Members Hemroidius Posted January 8, 2009 Members Share Posted January 8, 2009 ...doesn't have to take "a lot". ...One or two components at a time. I have a pretty nice Legend Strat copy (blue metal flake, rosewood board, matching headstock), picked up at pawn for about $50. Already put a tremsetter in it, $30, worth every penny. I'm gonna put a Dimarzio Red Velvet PU (Tele voiced strat pu) in the bridge ($42 used). I figure at some point I'll swap out the neck (if I can find a maple one dyed completely red - making the guitar red, white and blue) -- and tuners/bridge assembly. If I do this over a year or two and find good deals on components, I maybe will have spent $350-400 on the whole shebang - and have a one-of-a-kind guitar. Compared to dopey youngsters taking a $15000 car and doing $20000 worth of mods to it , I'd say the guitar thing is a drop in the bucket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cold Gin Posted January 8, 2009 Members Share Posted January 8, 2009 I don't need to justify spending money on whatever. I just do it. The secret is to not think about the consequences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members octavedoctor Posted January 8, 2009 Members Share Posted January 8, 2009 I get a lot of this: Someone comes into the shop with some plank they've bought on e-bay. "How much would it cost to get this set up." " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Raxus Prime Posted January 8, 2009 Members Share Posted January 8, 2009 No justification needed. If I want to upgrade something on a guitar I like to play, I just do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PlinytheWelder Posted January 8, 2009 Members Share Posted January 8, 2009 In modding guitars, like many other things, it's not only the destination that counts, it's the journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Steadfastly Posted January 9, 2009 Members Share Posted January 9, 2009 This thread makes me want to mod a guitar. I've been wanting a tele. Maybe that's the way to go. What do you think a decent budget would be to end up with a good telecaster if I got used one for $100.00-150.00? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Roy Posted January 9, 2009 Members Share Posted January 9, 2009 My main go to guitar is a Chinese 335 clone by S101. Ive since swapped the pups for a set of Dream 180's, added a bone nut and orange drop caps along with changing the knobs. The guitar cost me $100 on Craigslist and ive dropped another $100 or so into it. with the pup swap: played an S101 hollowbody in a music store - was very impressed - great bang for the buck - hate the brand name tho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sleepeatplay Posted January 9, 2009 Members Share Posted January 9, 2009 because a cheapy that's a solid instrument can be a fun project to tweak and hot rod. exactly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alex9152 Posted January 9, 2009 Members Share Posted January 9, 2009 I saw a lot of comments here about "the neck" and I think those are spot on. With the 2 bullets I upgraded, they both had excellent feeling necks to start with. After refinishing them with high gloss deft, adding a graphtec nut and new tuners, these necks are now GREAT necks (not amazing, omg this is the best neck I ever felt necks, but pretty damn good). In the case of white bullet, I have about $250 into it and it's a giggable, good sounding, good playing guitar. Cost is much less then a MiM strat, and IMO it's a way better ax. With my black one I've got about $350 into it (it has x3 humbuckers) and it too is a fully giggable ax that I would put up against any MiM strat. And I had the fun and enjoyment of working on both of them... White bullet: Is that the GFS preloaded pickguard? If so, then that is the exact same as my upcoming project guitar. My upcoming project I've already put $40 into (Fender neck to replace Squier neck that was somewhat thicker than I wanted to play on) and I'll be putting either $40 for the basic GFS pickguard or $150 for the GFS Neovin loaded pickguard (you tell me) and $10 in Krylon spray paints. Bridge is some old vintage-style trem I got free off some guy so the final product will be less than 10% original (the original part being the Squier Affinity 3-piece body). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NITROHOLIC Posted January 9, 2009 Members Share Posted January 9, 2009 cause you can futz with it while its a work in progress and not have to be new gear-less when saving up for the good stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pathofspirit Posted January 9, 2009 Members Share Posted January 9, 2009 This thread makes me want to mod a guitar. I've been wanting a tele. Maybe that's the way to go.What do you think a decent budget would be to end up with a good telecaster if I got used one for $100.00-150.00?I've had a good time modding one of these: STL 50 The necks on these are wider than the Fender tele necks I've played. Most of us who own them like them. For other reviews you might want to check the HC user reviews. People had also written about having a good time modding used Squier teles which you can sometimes find in higher end of that price range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members whiteop Posted January 9, 2009 Members Share Posted January 9, 2009 It's for the fun of it and you couldn't control yourself could you?...lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rob Dobbs Posted January 9, 2009 Members Share Posted January 9, 2009 played an S101 hollowbody in a music store - was very impressed - great bang for the buck - hate the brand name tho and the S101 brand name is dead. The entire line has changed and is now under the "Canvas" name brand. Its was a horrible name indeed but the logo was cool with eagle and all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thecornman Posted January 9, 2009 Members Share Posted January 9, 2009 When you have a wife it is a lot easier to get away with modding a guitar you already have then trying to walk in the door with a new one. I also find it easier to connect to a guitar once I know the ins and outs of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Uncle Bastard Posted January 9, 2009 Members Share Posted January 9, 2009 ...I also find it easier to connect to a guitar once I know the ins and outs of it. That's why I built my amp from a kit, and why I'll be buying another cheapo guitar to modify to my taste this year ( I'm giving the first one to a friend ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gtrjones Posted January 9, 2009 Members Share Posted January 9, 2009 2 squier 51s - one I paid $69 for, the other I paid $80. A Jay Turser Rosewood tele - paid $120 for a 'second'. Those prices are ALL significantly cheaper than I could go anywhere and get a finished body. In some cases, the body and some hardware was all that was left of the original guitar after modifications, but it was still significantly cheaper than going to allparts, warmoth, etc and getting and finishing a body. On one of the squiers, all I changed was the bridge and pickups. Left the neck, tuners, hardware, etc. - and the new parts were all leftovers from other projects - so that is STILL a cheap guitar. But it looks, plays, and sounds great. The end result, having a toneful, playable guitar is the only justification I worry about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wagdog Posted January 9, 2009 Members Share Posted January 9, 2009 Is that the GFS preloaded pickguard? If so, then that is the exact same as my upcoming project guitar.My upcoming project I've already put $40 into (Fender neck to replace Squier neck that was somewhat thicker than I wanted to play on) and I'll be putting either $40 for the basic GFS pickguard or $150 for the GFS Neovin loaded pickguard (you tell me) and $10 in Krylon spray paints. Bridge is some old vintage-style trem I got free off some guy so the final product will be less than 10% original (the original part being the Squier Affinity 3-piece body). Yeah, that was a $34 gfs loaded pickguard, however the guitar no long has those pickups in it. I would get a gfs guard, and better (GFS?) pups myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tubedrt Posted January 9, 2009 Members Share Posted January 9, 2009 When you have a wife it is a lot easier to get away with modding a guitar you already have then trying to walk in the door with a new one. I also find it easier to connect to a guitar once I know the ins and outs of it. I HAVE TO SNEAK THEM INTO THE HOUSE WHEN SHES AWAY, SLEEPING ETC! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Electric Blues Posted January 10, 2009 Members Share Posted January 10, 2009 Tuners.Nut.Bridge.Tailpiece.All electronics including wiring.Pups.Knobs. Fret level and dress.Total body sanding to reduce clearcoat and polish.How do you think it feels, plays and sounds?:)To start with, you don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brett Valentine Posted January 10, 2009 Members Share Posted January 10, 2009 Well, the good thing is I don't HAVE to justify it. I also like doing it. What convinced me was the fact that I could get a inexpensive guitar that had a solid platform (body, neck, frets) and make it practically "telepathic" in that it plays and sounds like it can almost read my mind and actually give me what I want. It's got to feel solid and not like I will play it apart. It doesn't have to compare to a $XXXX.XX guitar because it's got its own great voice and plays effortlessly (I always get a fret dressing or whatever it needs). Not a militant thing, just that now I have a bunch of guitars with different tonal characteristics, or unique things like creating a fretless or converting a travel electric into a high strung guitar. The journey is half the fun, and the results can be pretty cool. Nothing wrong with driving a Bentley, but a Volkswagen beetle with a Porsche engine can be fun too (. . .on second thought, nah, that's just dangerous. . .). Also, considering what the old blues players were playing on and making magic. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brett Valentine Posted January 10, 2009 Members Share Posted January 10, 2009 You buy a cheap guitar (whatever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ermghoti II Posted January 10, 2009 Members Share Posted January 10, 2009 If I can make cheap guitar better for less money than I can buy a better guitar, I'm in the clear. I have an SX P/J bass. It looks good, plays well, intonates damn near perfectly. Pickups were pretty bland. I tried the GFS equivalents, they're too low output. I have a Japanese P/J on the way, I'm putting Bartolinis in it if it needs it, the stockers will go into the SX. If it doesn't, the Bartos go in the SX. Ergo, I'd have a $120 bass with $170 worth of pickups in it. To get it's equal, I'd need to spend about $500, not including pickups (and nothing beats Bartos, IMO), so I don't see it as doubling the investment in a cheap instrument, I see it as a $290 bass that still fights way above its weight class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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