few guitars for about 10 years. I think they cost about $130 originally.
- Two Di'Marzio push/pulls. $28.
- One CTS pot. $5.
- Two Orange Drop caps. $5.
- CRL switch. $10.
- Custom wiring just cost about $2 worth of cloth-insulated wire.
- Deglossing the body and glossing up the neck probably took about $4 worth of sandpaper.
The custom wiring consists of a neck on switch, and a switch to put the bridge and middle pickups in series. Here is what you get with the wiring:
push/pull set to parallel: stock old school Strat wiring (except with two caps instead of one, and a five way instead of a three way.)
push/pull set to series:
1. bridge
2. bridge through middle pickup tone control
3. bridge+middle in series through middle pickup tone control
4. same as 3, but with the neck pickup in parallel to the two series pickups (It's a good tone – open, yet with strong output.)
5. neck
Plus you can add the neck pickup in parallel to any of those 10 settings. Bridge+neck is one of my favorite tones I've ever got from a Strat.
One of the greatest features of this wiring is that it provides an Esquire-esque element. When the series/parallel push pull is set for series, the bridge pickup alone can be run raw, or put through the tone control at the flick of a switch. Those are pretty much the main two positions I need during a gig, especially since I am used to playing an Esquire as my main guitar.
$435+161+70+130+28+5+5+10+2+4 = $850 even. That's a lot to put into a MIM Strat, but IME, that's usually about the bottom end of what it takes to make any guitar fully to my liking, either by buying it outright, by building it from parts, or by buying a cheap guitar and then modding it.
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MetalManiac
Li'l Junior Member
Re: Lets see all the heavily modded guitars
All my Guitars ( except the Gibsons , which have upgraded Duncan pickups), are hevily modifed with premium parts--want to see all 20 of em??
All my Guitars ( except the Gibsons , which have upgraded Duncan pickups), are hevily modifed with premium parts--want to see all 20 of em??
ImmortalSix
John Mayer's Mankini
Re: Lets see all the heavily modded guitars
I have a couple like that, but they just look like a Strat or whatever they are. I'm keeping those out of this thread.
I have a couple like that, but they just look like a Strat or whatever they are. I'm keeping those out of this thread.
Chris of Arabia
Desert RATT
Re: Lets see all the heavily modded guitars
It's probably easier to list what's not changed on this one: the wood & paint finish, the PG+, the scratch plate , and the jack plate.
Oh and the PG+ will be replaced with a white bobbin Screamin' Demon as soon as I can arrange it with MJ.
It's probably easier to list what's not changed on this one: the wood & paint finish, the PG+, the scratch plate , and the jack plate.
Oh and the PG+ will be replaced with a white bobbin Screamin' Demon as soon as I can arrange it with MJ.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
Re: Lets see all the heavily modded guitars
Not too heavily modified . . . Charvel So Cal started out like this:
Then got torn apart:
- New glossy black pick guard (20$)
- Shielded everything (10$)
- Changed volume pot location (part of new pick guard layout)
- Added push/pull tone knob (4$)
- New switch tip/knobs in metallic purple (6$)
- Changed 3 way into a 5-way super switch (12$)
- Installed tremel-no (75$)
Total cost: $127 + $600 for the guitar (used). Totally worth it, and ended up like this:
Not too heavily modified . . . Charvel So Cal started out like this:
Then got torn apart:
- New glossy black pick guard (20$)
- Shielded everything (10$)
- Changed volume pot location (part of new pick guard layout)
- Added push/pull tone knob (4$)
- New switch tip/knobs in metallic purple (6$)
- Changed 3 way into a 5-way super switch (12$)
- Installed tremel-no (75$)
Total cost: $127 + $600 for the guitar (used). Totally worth it, and ended up like this:
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crusty philtrum
Vintageologist
Re: Lets see all the heavily modded guitars
This is ol' stinky, my 1974 Telecaster Custom that I bought back in 1982/3 from a friend for $150. Back then it had it's original rosewood board neck but it had been retrofitted with a LP-style TuneOmatic bridge and stop tailpiece (the 3-bolt neck with tilt adjustment allowed the neck to be angled back to cater for the additional height of the TOM bridge). Had it's original case, too, although that long since fell to pieces.
