A few semi-hollow AS-2000s upgrades

[Partscaster]

I've had this guitar for about 4 years....most of the time its been in it's case, with its guts in a bag also inside it's case. I had too much other guitar stuff to tend to before I wanted to try and rebuild the harness of mini-pots and stuff it inside the f-clefs, etc, etc...not knowing if I'd need to fiddle more if it wasnt problem free. Stock ceramics were good, but not enough. Plus, doing pup comparisons seemed a drag for this guitar. Too much bother fishing it all back and forth thru the clefs. So unplayed it has moslty been.

Gotta click on pics to get intended orientation.

Then, this morning I got my router out and went for it.

What a relief it was doing regular control cavity work.
It came out well, not perfect, but good enough. I could have centered it a little better over 4 pots. No biggy.

As I was butchering the guitar, my GFS cheap tremolo showed up, so I put it on.

More pics of gfs trem next post below.


Then I put some pickups in that I had forgotten about, from Onamac Windery.
I saw them demoed in a shootout on the Doug and Pat Show and liked them. They sounded raw and open, growly clean.
This set is called "Top Shelf Custom Alnico"
He says he had a magnet manufacturer add some impurities to his magnets to get them closer to PAF era production. They are a fairly week magnet, similar to an A3, he says.
Low wind..7.2, 7.4., and unpotted.

I gotta say they are loud, clean and punchy, with growlyness thu my 12w Falcon amp at about 1/4-1/3 volume level.
I fiddled alot with pole heights trying to keep growl and lessen some highs. Then went too far, etc. Its a unique humbucker for me.
Its odd to hear the chime and growl. I didnt try pedals yet. But I love the sound... humbuckers that lean into edgy single coil territory.
So I got that goin for me.

[Partscaster]

GFS Tremolo


It works well. It feels like a b3. or b7 I think. Loose, but not sloppy. Not stiff like the B5's I've tried.

You gotta click on pics to get intended orientation.

It settles in tune very well. Does go out a little with aggresive trem use. Same as bigsby's I have.
Arm has full 360 swivel, and comes tensioned to stay put where left.

Has axel with slotted metal beads that spin on axel, and are free to move laterally on axel.

Attaches to stoptail anchors with acorn head screws and washers. Comes with felt washers to go over anchors as not to scratch finish. The bulk of trem hovers over fall away of archtop. You can see right under its aft end.

Looks pretty good. Feels great. Seems to stay in tune as well as a bigsby. Dont know about longevity. The axel could be a weak spot.
Comes with 2 spring sizes. I am using the bigger gauge spring. You can even pull up on it a few 1/2 steps..but could be asking for tuning trouble.
Spring stays put and seems smooth when under string tension. Seemed a concern before string tension was applied.

Thats it...new improved AS-2000. Its back to life and better than ever.

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edit:
I am going to try the softer spring as I might prefer the trem arm to sit a little lower and I figure it might compress to a lower height. Its good as is. A little lower, .......have to see. Might also find extra Bigsby springs are interchangable, IDK yet.

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edit 2: smaller gauge spring is way too soft for me

[peskypesky]

its a beautiful guitar

[tlarson58]

Love it. I wish that mine had a easy-to-access panel.

[Partscaster]

Love it. I wish that mine had a easy-to-access panel.

I'm gonna route one into my other AS-2000s too. (White body)
Its so worth it. Might harm resell value with imperfect non-cnc cutting, but it might increase value if a potential moder/buyer thinks about the access benefits.

[ILuvTeles]

She's a beauty!

Nice project

[jtcnj]

Nice!

[TVvoodoo]

Great pics!

[Partscaster]

I just ordered a white backplate and some white knobs and pup rings etc for my white as-2000s. Similarly abandoned due to "pita" of having no back access. Not for long. I'll rout the back access, and put a nickel GFS trem on it , and put in a set of WCR Crossroads that have been waiting . This guitar will be all white plastics with nickel hardware. I'll ditch the pickguard and it can look like a ghost.

[Lacking Talent]

Man, that vibrato tailpiece is sitting way up in the air there! Does it rock at all with aggressive bar twiddling? Any concern that the unit's failure to sit down flush against the guitar top at its rear edge will result in the whole things tearing out of the hollow body right from the front screws?

[Partscaster]

Man, that vibrato tailpiece is sitting way up in the air there! Does it rock at all with aggressive bar twiddling? Any concern that the unit's failure to sit down flush against the guitar top at its rear edge will result in the whole things tearing out of the hollow body right from the front screws?

