This is a channel devoted mainly to guitar modifications. However, you'll find a little bit of everything; some covers of popular songs, lessons and tutorials, how-to or DIY videos, perhaps some product reviews, and lastly my own original music. Have a look around!
I agree with you man, asthetically the truss rod hole on a headstock looks crap, i don't like them either. That was some effort you put in there! Wow! lol...i was thinking sbout doing that on an old japanese squire neck i have, but I think I'll pass after watching your vid and the nightmare you had trying to sort it lol ...A++++ for effort and determination though 👍 😎 pity these heel spoke wheek adjusters weren't around back in years gone by like they are starting to come through now. that way everyone is potentialky happy 👍 people can adjust the neck st the heel without having to take the neck off and the headstock avoids an ugly looking hole. Fender need to get with the program and start using these spoke wheel adjusters themselves. My two main strats sre partcasters. The rosewood necks are from elsewhere, not fender, because at the time of writing this post, they don't do any necks with spoke wheel at the heel.For me personally they are coolio, i get the classic 60's strat look i like the best on the headstock but i can easily sort out a truss rod adjust if i need too 👍
No one talks about this. Same with Martin acoustics. Really large washers that hurt the aesthetics of the guitar. I just put butterbean open back tuners on my cheaper martin. Looks so much better. My les paul is from 2002 so already has small washers and the vintage look.
I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product! I will say though that I doubt I would have gone to the level of detail you went through to get your pickguard exactly how you want it. Also, I'm the type of guy who would have ruined the one you went with by trying the techniques on the new one instead of the old Epiphone pickguard. I'm a bit odd that way.
Here is an update/supplement to this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-I5x4YuypeWs.html. The leather dye didn't remain on the dot markers over time, and so I eventually replaced the dots with darker "aged clay" dots.
My 335 had a nashville that had sunk really bad. Just took an abr1 slightly enlarged holes n it works perfectly, but ya need to do a clean job on the holes.
@@NathanSink If you really want to make it like the original ABR you get some maple dowling, fill the holes and screw a 6-32 stud directly into the wood. Using the adapters that press into the wood is pretty much the same as correctly reaming out an ABR to fit the nashville posts. I believe someone makes an ABR to fit the nashville studs. A 6-32 is a #6x32 threads per inch. Standard U.S. screw size and what was used on original ABR guitars. Mechanically, the nashville set up is far superior to studs in the wood. After years of trying to adjust bridge with string tension the 6-32 studs strip out. Worked on several guitars with this issue. Sonically, in a blind test you might, that's might hear a difference in the bridges but using same bridge never hear a difference in the studs used. Like having bumblebee caps, it's great if you wanna keep it looking vintage but has no sonic value.
I tried something similar with my charvel. Wanted the toothpaste logo, got my dad to make a waterslide for me. Applied it after sanding and staining. But without a layer of paint under it. I used Nitro clear without softeners, it should crack faster. It cracked while drying on the waterslide. Maybe because i didnt lacquer the headstock
The LR Baggs Anthem in my Emerald guitar died within a few months, in the middle of the song, while plugged into an Ampero II Stomp, that was routed into an A&H SQ5. Swapping the battery did not help. The purveyor of my 12 String Emerald carbon fiber replied "this has never happened, as if it couldn't happen, and he basically refused to stand by his and LR-Baggs warranty. And out of 5 of his guitars, this was the first warranty request! after spending $~10,000, this was quite shoddy!
I came in mainly curious about the neck pickup since I’m about to trade one of my guitars for a Tele that has a Duncan Designed tele bridge pickup and a Duncan Designed JM neck pickup. I already know I’m gonna swap the Tele pickup for a Chopper T, so I needed to know if it would be worth keeping the Jazzmaster pickup, and I gotta say I’m shocked at just how good that sounds.