Soon after getting it, i fitted a more standard type of Tele bridge, but curiously there were no holes through the body for the strings, i had to drill them (without a drill press, hehe). I found out many years later that this was actually a rare one that had been factory-fitted with a Bigsby, but the LP conversion had been done before my friend had bought it.
Since then it's had a variety of necks and bridges, including a Washburn Wonderbar vibrato system at one stage. I made the pickguard to suit my needs at the time. The bridge pickup eventually died from sweat, the top plate curled up and the pole pieces rusted down the sides and killed the inner windings. The neck pickup is original. In more recent times I've stripped off what remained of the thick 3-colour sunburst, and it sounds a lot better without all that goop all over it. The finish you see is the Fullerplast that Fender used as a one-hit filler and sealer.
This thing has been slammed through stage floors and hurled across rooms, drenched in sweat and blood and still lives. In the last decade and a half i have treated it with love and care, and I plan to get a new pickguard and restore it to it's 4-knob configuration with the toggle switch up the top.
Anyway, after 30 years with me (and it's currently resting about 6 inches from my left arm as I type), here it is ....
This is ol' stinky, my 1974 Telecaster Custom that I bought back in 1982/3 from a friend for $150. Back then it had it's original rosewood board neck but it had been retrofitted with a LP-style TuneOmatic bridge and stop tailpiece (the 3-bolt neck with tilt adjustment allowed the neck to be angled back to cater for the additional height of the TOM bridge). Had it's original case, too, although that long since fell to pieces.
Soon after getting it, i fitted a more standard type of Tele bridge, but curiously there were no holes through the body for the strings, i had to drill them (without a drill press, hehe). I found out many years later that this was actually a rare one that had been factory-fitted with a Bigsby, but the LP conversion had been done before my friend had bought it.
Since then it's had a variety of necks and bridges, including a Washburn Wonderbar vibrato system at one stage. I made the pickguard to suit my needs at the time. The bridge pickup eventually died from sweat, the top plate curled up and the pole pieces rusted down the sides and killed the inner windings. The neck pickup is original. In more recent times I've stripped off what remained of the thick 3-colour sunburst, and it sounds a lot better without all that goop all over it. The finish you see is the Fullerplast that Fender used as a one-hit filler and sealer.
This thing has been slammed through stage floors and hurled across rooms, drenched in sweat and blood and still lives. In the last decade and a half i have treated it with love and care, and I plan to get a new pickguard and restore it to it's 4-knob configuration with the toggle switch up the top.
Anyway, after 30 years with me (and it's currently resting about 6 inches from my left arm as I type), here it is ....
TheLivingDead
Dawn Of The Shred
Re: Lets see all the heavily modded guitars
I love Stinky.
I love Stinky.
Brow
Active member
Re: Lets see all the heavily modded guitars
None of my guitars are the same as when I bought them, but I guess the 2 below are probably my most worked on:
Japanese Fender Strat:
This started out (I assume) as a bog standard SSS Strat that a previous owner routed for a Floyd Rose II trem (you can still see the original 6 point trem holes underneath the back of the bridge). When I got the guitar it was HSS so I routed it for HSH and fitted the HxH setup it now has.
Unknown brand Japanese Strat copy:
I found this in pieces in a carrier bag whilst at music college 10 years ago. Apparently a former teacher bought it in for use as a prop for a school production and never took it back. As they were going to throw it away I gave it a new home
When I got it it was black, with the paint chips filled in with bright blue felt tip pen. It'd been routed out very badly for SSH, and the original scratchplate etc had been smashed about so much with different wiring and pickup options it just crumbled.
