Re: Question about some mid priced guitar upgrade
Forum member, Left_Hand_Strat, has a Vintage V100 LP-alike. He has definitely made changes to the pickups. (I supplied one of them!) I cannot recall whether he did anything about the machineheads or the electronics? Contact him. Ask.
Indeed i do and indeed you did!
I left the machineheads on as I can tolerate them and they don't seem to cause any particular problem with playing or tuning stability, What I will say is, should they ever cause an issue I would go with grovers, however, these are not a direct fit so some minor surgery to the holes would be necessary. What I have noticed is that the way you wrap the strings around the tuners definitely has an impact on V100's. I will try my best to supply you with a Youtube link to the method I use, which has not caused any problems with tuning or tension.
I can probably guess that you will say the tuners feel a bit loose at times when tuning, not too loose but looser than one would normally expect. this is just how the stock wilkinson Deluxe tuners are. Save the money you would spend on machineheads for something more worthy of upgrading, like the Nut, pots or Pickups.
a Modification Idea I would suggest to you is to save up some money for a decent set of pickups of your choice, which are possibly to coil tap/split by a puch pull pot in the tone pot positions on the guitar. This will be more of an improvement to the guitar, a decent set of pickups, pots and a nut will really improve that guitar as it is, the woodwork on that guitar is very good.
EDIT: this is how I restring my V100