Whats on your work bench?

[Rollin Hand]

While preparing to refinish a guitar of mine I noticed it had cracked badly at the body both sides of the neck.

I don't know whether it'll be fine really...I drilled 4 small holes deep in the crack and injected Titebond, and clamped it. Soon will open and see if it worked.

It may have been cracked for a while already...the strings on it pulls the crack shut so I only noticed it when I was spraying on the first layer of base coat filler.

Sent from my M2103K19G using Tapatalk

Generally a glued bond is stronger than the wood around it. I am sure you'll be OK.

[deeaa]

Yeah, seems solid now. Just gave it the first coat of filler spray, then final sand and final filler and tomorrow I can color it - white this time.

[mozz]

Geeze Ali express, what has happened to your quality control?

[Rollin Hand]

Did some work on the Flame guitar this week. Once the tuner was unstuck, I changed the strings and adjusted the trem springs to have more tension -- with three springs, they barely stayed in if I pulled up on the bar.

I also move the ground wire from one of the spring hooks to the body of the spring claw. Worst soldering job ever! I sanded the spot and used flux, but it gave me trouble right up until it didn't.

I also put in black pickup ring screws, and my usual stainless neck screws.

Remaining items: the pot moves a little bit, so I need to sort that, and the intonation is so far off it's a couple of streets south of where I live. Always a treat on a Floyd, but will hopefully be worth the work. She stays in tune perfectly.

And I might be developing a taste for having the last 4 frets scalloped. It makes everything easier in the weedly section of the board..

[mozz]

Vinyl wrap spray paint does not like to be sanded. Ah, here's a nice color, creme sickle. Having fun painting these Muslady bodies from Ali express. Wood is very light, hope they don't neck dive.

[TVvoodoo]

You know how all the kids are wearing priest and sabbath shirts ironically?
Soon some of us GenXers and boomers will be able to fight back

[mozz]

Made this one quick.
Small amps were at one time intercoms. Got 3 of them to mod. Widow maker style with a isolation transformer on the back. 3 watts on a good day, 4" speaker inside. Gutted and made into a Magnatone . I bet these will sell to harmonica players.

[voodoorat]

Put a tiny little kill switch in the Zach Myer PRS SE. For the moment it just replaced the bridge tone but I think I want to i move it to the bridge volume (PRE) spot and modify the neck tone to be a master tone and either put it where the button is now and maybe move the bridge volume to the Gibson spot



To switch to master tone is easiest to just disconnect from neck volume pot and hook live from switch to live on button?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tobijohn]

Put a tiny little kill switch in the Zach Myer PRS SE. For the moment it just replaced the bridge tone but I think I want to i move it to the bridge volume (PRE) spot and modify the neck tone to be a master tone and either put it where the button is now and maybe move the bridge volume to the Gibson spot



To switch to master tone is easiest to just disconnect from neck volume pot and hook live from switch to live on button?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've never seen it done with that feature but wouldn't a push/pull (or even better, a push/push) pot work as well and eliminate the need for drilling a hole?

[voodoorat]

Put a tiny little kill switch in the Zach Myer PRS SE. For the moment it just replaced the bridge tone but I think I want to i move it to the bridge volume (PRE) spot and modify the neck tone to be a master tone and either put it where the button is now and maybe move the bridge volume to the Gibson spot



To switch to master tone is easiest to just disconnect from neck volume pot and hook live from switch to live on button?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've never seen it done with that feature but wouldn't a push/pull (or even better, a push/push) pot work as well and eliminate the need for drilling a hole?

sorry no new holes--i swapped the bridge tone out for the button (they are in weird positions on prs guitars) and i want to modify the other (neck) tone to be a master tone. i also want to rearrange the knobs to be a little more ergonomic, where the two volumes are like they are on les pauls and the master tone is where that button is and the button is where the bridge volume currently is (close to and behind the bridge). i am not sure how to orchestrate a master tone but it seems like it should be easy enough.

the other tone pot is sitting in a box with the knob, etc, don't really need it if i have a master tone.

[tobijohn]

Whoops, misread your post, sorry. The Explorer and V have that configuration. Here's a diagram from Guitar Electronics:

[voodoorat]

Whoops, misread your post, sorry. The Explorer and V have that configuration. Here's a diagram from Guitar Electronics:

Okay good that’s pretty much how I figured it, should be easy enough whenever my motivation overcomes my inherent laziness. Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[voodoorat]

Whoops, misread your post, sorry. The Explorer and V have that configuration. Here's a diagram from Guitar Electronics:

Done!

I moved the two volume pots to the same spot they are on Les Paul’s, converted the other pot to a master tone and moved it to the furthest back hole, and moved the kill switch button to the position closer to the bridge. Looks pretty much the same but it’s better now.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[glasshand]

Some mostly cosmetic mods on the Fender Blacktop.

• Mirrored pickguard (as a tribute to Phil Lynott)

• Different knobs (because I had them sitting around and why not)

• Shorter saddle setscrews. This was the only really functional mod, and it did not work quite as well as I'd hoped although it was at least a partial win. I got the MonsterBolts M3 6mm and 8mm combination set, which comes with four 8mm screws and six 6mm screws, and it turned out that the 6mm screws are only just barely long enough for the outer saddles (at least where I have the action set). So I ended up using 6mm for the high and low E strings, 8mm for the A and B strings, and the original screws for the D and G strings. Still an improvement. I might yet get the 10mm screw set and replace the central four.