The original plan was to strip the black paint off and paint it white, but when we saw that it's made from a few different species of wood each with their own different shade we decided to darken the overall finish slightly with a few coats of Linseed oil and then seal it with wax. That's how it still is now.
None of my guitars are the same as when I bought them, but I guess the 2 below are probably my most worked on:
Japanese Fender Strat:
This started out (I assume) as a bog standard SSS Strat that a previous owner routed for a Floyd Rose II trem (you can still see the original 6 point trem holes underneath the back of the bridge). When I got the guitar it was HSS so I routed it for HSH and fitted the HxH setup it now has.
Unknown brand Japanese Strat copy:
I found this in pieces in a carrier bag whilst at music college 10 years ago. Apparently a former teacher bought it in for use as a prop for a school production and never took it back. As they were going to throw it away I gave it a new home
When I got it it was black, with the paint chips filled in with bright blue felt tip pen. It'd been routed out very badly for SSH, and the original scratchplate etc had been smashed about so much with different wiring and pickup options it just crumbled.
The original plan was to strip the black paint off and paint it white, but when we saw that it's made from a few different species of wood each with their own different shade we decided to darken the overall finish slightly with a few coats of Linseed oil and then seal it with wax. That's how it still is now.
Re: Lets see all the heavily modded guitars
Beauty! Love the purple! Still want one bad!!
All my axes have had some kinded upgrade. my most modded is my Squier strat. After 11 years of not having a guitar, I bought a new Squier strat. got it for about $139. Nicest one in the bunch as far as fretwork and natural tone and sustain.
I put Sperzel keys on it. Bone nut, dunlap straplocks, new 3 ply pickguard, changed the pups to Lace Sensor Blue (neck), Silver (mid) and red at the bridge. And rewired the whole thing and new knobs. The bridge pup didnt give me enough beef, so I put in a Duncan C5 and put a push pull pot in.
Ended up with a real nice guitar and learned how to tweak..
Here she is:
Lacey
Sorry, photos arent great...
Not too heavily modified . . . Charvel So Cal started out like this:
Then got torn apart:
- New glossy black pick guard (20$)
- Shielded everything (10$)
- Changed volume pot location (part of new pick guard layout)
- Added push/pull tone knob (4$)
- New switch tip/knobs in metallic purple (6$)
- Changed 3 way into a 5-way super switch (12$)
- Installed tremel-no (75$)
Total cost: $127 + $600 for the guitar (used). Totally worth it, and ended up like this:
Beauty! Love the purple! Still want one bad!!
All my axes have had some kinded upgrade. my most modded is my Squier strat. After 11 years of not having a guitar, I bought a new Squier strat. got it for about $139. Nicest one in the bunch as far as fretwork and natural tone and sustain.
I put Sperzel keys on it. Bone nut, dunlap straplocks, new 3 ply pickguard, changed the pups to Lace Sensor Blue (neck), Silver (mid) and red at the bridge. And rewired the whole thing and new knobs. The bridge pup didnt give me enough beef, so I put in a Duncan C5 and put a push pull pot in.
Ended up with a real nice guitar and learned how to tweak..
Here she is:
Lacey
Sorry, photos arent great...
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Kam
Shaftologist
Re: Lets see all the heavily modded guitars
My 2002 Mexican Tele.
Started out like this...
And soon became this...
I got it on Ebay for £225, if I remember correctly.
Since then, I have...
Changed to a Wilkinson bridge. (£20)
Changed to a Bare Knuckle Blackguard Series Flat '50 (£73)
Added a Stag Mag in the neck (£35)
Added a cover to the Stag Mag (£5)
Added the black scratchplate (£14)
Changed the knobs: (£5)
Added a push-pull to split the neck pickup (£7)
It's a great guitar and sounds awesome but, truth be told, my other Tele has become my main player. I'm actually considering tossing the Stag Mag from this guitar into my other one and turning this blue one into an Esquire. If I do that, I'd want to add a Triple Shot ring, though, and I just can't afford that at the minute.
My 2002 Mexican Tele.
