making cheap guitars awesome

[EDX]

well this is the handy guide of how to make a cheap electric ( $300 USD or less) play and sound better

1. replace the saddles, most of the guitars in that range use crap saddles wich will wear in months, stainless steel or some quality brass are good enough, sometimes the whole bridge is crap, so you had to replace it

2. shield it, manufacturers understimate shielding, specially on the lower end guitars, even if the guitar has humbuckers noise can go through poorly shielded electronics

3. also electronics tend to be crap in those guitars, some are the exception to the rule, but most times you better rip 'em off

4. the pickups, rip them also, in some guitars the stock p'ups are acceptable, the ones wich uses duncan designed are a good example, you could easily end putting 2 times the value of the guitar in pickups, if they give life to the plank when amplified then they worth it

5. sand the back of the neck and oil finish it, these guitars normally uses uber sticky finishes for their necks, it's actually easy and is the way how some high end, top of the brand guitar necks are finished

6. prooperly setup, this includes fret polish, truss rod, action, intonation, and pickup height

7. if the guitar has a bolt-on neck check the angle, if it isn't right (between 0 to 5°) then shim the union, a piece of paper well folded will do the trick


there you got the 6 steps guide to made cheap guitars awesome (the 7th is kind of optional)

chinese tuners seems to be ok most of the times, since they at least hold tuning a week without falling a part, if they fail replace them, if the thing is beaten, and looks like taken from a junk yard it could still be cool

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

I did a lot of this in my younger years. By the time you talk about replacing the bridge, electronics, pickups and a fret polish the guitar really isn't so cheap anymore in regards to cost and quality. If you have one you really like to play then it's definitely worth it.

 

[EDX]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

well, if you like the guitar even if new it was 200 bucks it totally worths putting 1000 bucks in parts and work, or it could also be just for sake of fun, like what some guys had been doing with those hello kitty strats or like aceman's john deer and (the orange one i don't remember the grapihcs) deans

 

[kramersteen]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

chinese tuners seems to be ok most of the times, since they at least hold tuning a week without falling a part, if they fail replace them, if the thing is beaten, and looks like taken from a junk yard it could still be cool

I would personally rather good machine heads over new pups most the time. My amp can make most pups scream.

 

[EDX]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

if the machine tuners at least hold tuning after some days and don't get flat when you bend they're good for a while, also invest money in good tuners isn't a bad idea

 

[DreX]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

I disagree with pointers 1, 2 and 3, or at the very least I'd like a good, solid, fact backed explanation as to the benefit. For example, saying the electronics are "crap" is not only lacking in specifics, but anytime anyone says something is "crap", I tend to think they're really just passing along their biases and resort to words like "crap" for a lack of more technical and specific terms, or even a lack of actual, lived experience.

The thing about shielding is most of the interference an electric guitar receives is from the pickups, that's where the vast majority of the wire resides. I've never seen / heard a good before and after for guitar shielding to convince me that the procedure knocks out a meaningful amount of noise. Many guitars, hollow bodies and the like, will never be shielded, and people don't cry about it.

4 is wrong insofar as is if you like the sound of cheap stock pickups, then like it, don't let Internet snobs tell you what you should and shouldn't like.

5 is cool, but definitely preference, not an absolute improvement.

6 is a no brainier, in fact I'd go farther and say do a full fret job and make sure the nut is no higher than necessary. If putting a capo on the first fret makes the guitar much more playable, the nut is too high. Too tall nuts is probably far and away the #1 most neglected point of set up on guitars, both cheap and expensive. It must me a detail that requires more work and precision than guitar manufactures have time to deal with. You have to buy feeler gauges and possible nut slot files though, so it's not free, and you can see why guitar manufactures half ass this once you get into the nitty gritty of it.

I don't know about 7, I only mention this because I opined about the other six pointers.

Cheap tuners are fine, look elsewhere for tuning issues. Some classical instrument use simple pegs. Usually what happens is guitarists do wild string bends and the string hangs up on the nut, the bridge or the string tree, and the problem is exacerbated by short scale length and/or lower tunings. Even cheap tuners will hold the string steady.

 

[greekdude]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

I did a lot of this in my younger years. By the time you talk about replacing the bridge, electronics, pickups and a fret polish the guitar really isn't so cheap anymore in regards to cost and quality. If you have one you really like to play then it's definitely worth it.

+, if the woods want to suck the tone, then no hardware upgrade is going to make a difference. Modding a bad guitar is just a money drain. However, a cheap guitar might very well sound great without any mods. It is just luck.

 

[Kaffe Orme]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

if the machine tuners at least hold tuning after some days and don't get flat when you bend they're good for a while, also invest money in good tuners isn't a bad idea

I've noticed that with a bad nut even high end tuners have a hard time doing their job. Getting the nut on a guitar cut properly is my first port of call to improve tuning stability.

