Who's modding cheap guitars?

Big Flannel

Big Flannel

New member
Whats up guys? I'm curious as to who has taken a cheapo guitar or a beater and turned the unassuming chunk of wood into a contender. Thought popped into my head while cleaning the guitar room and finding an epi lp junior I forgot I had.

Ps: feel free to post pics of your hard work.
 
Re: Who's modding cheap guitars?

I've been down that road many times. It's not worth it IMO. If you start with crap, you'll just be putting parts that cost good money on crap.

You can put lipstick on a pig but what's the point?
 
Re: Who's modding cheap guitars?

Whereas I totally get where your coming from I just figured it'd be fun to experiment with something that otherwise wouldn't get much play time.
 
Re: Who's modding cheap guitars?

Big Flannel said:
Whereas I totally get where your coming from I just figured it'd be fun to experiment with something that otherwise wouldn't get much play time.
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Oh I got cha. I'm just at a point now where I don't buy anything cheap anymore.

I've phased out all my Chinese wood. lol
 
Re: Who's modding cheap guitars?

Um yeah this is the cheapest charvel line charvette ever to be. It originally cost me 50 dollars which i made back selling the pickups and tuners.
Plywood goodness. It sounds ****ing awesome.


Mods include, dimarzio pickups, gotoh tuners, gfs tremolo, Good pots/switch and the custom graphic. :knockedou

The total build cost was around au $200
 
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Re: Who's modding cheap guitars?

I don't think I'm done working on cheap guitars. I still find it a lot of fun, and it's a great way to learn about what factors make which differences in tone and playability. Plus, it's nice to find a guitar that has something great going for it but maybe has a serious compromise or two. Address those issues within a reasonable boundary of money and time, and you get an instrument that really pays off.
 
Re: Who's modding cheap guitars?

~Vintage~ said:
I've been down that road many times. It's not worth it IMO. If you start with crap, you'll just be putting parts that cost good money on crap.

You can put lipstick on a pig but what's the point?
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Sorry man. I gotta disagree. Most of my guitars are inexpensive. (Not the same as "cheap".) They all respond beautifully to upgraded electronics, and a decent setup. New pots, pups, and the occasional bone nut. I love them all.

But lets also consider another point. There are many good guitars that simply don't have the perceived "status" of "better" guitars. Older MIA Peaveys come to mind. I have three MIA Peavey Patriots/Predator. They're every bit as good as any Fender Strat, IMHO. And they sell "cheap" because many don't know how good they are.

Just my 2-cents worth. :)

Artie
 
Re: Who's modding cheap guitars?

Electronics, bridge, nut, fret work and a good set up can do wonders for an otherwise cheap guitar.
 
Re: Who's modding cheap guitars?

~Vintage~ said:
I've been down that road many times. It's not worth it IMO. If you start with crap, you'll just be putting parts that cost good money on crap.

You can put lipstick on a pig but what's the point?
Click to expand...

I totally disagree with this sentiment. As long as the wood is solid, it's worth modding. This can go as far as re-necking, switching out all the electronics and even cleaning or rerouting the body, and it'll put them well into the "keeper" range of guitars.
 
Re: Who's modding cheap guitars?

I've got an Epiphone Dot Studio, and I picked it up for $100, put another $120 in pickups and electronics, and it's near beat out every other guitar I own, including a multiple thousand dollar USA Hamer.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
 
Re: Who's modding cheap guitars?

Little Pigbacon said:
I don't think I'm done working on cheap guitars. I still find it a lot of fun, and it's a great way to learn about what factors make which differences in tone and playability. Plus, it's nice to find a guitar that has something great going for it but maybe has a serious compromise or two. Address those issues within a reasonable boundary of money and time, and you get an instrument that really pays off.
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I absolutely agree. I like working on new projects and cheapos are the best bang for the budget. It's cheap to work on, is a challenge and it's impressive when you're done. Definitely not the same as buying a high end guitar but I still like doing things that way.
 
Re: Who's modding cheap guitars?

Securb said:
Define cheap?
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Almost impossible. I snagged a Cort M200 at the flea-market awhile back for $25 bucks. Threw in a set of Duncan Designed JB/Jazz set, (gold plated, purchased from the Trading Post), and she's a killer guitar. For less than the price of a nice bottle 'o scotch.

It has become one of my favorite guitars.

Cort-M200.jpg
 
Re: Who's modding cheap guitars?

I have two Squeer's in my window that'll rock the world with anything on the planet. Brownie was re fretted w/ an sh6- invader combo. Whitey was all done up w/ ssl1's and a gotoh 6 pt trem w/ Sperzels. Worth the $?. Hmmmm. YOU let your fingers and your ears tell it.
PC
 
Re: Who's modding cheap guitars?

Just like any guitar there are good ones and not so good ones. If I can get a good deal on a guitar that needs a few upgrades to be a real player then I'll be all over it. Both of my guitars were picked up used so I feel I got them pretty cheap, but wouldn't necessarily call them cheap guitars...
 
Re: Who's modding cheap guitars?

I think it is fun modding guitars. I like doing it. And many inexpensive guitars benefit a lot form pup and hardware changes. Provided they are well made of course. To an extent even a Cheapo guitar can benift from a few modds... provided you dont go to much overboard with it. I mean you don't put a Ferrari engine into a cheapo car.
For me when I see expensive guitars, I expect them them to have high quality parts, and wood, I tend to find it pointless buying a top quality instrument, and then making major changes to it.

The V in my avatar is a cheapo guitar, which I refinished and put some Ibanez Pickups. I did it for Fun. the guitar sounds much better. I would get nothing for it if I had to sell it.
 
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Re: Who's modding cheap guitars?

I like modding Epi's and MIM Strats. I have an Epi Dot, Epi LP, Standard MIM Strat, and a Blacktop MIM Strat that I completely gutted electronically. Seriously, the only thing I left stock was the ground wire! The strats got locking tuners, and the LP got locking tuners and a Tone-Pros bridge (the Dot is gonna get a new bridge too, I hate the Epi ABRs). To me? Worth every penny. It creates a fun hobby and if you're like me, despite the price point, I ALWAYS cherry-pick guitars. In fact I was gonna buy a black Blacktop Strat, but when i played the candy apple red one next to it, there was no denying which one played better and sounded better. And when I bought my first Explorer, it outplayed the other two there and had a warmer tone. You can find a nice guitar in the inexpensive price points, especially if you take the time to cherry pick. If it plays nice and sounds nice to start and just needs better hardware and electronics, you can't lose!

But on the flip-side, I always keep the stock components. If I sell it, I'll return it to stock and either sell the aftermarket parts separately or use them on another guitar.
 
Re: Who's modding cheap guitars?

Awesome! Lots of answers lots, of insight. I've decided that I'm definitely going to hot rod this junior.
 
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