Members twotimingpete Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 my stance is I like to tinker with my sub-$1000 axes... which is all of my axes, actually. but if I were to get something a bit more substantial, like an american standard or above (or any gibson above a grand) I'd prefer to just keep the thing intact and original and not mess with it. these are legacy items, the cheaper ones are tinker items. that's my view, anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mr_GoodBomb Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 If I'm paying that much for a guitar, generally, I'm paying for something that comes the way I like it, unless it's a simple pickup swap or something small. Cheaper guitars can usually improve via upgrades, and it doesn't hurt the resale as much (keeping it the same or maybe even, in some very cheap cases, making it worth a tiny bit more). More expensive stuff, however, just goes down in resale value if you mod it. And someone will say "I don't buy something I don't intend to keep," but I've had probably 100+ guitars. I rarely "intended" to resell them when I bought them. But knowing how I go through instruments, I've learned to consider resale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gasolinefight Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 The only thing I'll do to an expensive guitar is swap pickups. And even then, I'll keep the stock pickups aside just in case I do have to resell the guitar, and then I'll put back in the original pickups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members _pete_ Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 I swapped pickups and changed pots and caps on my Les Paul Axcess within days of getting it. I love the guitar. The neck, the body, and the feel of it is perfect. The stock pups and pots didn't agree with me. No use having a nice guitar if you don't like the sound.I'm 150% happy with it now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wakeup Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 Does The Guitar Hero LED MOD work also with the Wireless Guitar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members docjeffrey Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 I think that all four of my Gibson Custom Shop guitars are pretty much stock with the exception of lightweight tailpieces added to my ES335 and 339. My Custom Shop '56 Strat required modding the first day I brought it home--5 way switch and jumper so that the bridge pickup had a tone control. Both of my Strats have RS aged plastic knobs/switch tips/pickup covers. My '52 Tele has a genuine Bakelite guard, and my Thinline has a WD black guard. Both of my Les Paul Classics are heavily modded with different pickups, hardware, plastic parts, etc. Both of my SG's now have Tone Pros nickel hardware and different pickups; SG Classic has TV Jones Powertrons. Jazzmaster and Jaguar have Tusq saddles; Tele Thinline has Ferroglide saddles; '52 Tele RI has 250K pots and Jensen oil/paper cap. Rick 360's came with Hi Gains but were replaced with Toasters. Gretsch's have TV Jones pickups. All of my guitars get Schaller strap locks. I could keep going, but you get the point. I love modding and tweeking, even if it's just a matter of changing the knobs to make the guitar look more authentic. I always take a Dremel tool and round off the edge of low E-String saddle so that it doesn't cut my hand when I palm mute. I like the look of aged pickup covers and knobs on strats: There's just enough room in the control cavity for this righteous tone capacitor. Every guitar deserves TV Jones Powertrons. This $800 MIM Tele Thinline requires NO UPGRADES! It comes with CTS pots, Switchcraft switch, Belden hookup wire, top drawer stuff you typically find on custom shop gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Spudro Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 The only thing I'll do to an expensive guitar is swap pickups. And even then, I'll keep the stock pickups aside just in case I do have to resell the guitar, and then I'll put back in the original pickups. Generally I won't even do that, but putting a set of Lollar Imperials in my ES335 made it sound like a GREAT Gibson. As it was, it had this big sonic footprint that didn't intermingle at all with other midrange instruments. It was kind of a bully really, and that's not my thing. I want other midrange instruments to be able to be heard easily without them having to turn up loud enough to be heard over my guitar. The Imperials, while sounding very "Gibson" still have some air in the sound that allows other things to be heard through them. The Lollars made my '335 sound like it should have sounded when it left the factory, like old early to mid 60's Gibson pickups used to sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EADGBE Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 I'll mod any guitar if I think it will improve the sound, and playability, etc. My idea of what sounds good may not be the same as a luthier's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members csm Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 Well, I took the back plate off a Custom Shop Strat ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members crashclc Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 do you mod expensive guitars? Erm... if by that you mean yanking the guts out, swapping pickups etc. then "No". By and large I have never felt the need to dick around with my expensive gits and the few warranty issues I have run into have been handled by "factory authorized technicians". But I do my own setups, string changes and general maintenance on all of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members H4T3BR33D3R Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 It all depends on the guitar for me. Sometimes that really expensive axe you get needs that little tiny zing before it's perfect. I'm a tweaker myself. I know what I want out of the gear and like to think I know how to obtain it. If that means swapping out the pickups/pots/frets to get a different vibe then so be it. It's all on how much you feel that change is necessary for you. I'll also swap out parts if i want to upgrade things like tuning stability etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cratz2 Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 American Standard and Deluxe strats have pretty unremarkable pickups. Not bad, but certainly not great as the Fat 50s, CS54s, CS69s etc... I have 69s and 54s in one of my Squiers and in a MIM+MIJ Partscaster so yeah... I'd probably feel compelled to swap pickups if I had an MIA Standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 Well, I took the back plate off a Custom Shop Strat ... You Rebel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Engl Kramer Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 I think the owner would probably get annoyed if I modded his guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Argali Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 I'll mod any guitar if I think it will improve the sound, and playability, etc. My idea of what sounds good may not be the same as a luthier's. This has long been my philosophy. I've modded by Les Paul Custom by swapping out the saddles with Graph Tech String Savers. At some point I may also fiddle around with the pickups, and possibly even replace the nut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Musicscotty Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 Unless there was a particular issue with a guitar - any guitar - I would keep it stock. I can understand when there's a need to change a nut or saddles etc but I wouldn't do it just as a matter of course. The only mod I've done to my Gibson LP is to fit a pair of Bare Knuckle Emerald pickups - to replace the ceramic 496R/500T set that it had. Even then I only did this to radically improve the tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Artslinger Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 I change out pickups and replace scratchy pots, maybe a pickguard.. I always save the original pickups and pickguard in case the next owner wants to put it back to stock setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Elias Graves Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 Does The Guitar Hero LED MOD work also with the Wireless Guitar? Don't you dare mod a precious collectable like that. EG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members paulskirocks Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 I wouldn't buy an expensive guitar that needs modding... Still, if I had an expensive guitar, I wouldn't hesitate to mod it to my liking... I couldn't care less about resale value, never have... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members caveman Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 If it requires a mod and it's a regular player, it's a done deal. If it mostly sets in a case accruing value, no way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zuzuman Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 I have swapped bodies, necks, pickup assemblies, tuners on $1000 Fenders quite a few times. On more expensive guitars, I would only swap pickups, pickguards, knobs, and hardware not requiring any drilling, routing, or sanding. I don't think I could bring myself to rout holes on a $1000+ guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Doctor Morbius Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 I mod my American Standard Strats with different pickups. I also put my own wiring harness in them and set the original aside or sell it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wagdog Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 Yes... but I don't do anything that can't be undone and I keep all the original parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members maltomario Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 sometimes. Usually the more expensive guitars I buy already have features i'd like from factory. exception being straplocks, and sometimes (on my floyd guitars) a tremstopper, and those little allen wrench holders that mount behind headstock. still haven't had the courage to drill into my les paul axcess headstock or trem cavity though. don't want to mess with perfection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angry Tele Posted February 25, 2010 Members Share Posted February 25, 2010 yes I would mod any guitar that needed it. Put it this way, would you mod a guitar if you didn't know its value? We cringe now when we see routed from hell pre CBS Fenders but back then they were only worth a few hundred bucks at most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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