Whats on your work bench?

[andrewsrea]

Made my first jazzmaster sized humbucker
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Very slick!

[Flatline]

My American Performer got a makeover today from SSS to HSS.

[Rollin Hand]

Nabbed one of the GFS Heavy Duty Floyds for the AX40. And they are right about one thing: it is a damned heavy bridge! Here is the GFS photo, as my new phone takes pics 3 times the size of those allowed on this site.



I intend to do a full write-up on this bridge, as it seems there is little firm information on it on the interwebs. Plans include confirming whether it will take a brass big block that fits an OFR, how it compares to a Peavey Wolfgang trem, and just general impressions.

I am hoping that the studs fit in the AX40's original bushings, otherwise I may have some surgery to do to get better STEEL posts installed.

[tobijohn]

Actually, this one just made it off the workbench. An older P90 AL-2000 that got the Deluxe treatment. The pickups are Epi Probucker minis but I don't recall what they were originally pulled from (they did have leads with pushback cloth and and braided sheathing). I'm going to do a separate thread on the process with more pictures and a parts list to help anyone that might be contemplating the same thing. Before on the bottom, after on top :

[andrewsrea]

Actually, this one just made it off the workbench. An older P90 AL-2000 that got the Deluxe treatment. The pickups are Epi Probucker minis but I don't recall what they were originally pulled from (they did have leads with pushback cloth and and braided sheathing). I'm going to do a separate thread on the process with more pictures and a parts list to help anyone that might be contemplating the same thing. Before on the bottom, after on top :

^ Time to try your best Scott Gorham impersonation and play a little Thin Lizzy 'Jail Break' album!!!

[tobijohn]

^ Time to try your best Scott Gorham impersonation and play a little Thin Lizzy 'Jail Break' album!!!

Actually, that's exactly who and what i was thinking about before I switched it over...

[Buddha Pickups]

I decided to flat black my cheap $99 rondo clearance hollowbody. Kurt had these about 10 years ago. I think it was 1 shipment and they went pretty fast. It had no brand on it but I believe it to be Douglas or Hadean. It was wine red and in hindsight I wish I left it wine red but I was going through a natural finish phase so I wanted it natural and sanded it all down.
Next on the agenda would be to scrape the binding. Maybe.

This is eventually what I'm going for

[Buddha Pickups]

Went through the fun process yesterday and today of scraping paint off the binding.
I did most of the back via eyeballing it before I saw a neat tip about wrapping tape around your razor blade to make a guide to prevent scraping too far.

[tobijohn]

...I did most of the back via eyeballing it before I saw a neat tip about wrapping tape around your razor blade to make a guide to prevent scraping too far.

Looks good, I saw that tip too but can't recall where...

[Buddha Pickups]

...I did most of the back via eyeballing it before I saw a neat tip about wrapping tape around your razor blade to make a guide to prevent scraping too far.

Looks good, I saw that tip too but can't recall where...

I wish I had seen it before it started. The back edge binding looks terrible compared to the others

[Partscaster]

In homage to Jimi's last favorite strat, his black 68' strat that he brought to a garden tea the day before he died, I am building a black strat with a maple capped maple neck. I dont have a late 60's era strat.
Have a set of Planet Tone 69' pickups coming.

I got a good alder body from a reverb cnc outfit from ohio that I have used before. Am using an old maple capped neck I've had. Neck got sanded and restained today. Body front and sides got second coat of Lamp Black linseed oil based paint.
Lamp Black is an old black originally made from burnt lamp oil residue. It is a cool black, being bluish hued.
I will Tru Oil the body when done staining it. White pickguard, gold hardware will be the plan.

hoping to look like this

Jimi at tea party day before he died. He looked very happy in pics from that day hanging around in a garden with his strat.

[tobijohn]

I wish I had seen it before it started. The back edge binding looks terrible compared to the others

I guess you're just going to have start over and repaint it...

