Buddha's mod projects

[sabasgr68]

I'm pretty much doing this thread for me and you at this point

Hey! I'm here too, just in silent mode. I'm enjoying this thread!

[Buddha Pickups]

I'll be in FL this November for disney. Election week. Hoping to avoid either direction it goes ruining my week.

How long will you be down here?

1 week. Taking my kids to Disney.
We did it a couple years ago but trying to get in one or 2 more times before my kids are too old

[dabbler]

SX HH Deluxe Tele

No idea the model number on these. I think this is from 2009ish or so.

Mods include
Roller saddles
US style 3 way
500k bourns pots, 250k neck volume
Switchcraft jack
Treble bleeds
Bridge volume push pull splits hum with 6.8k resistor
Neck tone does in series out of phase
Neck hum sized p90 8000 43awg a5
Bridge 5500 43awg a2

20240809_151231.jpg20240809_151226.jpg

Looks like a SX FURRIAN RN ALDER HH TBR.

I have one, too, but with a maple fretboard!

[Rollin Hand]

SX HH Deluxe Tele

No idea the model number on these. I think this is from 2009ish or so.

Mods include
Roller saddles
US style 3 way
500k bourns pots, 250k neck volume
Switchcraft jack
Treble bleeds
Bridge volume push pull splits hum with 6.8k resistor
Neck tone does in series out of phase
Neck hum sized p90 8000 43awg a5
Bridge 5500 43awg a2

20240809_151231.jpg20240809_151226.jpg

Looks like a SX FURRIAN RN ALDER HH TBR.

I have one, too, but with a maple fretboard!

IMGP2280a.jpg

I always wanted one of those. I was going to upgrade parts of the bridge, put on locking tuners and a Tusq XL nut, and freak people out by doing wild whammy stuff on a Tele. Still sounds like a solid plan to me.

[tobijohn]

Looks like a SX FURRIAN RN ALDER HH TBR.

I have one, too, but with a maple fretboard!

I've got the Hadean version in Antique White with a maple fretboard. I upgraded the wiring harness and swapped in a set of Schecter Super Rock pickups which have the same offset screw pattern as the Fender Extended Range pickups:

https://www.rondomusic.com/eg491vwhlh.html

[tonebender]

Wow, out of that batch I have two of the same in my family. Well, my Guild Starfire is red but my SG Faded with crescent inlays is the same and as you know I even have Buddha pups in it too! My wife gave me the SG as a birthday present so it has a lot of sentimental value. I did not like the stock uncovered pups much so I did not play it much. Now I take it to gigs quite often and really love playing it.

[Buddha Pickups]

Wow, out of that batch I have two of the same in my family. Well, my Guild Starfire is red but my SG Faded with crescent inlays is the same and as you know I even have Buddha pups in it too! My wife gave me the SG as a birthday present so it has a lot of sentimental value. I did not like the stock uncovered pups much so I did not play it much. Now I take it to gigs quite often and really love playing it.

Those early faded SGs were the best. I had a red one originally when they came out (i think they were 500ish new back then) and sold it when I needed some money for college but bought this one a few years later. That was the beginning of my ebony fretboard obsession.

The 3 pickup white guild has great sounding p90s but the tuners seem to slip a little, may change them and of course the bridge needed changing to a roller.
I upgraded the bridge on the Starfire too, not a fan of the wired abr1 bridges.

[Buddha Pickups]

Douglas Corvus 627

This one has some wonky screw placement on the pickguard and some random wood blocks installed in the swimming pool to to get the p90 high enough. There's a few extra screw holes under the pickguard too so maybe that's why it was a bstock.
This came stock with a 3 way, master volume, master tone, and 2 output jacks.

Mods include
Shielded cavities
Treble bleeds
Dual volume master tone
300k volumes and 500k tone bourns pots
4 way switching
.015 pio cap
A5 rod p90 7750 43awg neck
A5/ceramic bar magnet steel slugs p90 8500 43awg
Waxed
Gotoh Nashville tune o matic
Roller trees

[Tiga]

Is this Douglas a baritone model? It looks great! Shame we don't see this cool stuff on Rondo anymore.

[Buddha Pickups]

Is this Douglas a baritone model? It looks great! Shame we don't see this cool stuff on Rondo anymore.

Yep. 27" scale.
I also miss the rondo days when we had more 6 string options..

[nomadh]

Wow, out of that batch I have two of the same in my family. Well, my Guild Starfire is red but my SG Faded with crescent inlays is the same and as you know I even have Buddha pups in it too! My wife gave me the SG as a birthday present so it has a lot of sentimental value. I did not like the stock uncovered pups much so I did not play it much. Now I take it to gigs quite often and really love playing it.

