Okay, since I've recently been getting into the whole techie aspect of guitars (i.e. I want mine to work, look good, do what I want them to do, and not have to pay others for stuff I can do myself), I figured one ongoing thread with any work I do would be better than a multitude of threads on random topics. I'll be posting pics as much as possible as I go along, so this one's just a starter. Feel free to throw in you .02 on what to do, what could be done, whether pink is really an acceptable colour for a guitar (especially one with - gasp! - 6 strings, :wink: ), etc.
Current jobs:
Raif MKI - this is my 'trial-electric' a cheap Encore LP copy I could theoretically bin if everything went pear shaped. It was black. Before uni, I'd (somewhat foolishly, and quite possibly drunkenly) attempted to 'relic' it, with a view to raising the action and using for slide. I recently found it. In bits. :shock: Lol, its now going blueburst (all props to Slej for the massively useful advice on paintwork), and getting some DiMarzio pups (I've honestly no clue how they'll sound, they just had kewl names, and I didn't have to pay for them, sooooo an Air Zone and an Air Norton). It needs a little T Cut action to the neck, and some other attention, too. If successful, I'll go to work on Raif MKII sometime over the next 12-18 mths (basically the same thang, but with better wood body and neck). I might get brave in that case, and defret this one then.
Rosencrantz (my US Std Strat) - getting new Fender Vintage Noiseless pups I've had sitting around for a while now. I've decided to use a new (aged) pickguard and just do a straight pickguard/electronics switch, keeping the original in case I come to sell it (as if! hahaha) or just change my mind. Also boasts some super-kewl Schaller locking tuners, with a little help (okay, a lot of help), from David Hodge, props for that. (yup, kept the old ones, in a neatly labelled bag, I aint gonna lose bits of my baby for nothing, lol).
El Cheapo Steel String - skip-rescue. Again, I was hoping slide, but no go. It has one of those zero-frets and ridiculously low action (lower than an Ibanez! :shock: ). Seems to play okay, though the tone is pretty lamentable, could work okay for some raw folky/bluesy stuff. Looks like a pile of poop, though. And the neck is, quite literally, half a tree trunk. :shock: I have to adopt 'classical head' to play it properly. Needs some filing on the bridge pin slots, some of them are sticking badly, but I'll order a decent set of pins first (and take Martin's tip of labelling each one, just in case).
Project Stratocaster - For now, this one's gonna be getting the guts of Rosencrantz (until I can afford and choose pups). The body is swamp ash. 8) 8) 8) Rosewood neck - that and tuning machines will be coming courtesy of the Dali Lama. I gotta decide how to finish it, but I wanna wait on that for a bit, until I've decided 'where to go' with it. Oh, I'll need a bridge fairly soon, since Rosencrantz's bridge will be in use on said guitar.
I'm gonna sort pics of El Cheapo and Raif MkI - any ideas on what could be done with el cheapo would be hugely appreciated.
Hey, I'd play a pink guitar. Entered a raffle for a Hello Kitty Strat, even. (The guys at the store who handled the drawing kept drawing till they got a 10 year old girl.) :lol:
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
whether pink is really an acceptable colour for a guitar
Just depends on how secure you are. :wink:
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
whether pink is really an acceptable colour for a guitar
Just depends on how secure you are. :wink:
It also depends on HOW pink - but you can rest assured I won't be leaving my white telecaster in the washing machine with any of my red shirts......
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
It would certainly go with the pink Kyser capos I use. No lie.
Peace
Mine's a pink (gasp!) 12-string! And I use pink Kyser capoes too! :D
..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
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((¸¸.·´ .·´
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´ -:¦:- Elecktrablue -:¦:-
"Don't wanna ride no shootin' star. Just wanna play on the rhythm guitar." Emmylou Harris, "Rhythm Guitar" from "The Ballad of Sally Rose"
I was thinking of painting the swamp ash neon pink. With flashing pink fret markers. And some lemon yellow fluffyness attached to/dangling from the headstock. Do you think that would work? Would it look kewl? Not just kewl, but 8) kewl 8) ? Because I gotta look kewl, y'know.