[Buddha Pickups]

Not sure if I should consider dyeing the fretboard or not.

[tobijohn]

Not sure if I should consider dyeing the fretboard or not.
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Don't even think about it until you clean up that back binding...

[t100d]

So, if you have been following NGD threads, you’ll know I just snagged a Monoprice Tele—after playing it for a couple of hours, I can understand the advantages of doing the reverse control plate mod, but of course, a couple of the wires are too short, so I have to extend them …

I was wondering if rather than desolder them from the pots (risking overheating), could I just snip them and splice a short run in between, with shrink insulation?

Are there any reasons not to do this, and does the wire splice have to be exactly the same gauge? What happens if it’s not, or am I overthinking this?

[mickey]

So, if you have been following NGD threads, you’ll know I just snagged a Monoprice Tele—after playing it for a couple of hours, I can understand the advantages of doing the reverse control plate mod, but of course, a couple of the wires are too short, so I have to extend them …

I was wondering if rather than desolder them from the pots (risking overheating), could I just snip them and splice a short run in between, with shrink insulation?

Are there any reasons not to do this, and does the wire splice have to be exactly the same gauge? What happens if it’s not, or am I overthinking this?

Sounds like you are doing a bunch of overthinking.

[tobijohn]

Sure, you could splice in a couple inches but it would be a royal pain. If you've done this before, I wouldn't worry about damaging the pots...

[Jaymo]

...I did most of the back via eyeballing it before I saw a neat tip about wrapping tape around your razor blade to make a guide to prevent scraping too far.

Looks good, I saw that tip too but can't recall where...

Dan Erlewine ? I think it was in one of his StewMac videos. I saw him doing a drop fill repair to a chip in the finish of a guitar and he showed the tape around the razor blade trick.
That's where I saw it, anyway.

[Chocol8]

If you do happen to damage the pots on a budget import guitar, that gives you a perfect opportunity to replace them with decent pots.

[Jaymo]

This is where I first heard about this technique.

[t100d]

If you do happen to damage the pots on a budget import guitar, that gives you a perfect opportunity to replace them with decent pots.

Found a two-page thread on TDPRI that answers all my questions and ones I didn't even know I had—and I thought us'ns were obsessive!!

[tobijohn]

Found a two-page thread on TDPRI that answers all my questions and ones I didn't even know I had—and I thought us'ns were obsessive!!

I'd be interested in reading that if you don't mind posting the link. TIA...

[t100d]

https://www.tdpri.com/threads/does-wire ... ar.293704/

also https://www.tdpri.com/threads/guitar-wire.1062053/

They are a pretty contentious bunch, not as laid back as us, but still interesting …

[jtcnj]

The 3 way switch on my Gibson studio felt "mushy / sloppy" going to the bridge pickup.
I was able to back the screws out and bend the switch contactor a little.
Now it is nice positive feel from bridge to both; equal to the feel of switching the neck.

It is a 2007 I got in Feb. and shows some play wear where your forearm rests. Not much fret wear though.
I suppose the previous owner played mostly the bridge, as do I.

I wonder if this is metal fatigue from NOT leaving the switch in the middle position when not in use?
I always stow my guitars with the switches in the middle and the pots at zero, after a thorough wipe down.

I find it interesting how the 3 way switch is a break, not make switch: it doesnt switch TO either pickup. Rather, it removes one or the other from the both / middle position.
I'm such a nerd.

[glasshand]

I wonder if this is metal fatigue from NOT leaving the switch in the middle position when not in use?
I always stow my guitars with the switches in the middle and the pots at zero, after a thorough wipe down.

Funny you should mention this - on my old SG, I played almost exclusively in the neck position, and after a while (years) I noticed that the switch was no longer reliably switching. I think the metal fatigues after a while. Now I try to do like you do and leave the switches in the middle - although I don't put the pots at zero and I'm not so good with the wiping down!