LHS's Chinese c*** transformation thread

Left_Hand_Strat

New member
otherwise called converting my much loved and fantastically playable and beautiful telecaster copy.

I have already ordered a pickup as of late Friday night from a local guitar luthier and builder named Josi Warman who has been going for 30+ years. the pickup in question is a rails style pickup and this will allow me to have my normal tele type sounds and kick in the full humbucker for when i need it on distortion. as for now, the neck pickup will be left as is as we shall see what happens.

the nut will be left alone, this seems to be in a good form, and there isn't any issues with it. 'if it aint broke don't fix it'!

I am very tempted to give a slightly sleeker look on the headstock and use roller string trees, there will be less friction on them and more tuning stability also thrown in to boot, double win in my books!

the saddles will also be replaced. I want proper brass saddles as I think this will do the guitar justice as a whole, for one it gives a proper telecaster look. I also think the sound is better with brass saddles anyway... plus mine are now wearing and you can see some weird coppery bronzy colour showing under the plating now....

I am going to leave everything else as is for now... including the tuners, which seem to have bedded down a lot more since i first got the guitar.

the electrics will be revamped with higher quality pots, USA 3 way switch, push pull pot for the bridge and all new wiring and an orange drop cap as well.

if the neck pickup ever gets replaced, then I will buy a stacked pickup, thus needing two push pulls for what I would want so the electrics upgrade gives a good basis should that ever happen and it also gives me more maneuverability for when i need to upgrade to more complex systems.

here is the guitar as stock

IMGP0108.jpg
 
Re: LHS's Chinese c*** transformation thread

Better make certain that your replacement saddles are left handed.
 
Re: LHS's Chinese c*** transformation thread

He's not joking. If you're putting compensated saddles on there, they have to be lefty or your Tele won't intonate right.
 
Re: LHS's Chinese c*** transformation thread

Sorry, Mr 9finger. You have stumbled across a long-running private joke between forum buddies.

One of Bruce's never-ending gripes is that so few options exist for left-handed guitarists. I was teasing him.

As for compensated brass Tele saddles, some makers replicate the flattened underside of the original Fender component, others do not. On the versions that are plain brass rod, half a turn on the screw thread and and reinstalling the grub screws from the other end "converts" a RH saddle to LH.
 
Re: LHS's Chinese c*** transformation thread

Sorry, Mr 9finger. You have stumbled across a long-running private joke between forum buddies.

One of Bruce's never-ending gripes is that so few options exist for left-handed guitarists. I was teasing him.

As for compensated brass Tele saddles, some makers replicate the flattened underside of the original Fender component, others do not. On the versions that are plain brass rod, half a turn on the screw thread and and reinstalling the grub screws from the other end "converts" a RH saddle to LH.

There's a lot more available today than there was 5 years ago. I didn't know about the screw thing. Makes sense though. I might have to try that out once I get a Tele. Thanks for that info!

Not only not right, but WAY the **** off.
I'm going to try that thing funk suggested. I'm not doing a Tele any time soon, but it's worth a shot when I do!
 
Re: LHS's Chinese c*** transformation thread

Sorry, Mr 9finger. You have stumbled across a long-running private joke between forum buddies.

One of Bruce's never-ending gripes is that so few options exist for left-handed guitarists. I was teasing him.

As for compensated brass Tele saddles, some makers replicate the flattened underside of the original Fender component, others do not. On the versions that are plain brass rod, half a turn on the screw thread and and reinstalling the grub screws from the other end "converts" a RH saddle to LH.

Aye, we are always on about it! ;)

I ave found some that do just that, and are only £7.50 including crews and springs and a nice little Allen key
 
Re: LHS's Chinese c*** transformation thread

Ok, so I have taken delivery of a Guitar pickup by local guitar builder Josi Warman.

I have also bought a 500k push pull pot, which is for the rails splitting.

500k volume pot, a 22 orange drop cap, a 4 way switch (as i ordered the wrong one but will still use it) and roller string trees (already fitted and result is much better!)

what I need is a wiring diagram.

the rails pickup has five wires, red, white, green, black and bare.

the red and white are soldered together, the black and bare are soldered together, the green is on it's own. the neck pickup has a yellow and a bare (stock pickup) so that's straightforward, that will get changed out later on i think....

I have a Push pull switched pot, for coil tap/split/whatever the **** its called and a 4 way switch. so I plan to tap the coil of the bridge, and have a series/parralel option with the four way switch. i need some help with the wiring please?
 