Those early faded SGs were the best. I had a red one originally when they came out (i think they were 500ish new back then) and sold it when I needed some money for college but bought this one a few years later. That was the beginning of my ebony fretboard obsession.

The 3 pickup white guild has great sounding p90s but the tuners seem to slip a little, may change them and of course the bridge needed changing to a roller.
I upgraded the bridge on the Starfire too, not a fan of the wired abr1 bridges.

Those faded sg are great guitars. I have the late end of that run. They dropped the crescent inlay but it still had the ebony board and it is outstanding feeling. I got mine cheap for $16overturned. An ugly headstock repair, misadjusted backbowed so bad I had to completely loosen the trussrod and lay It on the floor with books on the neck and the strings overtuned. But it turned out great and sounds outstanding

[Buddha Pickups]

Wow, out of that batch I have two of the same in my family. Well, my Guild Starfire is red but my SG Faded with crescent inlays is the same and as you know I even have Buddha pups in it too! My wife gave me the SG as a birthday present so it has a lot of sentimental value. I did not like the stock uncovered pups much so I did not play it much. Now I take it to gigs quite often and really love playing it.

Those early faded SGs were the best. I had a red one originally when they came out (i think they were 500ish new back then) and sold it when I needed some money for college but bought this one a few years later. That was the beginning of my ebony fretboard obsession.

The 3 pickup white guild has great sounding p90s but the tuners seem to slip a little, may change them and of course the bridge needed changing to a roller.
I upgraded the bridge on the Starfire too, not a fan of the wired abr1 bridges.

Those faded sg are great guitars. I have the late end of that run. They dropped the crescent inlay but it still had the ebony board and it is outstanding feeling. I got mine cheap for $16overturned. An ugly headstock repair, misadjusted backbowed so bad I had to completely loosen the trussrod and lay It on the floor with books on the neck and the strings overtuned. But it turned out great and sounds outstanding

1600 or 160?
What do they go for these days?

[Buddha Pickups]

Douglas Hadron

I had the Floyd version prior to this one and the Floyd was routed poorly and I didn't want to mess with it so I sold it and bought this one when it popped up. I think wrl590 was the model with the floyd.
I wanted a mini in the neck instead of a regular sized humbucker so I used a hum-mini adapter.

Mods include
Shielded cavities
Treble bleed
500k bourns push pull pots
US style 5 way
Graph tech black nickel bridge (thanks Kurt-20 bux)
Neck mini a5x2 4500 43awg
Middle a5 mustang style 8000 42.5awg
Bridge rail ceramic x2 6100 43awg
Waxed
Master volume splits the humbuckers with 6.8k resistor
Master tone does Gilmour 7 way mod

[Buddha Pickups]

Schecter C1 Elite

I sold my Spad because I had this one and they were too similar. The Spad was a great guitar too though.
I got this from a forum member 10 to 15 years ago. It was black. The top had been sanded but the back was still black. I finished the sanding and had my sister spray some clear on it.
The rod magnet humbucker and p90 are so clear sounding and split very well.

Mods include
Shielded cavities
Treble bleed
500k bourns push pull pots
US style 3 way
Switchcraft jack
.047 pio cap
Gotoh bridge
Grover tuners
Abalone top knobs
Maple humbucker rings
Neck a5 rod magnet single 7500 43awg
Bridge humbucker a5 rod x12 5500 x 2 42.5awg
Master volume splits humbucker with 6.8k resistor
Master tone does in series out of phase

[Buddha Pickups]

Harley Benton Tele Cabro

Had this one for years. Got this at the same time as the prince tele and sg custom 3 pickup.
Not really crazy about the upside down headstock but oh well. Had to rewind the stock pickups due to the odd size. Not sure what the specs were stock but I wasn't crazy about them so I rewound them.
Not much changed from the stock appearances but it sounds much better after the rewire and rewind.

Mods include
Shielded cavities
Treble bleed
.022 petp cap
500k bourns push pull pots
Roller saddles
Switchcraft jack
US style 3 way
Master volume splits humbuckers with 6.8k resistor
Master tone does in series out of phase
Custom poker chip
A5 neck 3750 x 2 43awg
A5x2 bridge 4100 x 2 43awg

[Buddha Pickups]

Chibson Les Paul special

Got this from the Grote store on ebay about 10 years ago. Asked of he could make me a special and I got this a month or 2 later for 200ish.

Mods include
Gotoh bridge
Aluminum lightweight stoptail
Bourns 300k pots
.015 pio caps
Treble bleeds
Neck tone push pull does inseries out of phase
Switchcraft jack
US style 3 way
Shielded cavities
A5 neck 9100 42awg RWRP
A5 bridge 10000 42awg
Waxed

[SamIV]

Don’t think you are just putting this thread together for just the few. I am sure I am one of the many in the background who looks but does not post much these days. This thread makes me wonder why I ever got rid of my Douglas Tele clones and especially my Harm. I had a chance at the Douglas semi-hollow Tele with P90’s for $80, but could not get the guy to meet up with me. Hope to have the chance at a Harm again one day. You seem to still have most of your guitar urges still with you, where most of mine are just memories. Appreciate you sharing the memories.