Hi LT, I think its gonna do fine in that respect. I've been playing it, and it remains stable. They do make another similar version with four bolts called Xtrem Top Mount Vibrato. This one is called "Xtreme Les Paul Stud Mount Vibrato" in some of their text, and just "Xtreme Stud Mount Vibrato" in some other text on their site.

The tail end does move 1/2 a millimeter (+/-) at the very back edge. One yutube commentator points to this gap and states that the tremolo's tail-end rock causes "even more tuning instability. It’ll stick sharp or flat, and there’s no “wiggle the bar to get it back in tune” with this one. It’s a bummer" cause he otherwise likes it.
I have noticed no more tuning instability then the slight amount I get from my two Bygsby B3/down tension bar set ups.

I may put some felt sticky-backed furniture leg protector bits under the back end with sticky side up, in case anyone were to step on it and perhaps pry out the studs. But I'm not worried about it lifting anchors with normal use.
.................
edit:
found my sticky backed furniture pads, I got at Amalzone. And, amongst them were some harder rubber knubs with one sticky side. They are about 1/2" round by 3/16" tall. I put two under the trem rear axil at opposite edges where frame is sold and smooth, sticky side up against tremolo. I dont think I see any movement now at tail end. Certainly, the knubs protect against any serious leveraging of anchors, although they themselves provide a new fulcrum point. Its a pretty small lever. Now, when I pry up or push down on tail end with fingers, and with ringing strings, I dont hear any tune change.

[Mr. Leyvatone]

That’s one of the most beautiful guitars I’ve ever seen in my life. Wow!!!

[peskypesky]

That’s one of the most beautiful guitars I’ve ever seen in my life. Wow!!!

They're both gorgeous! I really want a white semi-hollow, but they're few and far between.

[Partscaster]

The White Agile AS-2000s rebuild has started.

I did the route work once I got my white backplate in today. Had to wait to trace the exact one, and sure enough it has its own slight shape differences. Less lucky, is how any imperfections of my hand held routing will show more on the white guitar, as shadow. Whereas, the rootbeer body didnt stand out against shadows of the route line. Whatever. I get to change pickups when I want within minutes without going through the clefs.

And, I thought I bought white knobs...turns out I clicked on clear ones. So a shot of spray paint to the inside and they look good. Slight ivory white color to the guitar, and to the rattle paint I had.
Now I'm assembling the pots and switch into it.
Soon, the pickups. Yippee !

[Partscaster]

End of the day. Pups in place.
Still need to solder all the goodies in the cavity, and wait for GFS tremolo, jack plate, and 18/1 tuners to all show up.

[Lacking Talent]

Man, that vibrato tailpiece is sitting way up in the air there! Does it rock at all with aggressive bar twiddling? Any concern that the unit's failure to sit down flush against the guitar top at its rear edge will result in the whole things tearing out of the hollow body right from the front screws?

Hi LT, I think its gonna do fine in that respect. I've been playing it, and it remains stable. They do make another similar version with four bolts called Xtrem Top Mount Vibrato. This one is called "Xtreme Les Paul Stud Mount Vibrato" in some of their text, and just "Xtreme Stud Mount Vibrato" in some other text on their site.

The tail end does move 1/2 a millimeter (+/-) at the very back edge. One yutube commentator points to this gap and states that the tremolo's tail-end rock causes "even more tuning instability. It’ll stick sharp or flat, and there’s no “wiggle the bar to get it back in tune” with this one. It’s a bummer" cause he otherwise likes it.
I have noticed no more tuning instability then the slight amount I get from my two Bygsby B3/down tension bar set ups.

I may put some felt sticky-backed furniture leg protector bits under the back end with sticky side up, in case anyone were to step on it and perhaps pry out the studs. But I'm not worried about it lifting anchors with normal use.
.................
edit:
found my sticky backed furniture pads, I got at Amalzone. And, amongst them were some harder rubber knubs with one sticky side. They are about 1/2" round by 3/16" tall. I put two under the trem rear axil at opposite edges where frame is sold and smooth, sticky side up against tremolo. I dont think I see any movement now at tail end. Certainly, the knubs protect against any serious leveraging of anchors, although they themselves provide a new fulcrum point. Its a pretty small lever. Now, when I pry up or push down on tail end with fingers, and with ringing strings, I dont hear any tune change.

IMG_0441.jpg

Thanks for the details, appreciate it!

[Partscaster]

picks of the finished white

pickup set in this is medium hot vintage wind, 7.5/8.5. They are very articulate in this guitar. Yet creamy too. I think both these as-2000 guitars bring out some growl while preserving the high end very well. Likely because of the solid maple cap over solid mahogany w/ semi-hollow routs. Finally these guitars have access panels.

[Partscaster]

the two together, completed, with Josse.