 

[Securb]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

3. also electronics tend to be crap in those guitars, some are the exception to the rule, but most times you better rip 'em off

Couldn't agree with this more. I just gutted a B. C. Rich Mockingbird and the guitar took an 180 in tone. The pots, switches and jack that came stock were absolute crap, the pickups were worse.

I would personally rather good machine heads over new pups most the time. My amp can make most pups scream.

The tuners are always key on a build for me. Good turners will aid in the sustain and tone the way good saddles do. The tuners not only tune the guitar but help as a conduit of resonance between the headstock and the string. All points where the string touches the guitar, bridge, nut and tuners should be considered when building/modding a guitar.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

well this is the handy guide of how to make a cheap electric ( $300 USD or less) play and sound better

1. replace the saddles, most of the guitars in that range use crap saddles wich will wear in months, stainless steel or some quality brass are good enough, sometimes the whole bridge is crap, so you had to replace it

2. shield it, manufacturers understimate shielding, specially on the lower end guitars, even if the guitar has humbuckers noise can go through poorly shielded electronics

3. also electronics tend to be crap in those guitars, some are the exception to the rule, but most times you better rip 'em off

4. the pickups, rip them also, in some guitars the stock p'ups are acceptable, the ones wich uses duncan designed are a good example, you could easily end putting 2 times the value of the guitar in pickups, if they give life to the plank when amplified then they worth it

5. sand the back of the neck and oil finish it, these guitars normally uses uber sticky finishes for their necks, it's actually easy and is the way how some high end, top of the brand guitar necks are finished

6. prooperly setup, this includes fret polish, truss rod, action, intonation, and pickup height

7. if the guitar has a bolt-on neck check the angle, if it isn't right (between 0 to 5°) then shim the union, a piece of paper well folded will do the trick


there you got the 6 steps guide to made cheap guitars awesome (the 7th is kind of optional)

chinese tuners seems to be ok most of the times, since they at least hold tuning a week without falling a part, if they fail replace them, if the thing is beaten, and looks like taken from a junk yard it could still be cool

Meh... really only number 6 is a must... the rest are either preference or a as needed basis.

Particularly 4 and 5. Awesome pups through a Crate soundwave amp are a waste of time. 5 some guys like the raw wood feel others dont.

I think this guide would be more appropriately titles. 7 things guys who like to tinker with cheap guitars can do.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

The thing about shielding is most of the interference an electric guitar receives is from the pickups, that's where the vast majority of the wire resides. I've never seen / heard a good before and after for guitar shielding to convince me that the procedure knocks out a meaningful amount of noise. Many guitars, hollow bodies and the like, will never be shielded, and people don't cry about it.

What kinds of guitars have you shielded?

I've done a J-bass, a super strat, and a strat. I cover the back of the pickguard, the pickup cavities, and the control cavity with copper tape and the attaching everything to a common ground to make a proper faraday cage. Then I check everything with a multimeter to ensure it reads the same across all the copper tape. Each time that I've shielded a guitar with single coil pickups, the difference is not subtle . . . Noise in general is reduced, and you can angle the guitar more different ways without picking up hum. With humbuckers I don't typically notice much difference, unless it's split. Then, again, there is a pretty obvious reduction of noise.

This doesn't eliminate hum by any means, but the guitar is easier to use without noise.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

The thing about shielding is most of the interference an electric guitar receives is from the pickups, that's where the vast majority of the wire resides. I've never seen / heard a good before and after for guitar shielding to convince me that the procedure knocks out a meaningful amount of noise. Many guitars, hollow bodies and the like, will never be shielded, and people don't cry about it.
.

I have done this and yes, it does knock out a lot of hum and most importantly it removes radio interference. I have shielded every guitar I've owned since I started doing it. The first guitar I shielded was a MIM strat that I upgraded a lot of things on. I also shield my Les Pauls for when I operate in split coil mode. I use the shielding paint with a brush the right size to sheild along the path of the wires as well as under the pickups. The trick is to make sure all the shielding paint touches and is grounded. It works. I can tell you it is not voodoo science or anything like that. Try it on one of your single coil guitars and tell me if you don't notice a difference.

 

[greekdude]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

The thing about shielding is most of the interference an electric guitar receives is from the pickups, that's where the vast majority of the wire resides. I've never seen / heard a good before and after for guitar shielding to convince me that the procedure knocks out a meaningful amount of noise. Many guitars, hollow bodies and the like, will never be shielded, and people don't cry about it.

Absolutely. Pups which hum, will always find their way to hum, pups which do not hum do not need no shielding. I got into the electronics because of shielding, ended up forgetting all about it, in the long run. As far as the electronic components are concerned, most people do not realize that when pots are at 10, the signal is barely affected by their "quality" or the connected caps, unless of course they are completely broken in which case replacement should be due already. Same with switches. It either works or not. There is no way that upgrading a working pot/cap (of the same specs) or switch will dramatically change your tone.