Started out like this...
And soon became this...
I got it on Ebay for £225, if I remember correctly.
Since then, I have...
Changed to a Wilkinson bridge. (£20)
Changed to a Bare Knuckle Blackguard Series Flat '50 (£73)
Added a Stag Mag in the neck (£35)
Added a cover to the Stag Mag (£5)
Added the black scratchplate (£14)
Changed the knobs: (£5)
Added a push-pull to split the neck pickup (£7)
It's a great guitar and sounds awesome but, truth be told, my other Tele has become my main player. I'm actually considering tossing the Stag Mag from this guitar into my other one and turning this blue one into an Esquire. If I do that, I'd want to add a Triple Shot ring, though, and I just can't afford that at the minute.
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astrozombie
KatyPerryologist
Re: Lets see all the heavily modded guitars
The P-rails is still in the Jazzmaster, which is now at my band's drummers house. He bought it from me but in reality he never plays it, I do when I drive down and jam. I am planning on taking the duncan out.
we have used the guitar for rehearsals and recording.
$99 Squier '51, got it as a gift on my 22nd birthday - from my girlfriend, who later became my wife.
All mods made possible by help from all ye kind people of the SDUGF.
It's got $160 worth of pickups in it, $20 worth of pots and switches and caps, $20 worth of bridge, $15 worth of TUSQ nut. So about $215 in mods.
edit: just remembered I took the P-Rails and Triple Shot out and sent them to astrozombie. Astro - you better be playing that sh!t!!!
It's got a new bridge and nut and stuff, too. I replaced everything that wasn't wood, except for the tuners, pickguard, and strap buttons.
Here are some progress pics from the modding.
I love this guitar so much.
The P-rails is still in the Jazzmaster, which is now at my band's drummers house. He bought it from me but in reality he never plays it, I do when I drive down and jam. I am planning on taking the duncan out.
we have used the guitar for rehearsals and recording.
verbotenco
New member
Re: Lets see all the heavily modded guitars
A local jazz guitarist has his Parker Fly (don't know if it's legitimate) carved to the bone. And yes, the pickups by any chance are SD!
A local jazz guitarist has his Parker Fly (don't know if it's legitimate) carved to the bone. And yes, the pickups by any chance are SD!
Aceman
I am your doctor of love!
Re: Lets see all the heavily modded guitars
Dean Vendetta - $70
Add:
Orange paint, black paint - $10
Stencil for graphic - $15 (paper, printing, design from shop)
Shims for pickup cavity - $2
Blackout - $28 (From Seymour Duncan B-=goods box at factory)
Caution Strap - $12
DR Neon Yellow Strings - $12
Masking tape, woodfill - n/a
Total---------------------$70
And then you end up with:
Dean Vendetta - $70
Add:
Orange paint, black paint - $10
Stencil for graphic - $15 (paper, printing, design from shop)
Shims for pickup cavity - $2
Blackout - $28 (From Seymour Duncan B-=goods box at factory)
Caution Strap - $12
DR Neon Yellow Strings - $12
Masking tape, woodfill - n/a
Total---------------------$70
And then you end up with:
Powdered Toast Man
New member
Re: Lets see all the heavily modded guitars
This guy started out as a humble mid-90's MIM Standard. I have done the following:
-Vintage style 3-saddle bridge with compensated brass saddles
-Fender locking tuners
-USA roller style string tree
-BWB pickguard
-control knobs changed to vintage style knurled with rounded tops
-Tone pot changed to "no-load" pot
-.22 tone cap
-copper shielded control and pickup cavities
-SD Broadcaster pickup in bridge
-SD '59 in neck (an old one from the 1980's that I picked up off a forum member... can't remember who)
-Set up to wear only 5 strings (open G) in 10-52 gauge
"Sunny" has been with me since about 1999 when I bought it used for just under $300 - the longest of any of my guitars. He's been my #1 basically since I took him home. I've got way more expensive and superior instruments now, but I still play this guy all the time. This guitar has felt like home since I first picked it up. This thing is rock solid in every way. Tone is also shockingly close to my '52.
