Pierre
Stratologist
I always notice how popular threads such as 'I want to upgrade this or that on this or that guitar, where should I go, what should I look for, etc...' so eh... I figured a thread with a huge recap of everything could be fun to try. I hope you'll enjoy it!
I'll start using as an example a LP/SG type of guitar. Why? Less parts you can possibly change. I'll probably move on to Strats later.
Possible mods affecting playability:
Mods that can only improve playability if done right:
Setup
90% of guitars in shop aren't setup. If they are, there's a 90% chance it won't be YOUR setup :laugh2: I'm picky. But a setup is quick, cheap and painless and will improve the playability of the guitar. Worth it! (That would include neck relief, bridge setup and pickup height, and you can also request an electronics checkup, fret polishing or whatever you see needed)
New nut
Yep that's right... I have not found a single nut on a single brand new guitar that was properly cut. Have it professionally replaced or do it yourself, it's not that hard though it calls for some tools. A properly cut nut is the key to have the open string height where you want it, to have a good string spacing and of course to have a guitar that STAYS IN TUNE!
Fret dress/level
So far the only one guitar I played that had flawless frets was a Musicman sub. Suffice to say, a well done fretjob is 50 pounds/100 bucks/whatever you pay WELL invested. Your guitar will play noticeably smoother, possibly more in tune depending on the state of the old frets, the action may go lower if that's your thing and overall it'll just be very pleasant.
While you're at it, have the fret ends smoothed over if needed. It'll all feel much better later, trust me. A fret work isn't always considered an upgrade, but it's well worth it.
Upgrades:
New tuners
Contrarily to what has been said...locking tuners aren't the holy grail to improve tuning stability. A good stringing technique is better, and cheaper
But some people enjoy them and prefer them, so why not? Either way, if you have an axe with cheap tuners, some better, decent ones by the likes of gotoh, Schaller or Kluson will improve the overall quality of the tuning and will last longer.
New bridge/bridge shims/having your saddles checked out or replaced
It's happened that I had guitars where for instance the saddle radius didn't match the fingerboard's (or fret's, if you're THAT picky ). That's another possible improvement, though the difference is pretty subtle. But it's there. On Floyds and TOM the radius isn't adjustable. You can use shims on Floyd, but you'd need new saddles for a TOM, at the right heights.
A new bridge may improve overall tone, sustain (though sustain is a word you have to use carefully...) and tuning stability. For LPs, the tonepro locking Tune O matic seems pretty cool. For vintage Strat, a more hefty unit with graphite saddles perhaps. It depends on what you want mostly, and there is loads of choice out there (websites to follow).
Saddles are also very prone to wear. They may cause strings to slip out of tune and buzzing. Have them checked, sanded over or replaced. Graphtec is a brand that offers loads of different saddles for different bridges.
For Floyds, an OFR is way better than most licenced Floyds out there. The Gotoh unit are pretty good as well, and Schallers ARE OFRs.
For Strat units, Wilkinson offers a good choice. Be careful of the trem spacing! They may vary from brand to brand.
Neck shim
If your Strat's action is too high for instance... or if when the action is good, the saddle height screws protrude too high and poke you. Placing a shim at the body end of the neck pocket (on bolt on guitars of course) will lower the headstock end of the neck and lower the action overall. You can use thin layers of cardboard or business card paper. A little shim goes a long enough way.
I'll start using as an example a LP/SG type of guitar. Why? Less parts you can possibly change. I'll probably move on to Strats later.
Possible mods affecting playability:
Mods that can only improve playability if done right:
Setup
90% of guitars in shop aren't setup. If they are, there's a 90% chance it won't be YOUR setup :laugh2: I'm picky. But a setup is quick, cheap and painless and will improve the playability of the guitar. Worth it! (That would include neck relief, bridge setup and pickup height, and you can also request an electronics checkup, fret polishing or whatever you see needed)
New nut
Yep that's right... I have not found a single nut on a single brand new guitar that was properly cut. Have it professionally replaced or do it yourself, it's not that hard though it calls for some tools. A properly cut nut is the key to have the open string height where you want it, to have a good string spacing and of course to have a guitar that STAYS IN TUNE!
Fret dress/level
So far the only one guitar I played that had flawless frets was a Musicman sub. Suffice to say, a well done fretjob is 50 pounds/100 bucks/whatever you pay WELL invested. Your guitar will play noticeably smoother, possibly more in tune depending on the state of the old frets, the action may go lower if that's your thing and overall it'll just be very pleasant.
While you're at it, have the fret ends smoothed over if needed. It'll all feel much better later, trust me. A fret work isn't always considered an upgrade, but it's well worth it.
Upgrades:
New tuners
Contrarily to what has been said...locking tuners aren't the holy grail to improve tuning stability. A good stringing technique is better, and cheaper
But some people enjoy them and prefer them, so why not? Either way, if you have an axe with cheap tuners, some better, decent ones by the likes of gotoh, Schaller or Kluson will improve the overall quality of the tuning and will last longer. New bridge/bridge shims/having your saddles checked out or replaced
It's happened that I had guitars where for instance the saddle radius didn't match the fingerboard's (or fret's, if you're THAT picky
). That's another possible improvement, though the difference is pretty subtle. But it's there. On Floyds and TOM the radius isn't adjustable. You can use shims on Floyd, but you'd need new saddles for a TOM, at the right heights. A new bridge may improve overall tone, sustain (though sustain is a word you have to use carefully...) and tuning stability. For LPs, the tonepro locking Tune O matic seems pretty cool. For vintage Strat, a more hefty unit with graphite saddles perhaps. It depends on what you want mostly, and there is loads of choice out there (websites to follow).
Saddles are also very prone to wear. They may cause strings to slip out of tune and buzzing. Have them checked, sanded over or replaced. Graphtec is a brand that offers loads of different saddles for different bridges.
For Floyds, an OFR is way better than most licenced Floyds out there. The Gotoh unit are pretty good as well, and Schallers ARE OFRs.
For Strat units, Wilkinson offers a good choice. Be careful of the trem spacing! They may vary from brand to brand.
Neck shim
If your Strat's action is too high for instance... or if when the action is good, the saddle height screws protrude too high and poke you. Placing a shim at the body end of the neck pocket (on bolt on guitars of course) will lower the headstock end of the neck and lower the action overall. You can use thin layers of cardboard or business card paper. A little shim goes a long enough way.