 

[greekdude]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

I have done this and yes, it does knock out a lot of hum and most importantly it removes radio interference. I have shielded every guitar I've owned since I started doing it. The first guitar I shielded was a MIM strat that I upgraded a lot of things on. I also shield my Les Pauls for when I operate in split coil mode. I use the shielding paint with a brush the right size to sheild along the path of the wires as well as under the pickups. The trick is to make sure all the shielding paint touches and is grounded. It works. I can tell you it is not voodoo science or anything like that. Try it on one of your single coil guitars and tell me if you don't notice a difference.

I believe you. Maybe it depends on the specific environment. In my house, in the mornings my guitars do not hum. In the evenings my EMGs and single coils hum like crazy. Dimarzios and Duncans HBs are unaffected.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

I did a lot of this in my younger years. By the time you talk about replacing the bridge, electronics, pickups and a fret polish the guitar really isn't so cheap anymore in regards to cost and quality. If you have one you really like to play then it's definitely worth it.

Yup, same here. Spent way more than the guitar was worth to get it up to par when I could've just built it us Warmoth bros know the awesomeness of building them our way lol

 

[Muffleberry]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

I disagree with pointers 1, 2 and 3.

You seem to disagree with everything, dude. Lol!

Is it lonely up there by yourself?

 

[DreX]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

You seem to disagree with everything

I stated that I agree with #6

 

[EDX]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

my points to say electronics are crap are actually focused on the product performance, as for example, and i think isn't only my liking, but pots should be smoth to turn yet not too loose, if they are way too loose that it turns hard to set the amount of volume or high end cut you want then you should swap them, also if when measuring with a multimeter the ohm reading has bad tolerance (500k pots reading less than 420K) other is if the wire is too flimsy, brittle or thin, but those are lesser factors, another one is the selector switch, if the switch happens to fail at making prooper contac (switchin) then change it

i said some cheap pickups are actually nice, the duncan designed was an example, the stock p'ups in some washburn, stringber and ibby's are way nice sounding

the saddles, sometimes they wear way fast, if the saddles happens to wear down more than the nut with every string change they're crap, i think there is actually no way to discuse that

shielding, if the electronics aren't shielded then you will had noise when using high gain

head to 7:35, shielding does made a difference!!

 

[kramersteen]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

You seem to disagree with everything, dude. Lol!

Is it lonely up there by yourself?

You sir are my new best friend.

 

[DreX]

Re: making cheap guitars awesome

my points to say electronics are crap are actually focused on the product performance, as for example, and i think isn't only my liking, but pots should be smoth to turn yet not too loose, if they are way too loose that it turns hard to set the amount of volume or high end cut you want then you should swap them,
also if when measuring with a multimeter the ohm reading has bad tolerance (500k pots reading less than 420K) other is if the wire is too flimsy, brittle or thin, but those are lesser factors, another one is the selector switch, if the switch happens to fail at making prooper contac (switchin) then change it

On all these points of quality, I haven't observed a consistent difference in performance between expensive versus cheap. Turning resistance is more of a preference thing, and depends mostly on the pot design itself than the build quality. Wires being brittle, they're not generally a moving part anyway, they shouldn't break if undisturbed, and they shouldn't be disturbed often enough for it to be an issue. Regarding selectors, I've actually had more trouble with vintage style selectors getting oxidized and dirty than the lower cost printed board type. The resistance value might be further off on the cheaper pots, but like you said, make sure it's bad before you bother replacing, don't just swap it out for it's own sake.

i said some cheap pickups are actually nice, the duncan designed was an example, the stock p'ups in some washburn, stringber and ibby's are way nice sounding

It's purely subjective. Having said that, this is a forum full of people who apparently dislike stock pickups.

the saddles, sometimes they wear way fast, if the saddles happens to wear down more than the nut with every string change they're crap, i think there is actually no way to discuse that

Sure, but again, check them for wear, don't assume they will wear out and replace preemptively. That's a total waste of money.

shielding, if the electronics aren't shielded then you will had noise when using high gain

head to 7:35, shielding does made a difference!!

Hmm, I'm not sure what I was supposed to be watching or listening for there, but that's not a very convincing video of anything in particular. I just hear boring playing and a crappy recording. I don't have too much against shielding, I just don't want to further yet another guitar myth unnecessarily. People talk themselves into believing all sorts of superstitions and dubious improvements. Those "herbal supplements" must sell pretty well based on the advertising that goes into it. I want to see a good, controlled experiment performed, something to show that shielding is more than the guitar equivalent of "male enhancement".

The bottom like is that if you feel the need to upgrade a cheap guitar, it largely defeats the purpose of buying a cheap guitar, and I'd make the case that a cheap guitar is mostly acceptable the way it is.