One thing I'll say for this guitar - I don't know what it is about this one, but it holds tune under tremolo use better than any other traditional Strat trem that I've ever used. I am not a huge tremolo guy, but I like to have the option, and it's great to not feel like you're opening a giant can of worms every time you touch the bar.

[glasshand]

The Rickenbacker 4003 is notoriously awkward to play fingerstyle, due to a lack of good places to anchor your hand. The neck pickup is too small and curved, the edge of the pickguard is too thin, the bridge pickup cover is clumsy, etc. So I got a Zero Mod thumbrest and attached it today. It blends in with the pickguard and is very nicely made (even the edges are beveled!), it's completely reversible, and it makes resting your thumb there a lot easier.

A minor gripe - about Rickenbacker, not Zero Mod: the pickguard screw holes on this bass are way off vertical. It doesn't really make much practical difference, but damn, on a $2500 bass, Rickenbacker? Ever heard of a drill guide?

[tobijohn]

...A minor gripe - about Rickenbacker, not Zero Mod: the pickguard screw holes on this bass are way off vertical. It doesn't really make much practical difference, but damn, on a $2500 bass, Rickenbacker? Ever heard of a drill guide?

IMHO, Rickenbacker is notoriously arrogant. How much would it cost them to make a left-handed "R" tailpiece? My lefty 330 has a right-handed tail piece, but a Chinese Rick copy I have has a correctly oriented tailpiece. I guess though, a correct tailpiece on a lefthanded Rick is a righthanded one because Rickenbacker never made a left-handed one...

[andrewsrea]

The Rickenbacker 4003 is notoriously awkward to play fingerstyle, due to a lack of good places to anchor your hand. The neck pickup is too small and curved, the edge of the pickguard is too thin, the bridge pickup cover is clumsy, etc. So I got a Zero Mod thumbrest and attached it today. It blends in with the pickguard and is very nicely made (even the edges are beveled!), it's completely reversible, and it makes resting your thumb there a lot easier.

PXL_20241217_225914836.jpg

A minor gripe - about Rickenbacker, not Zero Mod: the pickguard screw holes on this bass are way off vertical. It doesn't really make much practical difference, but damn, on a $2500 bass, Rickenbacker? Ever heard of a drill guide?

The early 4001's and the 4002's had a thumb rest, but the latter was cumbersome because of the horseshoe magnet bridge pickup. Just like the Gibson Thunderbird bass, many players use a pick.

[glasshand]

The early 4001's and the 4002's had a thumb rest, but the latter was cumbersome because of the horseshoe magnet bridge pickup. Just like the Gibson Thunderbird bass, many players use a pick.

Oddly enough I find my Thunderbird fairly easy to play fingerstyle - the Tbird pickup is larger and squarer than the Rick's neck pickup. I still play with a pick a lot because I'm not very good at fingerstyle, of course.

[Tiga]

Replaced the broken switch on my First Act Volkswagen guitar. Now that I got everything working I think I'm going to move this guitar along.

[mozz]

Might be as collectable as the Hello Kitty guitar someday. They gave those away when you bought a new car correct?

[Tiga]

I guess it's possible. It's actually a pretty neat guitar but the neck dive on this one is really turning me off. Also sounds like the car company is doing it's own version of a neck dive recently LOL. I need to make some so it's currently the one I like the least LOL.

[mozz]

Nobels Sound Studio SST-1. Supposedly a Rockman clone but i have never seen the inside of a Rockman so i can't really say. There was a lawsuit so maybe it was close to being a ripoff. Sold under different names. I have a black one i bought in 86'-87', same as the JHS rockbox supposedly used on Def Leppards "Hysteria" (lots of good reading on the making of that album).

First 3 channels worked, last 3, no sound. After staring at the schematic for a week, I narrowed it down. These are pretty complex for being thru hole components and 2 circuit boards in a sandwich configuration.

For my many years of repairing stuff, 1 of my trued and tried troubleshooting methods worked here. It is "look, look again, look again, and look some more." I have found so many problems by looking before i even power it up and get out even the basic test equipment, it's not even funny.

Look at this, when it was soldered in the board, you could barely make out a tiny line, only when tipped to the side could you see it better. IC103, typical op-amp, and guess what? It gets signal on the last 3 channels, those i am missing. A quick voltage check on the pins proves i am right. It is cracked.

Replaced it, but first soldered in a socket, general practice when working with IC's. Also replaced 13 electrolytic capacitors, close to 40 years old so that's basic upgrading. Even though all the capacitors i removed were all pretty consistent, i felt better doing it. I do know the Rockman has no where near as much power filtering as this does so this should be quieter.

Next up. A pair of Fender Stereo Pak's. These were also made by Nobels for Fender. A few years later but seem to have a lot of options and basically the same function as the sound studios. These i can bet these still work and just need the pots/controls cleaned. L;ooking for the bass version, was called Fender Bass Pak.

[jtcnj]

Not a lot lately, some nut slot tuning.

Maple FB neck I put on this Squier SE strat found to have some serious fret sprout in the cold weather. A little file work at string change and - we happy.
The HSS Squier SE I added more shim to get the strings a bit higher off the deck.

Some of my straps are too short - I added a Well-Hung old school strap lock to each of to add a couple of inches - perfect!