Re: LHS's Chinese c*** transformation thread

Ok project update:

temporarily on hold cause I jacked in my job... long story cut short, too much stress so huge lifestyle alteration again....

now that;s out the way, we hit a technical hitch. the pickup I bought has a dead coil in it. it was that rails type thing, so I am returning it in the morning and get a new one sent out.

as regards the four way switch... I'm tempted to actually have a Piezo pickup under the bridge and use the spare four way slot for that, I might be able to use it.... and it's cheap and less wiring (trust me it is in my mind...) so I may do that instead.

Roller string trees are fitted and this has helped an awful lot with tuning stability which is good.... the action is slightly all over the place cause of that but It'll only get a full set up when the other work has been done.

As in terms of a neck pickup, I am contemplating ordering a Neck rails Pickup from GFS but the cost of importing, and 20% VAT tax here in the UK sort of makes it unviable.

so the search for a neck pickup continues... preferably a rails or Stacked neck pup would be nice... and minimum surgery would be nice too...

so yeah that's where I'm at
 
Re: LHS's Chinese c*** transformation thread

I've ordered pickups from GFS and the shipping prices were very reasonable. I didn't pay import duties either.

Also, why the hell are string trees affecting the action?
 
Re: LHS's Chinese c*** transformation thread

As in terms of a neck pickup, I am contemplating ordering a Neck rails Pickup from GFS but the cost of importing, and 20% VAT tax here in the UK sort of makes it unviable.

So you ask someone in the USA to buy it and mail it to you as a gift. Let me know, I may be ordering something from them in the next week or so.
 
Re: LHS's Chinese c*** transformation thread

I've ordered pickups from GFS and the shipping prices were very reasonable. I didn't pay import duties either.

Also, why the hell are string trees affecting the action?

If I remember the to take photos I'll show you later on in the morning, too tired to do it now... but basically they are quite robust chunky trees so it put a bit more tension on the strings, not a bad thing, cause it did need it. like I said full set up after the works...
 
Re: LHS's Chinese c*** transformation thread

So you ask someone in the USA to buy it and mail it to you as a gift. Let me know, I may be ordering something from them in the next week or so.

You sir, are an Absolute Legend!!! I'll get the link and post it in this comment for you, PM me when you are doing the order so I know, will happily pay the money owed, :)

HERE SHE BLOWS!!!!

http://www.guitarfetish.com/Lil-Puncher-XL-Neck-Pickup-2-Versions-Available_p_464.html Modern Vintage one :)

I would buy the calibrated set however I already have a bridge rails pickup...
 
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Re: LHS's Chinese c*** transformation thread

ok pickup advice:

Keep my Warman guitars pickup and get it swapped (as offered by vendor) or ask for a refund and get a calibrated tele rails set from GFS? latter is more cost effective too
 
Re: LHS's Chinese c*** transformation thread

Also, why the hell are string trees affecting the action?

String trees can most assuredly mess with the action. If they are too high, and not providing anough break angle, it can be hard to play lead riffs on the first several frets ( can also downtune/ use lighter strings to make easier). It can also screw with tuning..if they are loose and go at an angle or something youR string tuning can go flat.
Hugely underrated littel thing that can mess you up bigtime.
 
Re: LHS's Chinese c*** transformation thread

DEAL OF THE DAY
Bruce, I will furnish you with one of those brass Wilkinson compensated Tele saddles (compete with intonation screw) if you can explain to me why you are lavishing so much polish on this particular brown object.

I understand perfectly well the educational benefits of modifying a succession of budget guitars. The main lesson that I learnt was to stop doing that and to target all of my disposable income into one decent guitar.
 
Re: LHS's Chinese c*** transformation thread

I'm just confused as to why he's trying to transform a rooster, much less a Chinese one.

Isnt that a Johnny Thunders song? "We're livin on Chinese cocks"?
 
Re: LHS's Chinese c*** transformation thread

DEAL OF THE DAY
Bruce, I will furnish you with one of those brass Wilkinson compensated Tele saddles (compete with intonation screw) if you can explain to me why you are lavishing so much polish on this particular brown object.

I understand perfectly well the educational benefits of modifying a succession of budget guitars. The main lesson that I learnt was to stop doing that and to target all of my disposable income into one decent guitar.

I'll tell you why.

It's cause that guitar and I have something there whenever I play it. It feels right, it sounds good, but I know she will sing better with some improvements. I have had her from new, I have cleaned out her routs, neck pocket and given it some TLC after it;s shop life. Its a keeper that I truly love and it rocks to my ears! that's why I do it.

same for the strat, same for the les paul, same for the Squier '51.
 
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