[Buddha Pickups]

Don’t think you are just putting this thread together for just the few. I am sure I am one of the many in the background who looks but does not post much these days. This thread makes me wonder why I ever got rid of my Douglas Tele clones and especially my Harm. I had a chance at the Douglas semi-hollow Tele with P90’s for $80, but could not get the guy to meet up with me. Hope to have the chance at a Harm again one day. You seem to still have most of your guitar urges still with you, where most of mine are just memories. Appreciate you sharing the memories.

I appreciate that!
I've sold so many I wish I still had but when I was in college and before college, I absolutely had to sell to fund my next purchase. Now, I only sell if I have one I feel is redundant or if I'm able to upgrade.
I had a black 3 pickup Harm that was nice but black is not my color, except a good Gilmour strat. I kept the ash one obviously. I had a quote saved from Kurt for a custom harm when he first started doing customs, I think it was only like 450! Would be twice that now.
As far as Douglas guitars that I miss, I had 2 Hawkers I wish I still had.
I probably have sold around 50 guitars from rondo, many I wish I still had.
I think I've now posted all my SX and Douglas stuff but definitely still have a few Agiles to upgrade and post so stay tuned!

I had a sunburst Douglas Tele with p90s I had refinished in green but eventually sold.

[Buddha Pickups]

Chibson Explorer natural

Sort of a faux Korina finish I suppose. I had this custom made about 10 years ago by a seller on aliexpress. Mahogany body with an ebony fretboard. I prefer this control layout over the gibson layout so I went that route as well.

Mods include
Shielded cavities
Treble bleed
.022 petp cap
Bourns 500k push pull pots
Switchcraft jack
US style 3 way
Gotoh bridge
Lightweight aluminum stoptail
Neck hum a4 4500 4750 42.5awg
Bridge hum a5 5000 5250 42.5awg
Waxed
Master volume splits hums with 6.8k resistor
Master tone does in series out of phase

[tobijohn]

...I've sold so many I wish I still had ...

I wish I could say that. Unfortunately, I've still got just about all that I've ever bought....

[dabbler]

...I've sold so many I wish I still had ...

I wish I could say that. Unfortunately, I've still got just about all that I've ever bought....

I wish I could say that too.

[Buddha Pickups]

...I've sold so many I wish I still had ...

I wish I could say that. Unfortunately, I've still got just about all that I've ever bought....

I wish they had phone cameras back then too as I don't have pics of any of them but it's quite a list. I might forget a few but this is the rondo ones I can remember.

Agile 3000 p90 tobacco burst
Agile 3000 hsbf
Agile 3100 rootbeer
Agile 3100 spalted
Agile 3100 tribal green
Agile 2800 silverburst
Agile 2000 silverburst
Agile dauntless silverburst x 2
Agile 2500 blue flame 12 string
Agile 2000 black flame
Agile septor blue
Agile harm 3 black
Agile ep1 acoustic
SX gg1
SX ltd2
SX sjm ash
SX jazz bass
SX Ash thinline tele
SX stl sunburst
SX ky1 brown
Douglas hawker natural
Douglas hawker green
Douglas p90 thinline
Douglas halo white

[Buddha Pickups]

...I've sold so many I wish I still had ...

I wish I could say that. Unfortunately, I've still got just about all that I've ever bought....

I wish I could say that too.

What number did yall get last time you counted?

[dabbler]

I wish I could say that. Unfortunately, I've still got just about all that I've ever bought....

I wish I could say that too.

What number did yall get last time you counted?

Which count, the ones we sold we wish we still had?

For me, 3 guitars, 1 bass.

[tobijohn]

I wish they had phone cameras back then too as I don't have pics of any of them but it's quite a list. I might forget a few but this is the rondo ones I can remember.

Agile 3000 p90 tobacco burst
Agile 3000 hsbf
Agile 3100 rootbeer
Agile 3100 spalted
Agile 3100 tribal green
Agile 2800 silverburst
Agile 2000 silverburst
Agile dauntless silverburst x 2
Agile 2500 blue flame 12 string
Agile 2000 black flame
Agile septor blue
Agile harm 3 black
Agile ep1 acoustic
SX gg1
SX ltd2
SX sjm ash
SX jazz bass
SX Ash thinline tele
SX stl sunburst
SX ky1 brown
Douglas hawker natural
Douglas hawker green
Douglas p90 thinline
Douglas halo white

Most of those rarely show themselves in the used market...