Am I the only one who has to f*** with their guitars just because?

[dinkyguitar]

Hi All,

No matter what I get, I always have to mess with it...I just can't leave it alone...

A few weeks ago I got a pair of 93 Dinky XL's..I've changed the humbucker on 1 to a SD Sreamin' Demon, then rewired both guitars using a heavier guage wire, replaced the pots with CTS ones, a CRL 5 way, switchcraft jack, orange drop cap, shielded both control cavities, both got 37mm brass blocks, all new screws, etc. Plus while all the electronics were out, I bought 3M scratch remover and poliched both guitars...the list goes on..

Is it just me? It seems like I'm doing all this and playing less..

I got to say....both guitars do sound better and practically play by themselves..

dinkyguitar

[algeriet]

I never really touch my guitars that much but if I had the money I would.

[Rich#6]

I can't stop doing it. when I done f*cking up a guitar I then sell it.:ROTF:
I've swapped 2 guitars this month to have dk2 necks, one was too thin the other too fat. I almost always change the pickups to some sort of zebras. As soon as I get the longer block i'll have a model 3 body with a usa promod neck and chrome hardward.

[micha]

I agree a guitar has to be set up well, otherwhise I'm not happy either, but you're seriously changing all wires to heavier ones?
does that really make a difference?


oh, and what do you think of the brass-blocks?
are they worth it? 37mm is standart for non-recessed trems, isn't it?

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

I mess with them for fun. Usually when I get a new guitar it just sits in the case for a while, maybe I play it a couple of times but then I just let it sit, because I know once I start messing with it, I won't stop until I get it just right. So I get together all of the parts I need and then I go to town, pickups, wiring, hardware, whatever, then do a setup.

Once I get it how I wanted (which does take a couple of tries sometimes) I pretty much leave it alone and just play it.

[DonP]

The used BCR ST-III I bought was in horrible shape. Cleaned it up, set it up, and strung it up. Now I just play it.

Sometimes I'm lazy and I don't change things, other times (like if I had a lot of coffee) I get stuff done.

[dinkyguitar]

micha,

The wires most likely don't make a difference unless the wire itself is bad...I had extra wire so since I bought new pots and stuff, I decided to change the wires...

As for the brass block, well I did notice a slight difference, but not as much as I've read about...my pinch harmonics are easier to get to, and a bit clearer. The most noticible difference I found was changing my stock pickups to the Demon...The stock pickups were not that far behind, but I had the Demon from another guitar so I threw it in.

And from what I've read the 37mm block is for recessed floyd's. I had a 32mm, but decided to go with the 37mm. The 42mm block was too long...

dinkyguitar

[Trussrod]

Everything I buy needs some sort work whether it's new or not. Usually it's a pup swap and a trem block upgrade--I don't go much beyond that. I'm looking forward to learning how to do fret work. I figure it's the only thing keeping me from having the perfect guitar.

[KBRR]

im always messing with my guitars , mainly because i cant afford a custom so i try to get the guitars to play , sound and look as good as i can get them.

[cixelsyd]

im always messing with my guitars , mainly because i cant afford a custom so i try to get the guitars to play , sound and look as good as i can get them.

QFT, you can do it piecemeal this way, instead of huge capital outlay up front.

[booger007]

At first, I couldn't even stand to put strings on anything with a floyd. I actually would pay someone to do it which is really sad as I am just a mediocre player. For about the last 4 months or so I have read, researched and am now doing my own set ups, truss rod adjustments etc. Since my colection quadrupled in size during that timeframe i realized I better because there was no way I could afford to pay to have them all gussied up. Now I wonder why it took me 45 years to figure it out LOL.

Next, refinshing. I alrady had a lot of tools as I have painted a couple cars so I had the Air Compressor, Devilbiss Guns, Sanders etc. Started Sanding a Paulownia wood Dean as my first test subject.

So you are not alone!

[Axewielder]

Oh yes modding and upgrading are a sickness. But, instead of stiff medical bills, you get stiff bills from Stew Mac and Pro Rock Gear.

[warlok]

I mod everything!! Not just guitars. I never buy anything new because normally it will be a shell of its former self when I get done with it.. Guitars, cars, trucks, motorcycles.. Anything!! It's all for fun.

[beardy]

Don't worry, I'm with you there! I thought I was the only madman out there, but no, evidently I ain't! I've got even a bigger issue - I sometimes buy guitars that have been through Afghanistan and Iraq, and let luthiers do repairs on them. However, I rarely (two-three, ever, if at all) buy shit guitars, and even if, these don't stay too long in my collection! Some guitars genuinely have potential should you invest time/money into modding them up! I actually replace most licensed FRs with Originals (the only exceptions are the Kahler Spyder and the Schaller Made in Germany) and install Kahlers on TOMs and flat shapes, where Floyding them would be inappropriate (this is IMHO the case with guitars that never had a rear cavity routing for either a licensed FR or a standard trem) - and I'm not alone in that ideology since if you take a look at the poster version of Phil Collen's Signature Jackson from back in the day (that's right, not the current bolt-on PC1 or any other bolt-ons he may have done, but the neck-thru archtop funky looking guitar!), it had a stud-mounted Kahler, since most of the very limited run of these had TOM-stoptails and only a handful had a factory Floyd fitted (I happen to have one with a Floyd from the Jackson Professional era (i.e. MIJ)). Otherwise, with wiring, most of the time I've been lucky, since most guitars had either been factory or pre-stocked with SDs (Kramers and Jacksons), Schallers (Kramer), EMGs (a Peavey I happen to have), DiMarzios (a Kramer I have, and an '88 Fender HM Strat) or sometimes modded with aftermarket GFSs (really sweet rail pickups - I strongly recommend!). My only fucking with some, not all, guitars is fitting Sustainers in there (Fernandes most of the time, Sustainiac only two times). My love for OFRs over most licensed is simply warranted by the following - the Originals withstand the test of time, grime and abuse (that Kramer with the DiMarzio was a prime example of that, a truly abused guitar, dusty, dented and needing loving, which it's getting from Graham Noden at Denmark St., London), unlike most of the licensed ones, which cannot hold the tune for the love of!

[metalone]

I always mess with mine until I get it where I want it, then I just play it