I should note that when I first got it, the neck was pasty white just like most MIM guitars of the day. About 7 years ago, I parked it on a stand by the window for a couple weeks so that the sun's rays would hit it for about an hour a day. The neck turned into a lovely vintage tint.
This guy started out as a humble mid-90's MIM Standard. I have done the following:
-Vintage style 3-saddle bridge with compensated brass saddles
-Fender locking tuners
-USA roller style string tree
-BWB pickguard
-control knobs changed to vintage style knurled with rounded tops
-Tone pot changed to "no-load" pot
-.22 tone cap
-copper shielded control and pickup cavities
-SD Broadcaster pickup in bridge
-SD '59 in neck (an old one from the 1980's that I picked up off a forum member... can't remember who)
-Set up to wear only 5 strings (open G) in 10-52 gauge
"Sunny" has been with me since about 1999 when I bought it used for just under $300 - the longest of any of my guitars. He's been my #1 basically since I took him home. I've got way more expensive and superior instruments now, but I still play this guy all the time. This guitar has felt like home since I first picked it up. This thing is rock solid in every way. Tone is also shockingly close to my '52.
I should note that when I first got it, the neck was pasty white just like most MIM guitars of the day. About 7 years ago, I parked it on a stand by the window for a couple weeks so that the sun's rays would hit it for about an hour a day. The neck turned into a lovely vintage tint.
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zontar
New member
Re: Lets see all the heavily modded guitars
Does going from this
To this-
To this-
Count?
From original (A Granada Les Paul copy (Matsumoku made)) I have changed the following-
-Machine heads (Dixon or Gotoh--I forget--that was long ago to replace the original plastic cased ones that broke)
-Sticker with music school name on it came off somewhere along the line
-New nut (Tusq)
-New strap knobs--black & bigger than the original chrome ones--one of them which flew away while I was wearing the guitar--but I had my hand on the neck.
-New pickups--from stock ones that were weak to a P-Rail wired by a mini switch for P-90/humbucker/rail and a pink JB wired by a min switch for series/split/parallel
-Black rings
-pickguard removed
-black toggle switch tip
-black speed knobs--from witch hats
and eventually I'll add a new decal on the headstock with a made up name on it to reflect the mods and maybe change out the cream poker chip--although the one on it now is not the original.
Sorry--I don't have all the prices--this happened over a number of years.
I also didn't pay for this guitar, my Dad bough it for me, and I don't know the price.
I could look up the pickup costs though...
Although I know I won't recoup my costs if I ever sold it, but that's okay--I have no intention of selling it, and now I play it--before the mods I didn't.
It was like getting a new guitar--so totally worth it.
Does going from this
To this-
To this-
Count?
From original (A Granada Les Paul copy (Matsumoku made)) I have changed the following-
-Machine heads (Dixon or Gotoh--I forget--that was long ago to replace the original plastic cased ones that broke)
-Sticker with music school name on it came off somewhere along the line
-New nut (Tusq)
-New strap knobs--black & bigger than the original chrome ones--one of them which flew away while I was wearing the guitar--but I had my hand on the neck.
-New pickups--from stock ones that were weak to a P-Rail wired by a mini switch for P-90/humbucker/rail and a pink JB wired by a min switch for series/split/parallel
-Black rings
-pickguard removed
-black toggle switch tip
-black speed knobs--from witch hats
and eventually I'll add a new decal on the headstock with a made up name on it to reflect the mods and maybe change out the cream poker chip--although the one on it now is not the original.
Sorry--I don't have all the prices--this happened over a number of years.
I also didn't pay for this guitar, my Dad bough it for me, and I don't know the price.
I could look up the pickup costs though...
Although I know I won't recoup my costs if I ever sold it, but that's okay--I have no intention of selling it, and now I play it--before the mods I didn't.
It was like getting a new guitar--so totally worth it.
