Members AlamoJoe Posted November 25, 2014 Members Share Posted November 25, 2014 The '81 Strat I own, I have had since '81. Played it six weeks straight...Every couple of days...Along with several others...No one bought it in all that time. Finally pulled the trigger and bought her. Loved her ever since Due to financial problems, I had to sell my beloved '75 Les Paul Custom last year. Don't regret that so much 'cuz the circumstances for my family at the time required a sacrifice...And...really...since I got the Strat...She's been my mainy. But I still hungered for a humbucker every now and then. So I saved up some gift cards, did some research...And ordered a DiMarzio Tone Z mini humbucker to replace the bridge pickup with. Already had put in a push/pull pot and wired her up so I could throw in the bridge and neck pickup at the same time....Didn't dig it so much...Rarely utilized it...But I figured I could reconfigure it with the new pickup to throw it back into single coil mode to get back that sound.I've had the pickup for 4 months already....It's just sitting there in the box...Staring at me... Cannot bring myself to do the surgery. I don't know why. I've soldering skill. I've assembled a number of schematics. I can get the pickup in and acheive the functions desired. But cannot bring myself to do the deed... Guess I need a collective kick in the ass, or a collective "Don't do it!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Engl Kramer Posted November 25, 2014 Members Share Posted November 25, 2014 You can always change it back. I replaced the Squier pickups in my Parts Strat for Fender ones (loaded pickguard from a Highway One). I liked the humbucker in the bridge (Atomic) but not the single coils. Next string change I switched the single coils back. Shtrats is easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gardo Posted November 25, 2014 Members Share Posted November 25, 2014 I know why you're afraid to cut the heart out of your beloved Strat. Do you feel the magic will be lost? Someone once said "I have many regrets in life ,but the things I regret most aren't the things I've done but the things I never did." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billybilly Posted November 25, 2014 Members Share Posted November 25, 2014 I changed the pickups in my strat and it was never the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted November 25, 2014 Members Share Posted November 25, 2014 I know what that's like. I have several stock guitars I have no desire to modify. My Vintage Rick 480 is a rare bird with only two pickups. http://www.rickbeat.com/modelslibrary/480/480-body1.jpg The body is the same for the 481 which had slant frets and the even more rare 483 which is a three pickup version. Its got a route under the pickguard to add the third pickup http://www.rickbeat.com/modelslibrary/483/940442483-picture.jpg. Temptation to add that third pickup grows every once an awhile but I've so far ignored it. I'm glad I did. Its a 70's version and its becoming a collectable now so leaving it. I paid $450 for it back around 1990 and they have already gone up to around $2000 used. I probably wont get that much because I had no choice but to refret it to make it playable, but its a very solid guitar with that signature rick tone. My Les Paul is another guitar I wont touch just because if its resale value as an anniversary model, and only 800 being made has doubled its value. I may do a little work on the lacquer finish bring it back to factory specs, but everything else will remain stock. I have plenty of guitars That I've modded to the max and I'm working on a new build that I can put anything I can dream up into it. I would suggest you buy another pickguard for yours and be sure to save the stock components so you can reverse any mods you do. If you ever want to resell it, the pups and pickguard seems to generate the best prices. Modded guitars are harder to sell, even if those mods are top notch and were needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gardo Posted November 25, 2014 Members Share Posted November 25, 2014 I changed the pickups in my strat and it was never the same. So are you saying you can't always change it back or you never tried to change it back ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ancient Mariner Posted November 25, 2014 Members Share Posted November 25, 2014 Just leave it as is. Pick up a something OK but cheapish if you need a guitar with buckers: there are lots of cheaper guitars that play OK for not much money now. Flog the new PU to help pay for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Steve2112 Posted November 25, 2014 Members Share Posted November 25, 2014 I know why you're afraid to cut the heart out of your beloved Strat. Do you feel the magic will be lost? Someone once said "I have many regrets in life ,but the things I regret most aren't the things I've done but the things I never did." From Perpetual Groove song: "Why Don't take us for angels(x4) Daylight without sun The race we didn't run The victory we couldn't win Purchase we never bought The war we never actually fought Now we're long past settled in Chances we won't take Music we'll never make Now our patience is so thin Daylight without sun The race that we didn't run Now were long past settled in Copyright : MusiXmatch" If this doesn't inspire you nothing will! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billybilly Posted November 25, 2014 Members Share Posted November 25, 2014 So are you saying you can't always change it back or you never tried to change it back ? I've changed it so many times I can't keep track. That's the fun of it. I have no desire to return to it's stock condition but could quite easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members knotty Posted November 25, 2014 Members Share Posted November 25, 2014 It depends if you are doing it to please yourself, or not doing it to please the next owner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AlamoJoe Posted November 26, 2014 Author Members Share Posted November 26, 2014 It depends if you are doing it to please yourself' date=' or not doing it to please the next owner.[/quote'] Well ,no. The next person to own this Strat will be probably my niece, and not until I'm dead...But I guess I should, also mention that the Les Paul I mentioned in the first post..I also bought new in '75. About five years later, I bought a DiMarzio Super Distortion humbucker I was going to put in place of the factory installed pickup at the bridge. I still have the pickup...New in the box..Had it the remaining 35 years I owned the Paul before I had to sell it to raise some cash. Never installed it either. Still have the pickup...Wish I still had the Paulie. As I said...Major courage fail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members knotty Posted November 26, 2014 Members Share Posted November 26, 2014 Well ,no. The next person to own this Strat will be probably my niece, and not until I'm dead...But I guess I should, also mention that the Les Paul I mentioned in the first post..I also bought new in '75. About five years later, I bought a DiMarzio Super Distortion humbucker I was going to put in place of the factory installed pickup at the bridge. I still have the pickup...New in the box..Had it the remaining 35 years I owned the Paul before I had to sell it to raise some cash. Never installed it either. Still have the pickup...Wish I still had the Paulie. As I said...Major courage fail. What are you worried might happen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AlamoJoe Posted November 26, 2014 Author Members Share Posted November 26, 2014 Guess I just have doubts about doing something to something that works fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gardo Posted November 26, 2014 Members Share Posted November 26, 2014 Guess I just have doubts about doing something to something that works fine. Have a pro do it for you . It may not hurt so much if you don't see the blood.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AJ6stringsting Posted November 30, 2014 Members Share Posted November 30, 2014 I've been doing mods on my guitars in the last few years and have gotten quite good at it.If you don't like working on your guitars or buying over priced guitars. Just buy parts, assemble them and you could build something better than those off the wall guitars at the music stores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members badpenguin Posted December 1, 2014 Members Share Posted December 1, 2014 Do it. if it doesn't work, un-do it. Simple as that. You might discover an entirely new dimension to the guitar you already love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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