I think it came out really well. I share the same dislike for the truss rod adjustment being at the headstock., to me it looks cheap and distracts from the overall look of the headstock. What I’d like to try is replacing the truss rod nut on a Squire neck with a Bullet truss rod nut. I’m not sure of the thread size of the Squires truss rod so I don’t know if the Bullet adjuster will fit. Good job man!
you the musician cares kind of like when you build something and there's a mistake and someone says no one will know it's there and you say but I will.
I've been looking for a Road Warn body for a similar project for some time. Any ideas or references to get a similar Butterscotch Blonde color that is only slightly translucent with the light undercoat? Thanks
@@rodrich1644 I got mine off of The Stratosphere when they had their own website. I think they are only on EBay now, but the do the same thing (parting out guitars). Maybe they still have some? Best of luck. You might try MJT or something like that as well.
Yep, still using them. Honestly I just don't even notice them anymore. I wouldn't say it stays in tune any better or worse. Tone wise, it's kind of subjective. I like the feel more than anything.
@@ciri151 the dye has held up really well since it applied it 4 years ago. Granted, I don’t play this guitar exclusively (I have to treat all my guitars fairly 😂) and I don’t really sweat excessively.
Did I miss the part where you drill the headstock for the extra screws of the Klusons? I'm considering this swap in my LP to save some weight, any idea how much lighter the Klusons were? And did you notice a difference in how the guitar balances?
@@kostasbk741 yeah, those holes were already there from the original tuners. See @22:00. I honestly didn’t have the Grover tuners on long enough to really tell a difference in the balance. I DO know however that when I added the Bigsby, the guitar became “butt heavy”. Now when I sit, it wants to fall off my lap on the Bigsby end. 🫤
As a wood finisher, boat painter, occasional car, etc, there is zero special about nitro, or cheap one part lacquer in general like you're using which isn't nitro based. The problem with that stuff you're using is it's not thinned down for the base coats and won't sink into the wood. However, it's light years better than poly, or poly type mixes, oil, etc, for a guitar because it looks, feels, and plays good. You can buy a cheap sprayer, some nitro, thin and tint depending on coat process, all for cheaper than buying those tint cans plus the cheap HD cans, fyi. The entire reason relics are popular is because old-school nitro wore out quick, making a guitar look worn. But, it still is the best choice imho. And a 120$ thinline! Wtf
@@benwright6330 for this particular Bigsby I can’t remember. It was like 10 yrs ago. This guy has a great video about it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-41IVcoEnT5s.htmlsi=zW-nHF1faSxLsBWd
Hey Nathan, What are the disadvantages to installing tuners so that the tuner knob axles are CLOSER to the bridge than the tuner peg axles? For that orientation, are sealed tuners strong enough to prevent the string tension from pulling the tuner peg gear away from the tuner knob gear?
@@NathanSink Hey Nathan, most installs have the tuner knobs closer to the top of the headstock.than the pegs. That way, string tension pulls the top of the peg down toward the bridge, the hole in the head leverages that so the tension pushes the gear end of the peg up toward the tuner knob gear. Does that clear it up? That's the common way. I'm thinking about positioning the tuners the other way around (with the tuner pegs closer to the top of the headstock than the tuner knobs) The string tension will then tend to push the 2 gears apart. I'm wondering whether in sealed tuners, the tuner 'case' will be able to resist that force.
@@TheLookingOne I think I get it. It would essentially be like putting right hand tuners on a left-handed guitar (or vice versa)? I would imagine they could handle it fine, but don’t hold me to it. 😉
The problem with Dave's wood putty is that it was a little too dark to start with. I've used a light fleshy color putty (very very close to the Fimo flesh color, if not identical) and really liked the result. Doesn't look exactly like or even ages the same as the harvite dots I made years ago, but close enough.
The Wammy Bar will add tone, I pulled one off an SG and the SG lost some of its Dark Rich Tone. I may put it back on. So be careful not to screw up a Guitar just because everyone says its better, it may not be.
Been playing these things for 62+ years. Back in the early '70s, we used linseed oil to dress boards in my brother's Tallahassee music store. Since then, I have used all kinds of stuff ... I think my favorite was Formby's Lemon Oil. But that went into history, some how. These daze, I have returned to linseed oil. Cheap and does a real fine job. And guess what ... I remember Fender -- in the early days of rosewood boards -- recommending 3-In-1 oil ...
