I'll be taking one more step and trying to upgrade/hot rod/fix my own guitars.

The first of my victims will be my little Epiphone LP Junior - replacing the warparound bridge w/ an adjustable one from Stewmac, replacing the tuners (probably w/ some Grovers, as I like the ones on my big Les Paul) and putting in a new pick-up - maybe a DiMarzio SuperDistortion. 

The next victim will be a present I received from my in-laws last week - a hand made, one of a kind "skulls and bones" guitar, strat type. That one calls for a lot of work - basically, everything needs to be done - a nut, tuners, pick ups - and the holes to put them in, etc... For the time being, it's just a fancy piece of wood. 

And then, maybe, my good old black Fender strat, Marianne - I've had plans for that one for years. The bridge pick up sounds like it's dying, and I guess I'm finally ready to get over my inhibitions and replace that stock single coil w/ a humbucker. 

Pretty exciting - I haven't held a soldering iron in my hands for 28 years. :)

Just remember to pick up the soldering iron by the cool end.    Good luck.  

Sounds like fun :)

I have not picked up a soldering iron or worked on guitars for ages. I own one black guitar, it's not quite exquisite and the hardware is not blazing hot but it will do.  

My resolution for this year; 

1) I want to eat healthier; overall have a much better balanced diet. My health has taken a bit of a battering over the years. I need to take a lot more care of myself. 

2) Music Video Production and it's got to be outstanding. The screenplay is basically written (though last minute changes might be done) and I have almost all the equipment and software need.   I estimate at least 60 or more scenes will be required for this production. Will start shooting video by February. With all the video shoots, stills and graphics required it's going to take several months or more to complete.   My wife is an excellent photographer; there will be lots of photo stills and graphics included in this production. 

I've resolved to make the jump up to 2560x1600.

Maybe by next November.


best regards,
mike

Old55


Just remember to pick up the soldering iron by the cool end.    Good luck.  

for clarity,  that's normaly the plastic end...

 Rain that's probably the best way to do it , just jump in there and start working on it. Justas soon as I finish this fireplace built in I'm working on I plan to start operating on a guitar.

  I  want to replace the neck on my Variax. Frets are starting to wear a little and the neck itself isn't the best.....looking at the Carvin catalog got me drooling. Stainless steel medium jumbo frets and Abalone inlays,althugh I love those inlays on the Schecters more.. I have access to wood tools and I own wood tools so I am thinking I might attempt a neck myself, or a blank I can work on.

 Kits almost seem like cheating to me but there is a lot you can do with a kit guitar. Might entertain the thought as a first experiment, that or a pawn shop/ebay special. Upgrading a cheapie can get expensive though.

 The most appealing thing is that you can make it how you want it.

 

 

 The thing I am looking into now is finer measuring tools to see tolerances at the .001 or less range. Can't really set up a guitar well without knowing some of that.

I resolve to stop buying stuff...oops, too late..

NEXT year

Starise


 Rain that's probably the best way to do it , just jump in there and start working on it. 

To be honest, the fact that I've finally switched to a different main guitar helps. I wouldn't have messed w/ my black strat before. Just like there's no way I'd be messing w/ the Les Paul, not before a long time.


The guitar my in-laws offered is still in Quebec, as I couldn't take it w/ me on the plane - and that would have been a pretty brutal place to start anyway. The Les Paul Junior on the other hand makes for an easier introduction to that stuff - a simple warparound bridge, one pick up, two knobs - it doesn't get much "easier" than that. :)