And I'll be installing some lipstick pups. Naturally. :wink:
leaving my white telecaster in the washing machine with any of my red shirts......
:D :D :D
Vic
Vic I cant beleve that even crosed you mind :wink:
I was thinking of painting the swamp ash neon pink. With flashing pink fret markers. And some lemon yellow fluffyness attached to/dangling from the headstock. Do you think that would work? Would it look kewl? Not just kewl, but 8) kewl 8) ? Because I gotta look kewl, y'know.
And I'll be installing some lipstick pups. Naturally. :wink:
I'm thinking flamingo. Maybe a beak and some legs would complete it?
-=tension & release=-
Since you're getting into the whole mod thing, you may want to look at these guys as a source of parts 'n stuff.
http://store.guitarfetish.com/
I just put one of their wired pickguards into my Strat, and I'm SUPER pleased with the results. Excellent build quality, and a 5 minute response on a question about installation I e-mailed to them.
They're on my A list along with Eurotubes and Ted Weber now.
Playing guitar and never playing for others is like studying medicine and never working in a clinic.
+1 on GuitarFetish. Don't know if they ship to you though. Fantastic prices. I've got their pick-ups on 2 1/2 guitars and they're doing fine.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
and getting some DiMarzio pups (I've honestly no clue how they'll sound, they just had kewl names, and I didn't have to pay for them, sooooo an Air Zone and an Air Norton).
I'm going to guess that combination could be a little dark in the same guitar. Both were intended to be bridge pickups, though Dimarzio says the Air Norton can sometimes be used as a very warm neck pup. If the body is mahogany like an LP, I'd look for something with a little more neutral or bright tone profile; Dimarzio lists the sound characteristics on their site. Either one would match up well with a PAF Joe in the neck (especially the Air Norton, as the impedances are closer, so you'll get a better defined sound in the middle position.) Just something to think about. 8)
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
spring time guitar projects begin. I have my first lap steel I made. I took that Seymour Duncan Antiquity out and o=put it in an acoustic/electric lap steel in made. a friend dropped off two humbuckers he took out of his LesPaul Custom 70's). they were not LP Custom buckers. one with two rail with a creme yellow plastic holder will look great in that first lap steel. pics coming if I remember.
right now I am painting my bedroom. totally opposite of this thread.
pink guitars can work. one must wear leggings and cowboy boots. a tutu would not hurt. tats and a metal studded guitar strap would butch the whole get up.
scrybe...I like your energy towards your gear projects. got to have pics. yep.
and getting some DiMarzio pups (I've honestly no clue how they'll sound, they just had kewl names, and I didn't have to pay for them, sooooo an Air Zone and an Air Norton).
I'm going to guess that combination could be a little dark in the same guitar. Both were intended to be bridge pickups, though Dimarzio says the Air Norton can sometimes be used as a very warm neck pup. If the body is mahogany like an LP, I'd look for something with a little more neutral or bright tone profile; Dimarzio lists the sound characteristics on their site. Either one would match up well with a PAF Joe in the neck (especially the Air Norton, as the impedances are closer, so you'll get a better defined sound in the middle position.) Just something to think about. 8)
Thanks slej, but its a cheapo guitar so the body's a basswood/ply/cheap thing. Raif MkII willl be either mahogany or walnut though, and walnut apparently works much better with single coils than humbuckers (I read it dampens a lot of the low end frequencies of humbuckers), so I'll plough ahead with the norton/zone combo for now and either change the neck pup later or look into some P90s (any excuse for P90s, lol).
dogbite - thanks. I've just got back in, so I'm having a brew right now, then I'll post pics of el cheapo acoustico. I'm not kidding, the neck really is a tree trunk......
If the swamp ash goes pink, did I mention I'll be using it to play death metal? :wink:
Let me know how them lap steels sound. 8)
As an overall 'image', I was thinking something like this...........