I wish I actually had a chance to try them. I think I would like them, but with my headstock thickness fiasco I never got them to work & I haven’t really looked for any since.
Just as a heads up, that "pre-action" in your Bigsby arm where it's depressed 1/2" before it truly engages means there's a problem with your Bigsby. And it's not the spring. There's not supposed to be slack in your Bigsby arm. It's supposed to respond immediately to whatever pressure you apply. Flip the Bigsby arm over, make sure the plastic washer is seated underneath the spring and not on top in the recess of the Bigsby arm. Then tighten the little nut where the arm pivots. That nut has a spring loaded lock washer underneath it. If you tighten that nut until the lock washer is compressed your Bigsby will have no slack and it will function the way Paul Bigsby intended. Your Bigsby will respond immediately and evenly, even when only light pressure is applied to the arm. It is a HUGE improvement. It will impact the "flutter and fluidity" you refer to much more than a new spring. But I'm sure your spring recommendation is a great suggestion.
I’m starting to piece together my partscaster. For some reason I’ve always loved the “trouble maker” strats… aka Stratocaster with Telecaster headstock. Musikraft makes it super easy to put a strat heal on a tele neck, so this is probably the route I’m going. Similar companies also don’t offer clay inlays and that’s a look I’d always regret not going with on the dark rosewood. Going to use a MJT body and a prewired pick gaurd from Bare Knuckle to round it out. The only decision I haven’t made yet is if I’m using tele or strat decals on the headstock 😂
Yeah, I’ve been pleased with Musikraft. I’ve got two of their necks now. The only thing I would say with regard to the clay dots is make sure if you want the darker ones to get AGED clay. I made the mistake of getting the Imitation Clay ones & they were too light (in my opinion) for my relic guitar. I actually went to the trouble of changing them out…which was a bit scary. Here’s the video if you’re interested: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-I5x4YuypeWs.htmlsi=9jLxJDk-QMzF5lQ8 Best of luck with your build!
@@NathanSink I was originally going to go with Warmoth, but it seems like Musikraft has more of the options I’m looking for. Thanks for the heads up! Yeah, imo the darker the dots the better 🔥.
Yes, that is a consideration. But it’s pretty easy to make sure the wire connects when you put the bushings back. And you can confirm it with an electrical multimeter. Also, an interesting note: the ground wire on this guitar was originally connected to the tailpiece bushings & I had to run a new wire to the bridge bushings.
You really butcher the pronunciation of Faber. Both syllables wrong. 🤣 Can’t do a drop test on an Ikea table… Use some Teflon tape, on the bridge post insert. It will stop wobbling. You have a Gibson, yet you cheap out on the bridge? 🤦 Hopeless.
So… 1) I’m not German: I grew up in the southern US. What do you expect? How do you pronounce it: FAH-BEAR? 2) It’s not an IKEA table. I came up with it myself (here’s the video if you’re interested: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-W1XvHf0P3N0.htmlsi=qzJkeN9oPyltYrmz No, the top isn’t real wood, but you can most certainly do a drop test on it. If two pieces are dropped & sound different it works: the sound is relative. 3) You comment later that I’m “cheaping out” on the bridge, yet you suggest using teflon tape as a solution? 4) I don’t believe the TonePros bridge is cheap or inferior. I got a bad one, but I fixed it & now it works perfectly.
@@NathanSink 1. I thought it was funny. 2. Didn’t mean to drag your table. The drop test is better done, on a more solid surface. Yes, the sound *is* relative… To what you drop it on. A solid surface will better transfer the metallic sound. 3 & 4. Tape is a solution, for an existing problem. If you’re replacing the bridge, on a Gibson, you should at least get a quality replacement. Not saying you should drop $400+, on a Four Uncles, but at least a Schaller, or Graph Tech. Both are similarly priced, to the TonePros, but much better quality. You’ll notice the difference.
