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It's been a long process but I got 'er done finally. The black hardware looks much better than the chrome. Did a lil' bit at a time but the longest delay was waiting 2 months for the trem to come in and then another 2 months to find the time to install it; I was in the middle of upgrading my Epi LPC as well as planning and buying parts for a mutt. Here's the ugrades I did:
- Schaller mini tuners
- Black knobs and jack cover
- Gutted 'er completely and installed quality electronics
- SD Lil '59 in the neck
- Dunlop Dual Design straplocks
- OFR Pro
There was a previous thread where someone asked about installing an OFR Pro on a DK2 and I promised I'd post the results once I finished mine, so here goes.
Unlike the OFR, the OFR Pro was not a direct drop-in replacement for the JT580LP; at least on my DK2 it wasn't. The mods required were significant enough that, in my opinion, they may be required on any DK2. In fact, when I received the trem, I took it to my local guitar tech to let him install it in case something came up in the process. He called me the next day to tell me that some routing would be necessary and that he'd prefer not to touch it. The only place I was able to locate that would do the work was 50 miles away in Raleigh aaaaaaaaaaaand, get this, it would probably be 3 months before they could get it back to me. THREE FRIKKIN' MONTHS???!!! So, I decided to take my time and do it myself.
First off, the holes for the inserts had to be enlarged slightly. Didn't understand that part, but no biggy. The trem itself when mounted sat way to the right in the cavity and was obstructed from moving freely. I had to route approximately 1/8" from the side to allow proper movement. That's where I stopped before I screwed anything up. It didn't matter whether it looked like it was sitting perfectly in the middle of the route. I just wanted it to function like it should. Additionally, because it sat so far to the right, some routing of the right-rear side of the hole for the block was required as well. Once I got the movement that was required, I cleaned out the cavity and repainted it with flat black model paint. Now it looks and functions fine. Also, based on Sully's advice, I installed a shorter nut for a licensed Floyd rather than modify it to fit the OFR nut. The block I received with it was too long at 37mm so I drilled the holes deeper and cut the length to match that of the block on the JT580LP.
As good as the JT580LP trem is, there's nothin' like an OFR. You can just feel the difference in quality. Movement is smoother, fine tuners work much better, sustain is better, and I actually think the notes themselves ring out better.
So, ladies and germs, here's my bottom line: if you really, really, reeeeeeeeeeeeally want a low profile trem on your import like I did, you now have an idea of what may be required to install one. If not, just go with an OFR. Based on other JCFers, they drop right in and the only problem you may possibly encounter is the string locking screws hitting the back of the route.
Alright, I've babbled enough and I can hear y'all screamin', "Shut the fuck up and just show us pics already!" I'm more than happy to oblige. Here she is:
I'd forgotten how much I loved this guitar and it's neck.
- Schaller mini tuners
- Black knobs and jack cover
- Gutted 'er completely and installed quality electronics
- SD Lil '59 in the neck
- Dunlop Dual Design straplocks
- OFR Pro
There was a previous thread where someone asked about installing an OFR Pro on a DK2 and I promised I'd post the results once I finished mine, so here goes.
Unlike the OFR, the OFR Pro was not a direct drop-in replacement for the JT580LP; at least on my DK2 it wasn't. The mods required were significant enough that, in my opinion, they may be required on any DK2. In fact, when I received the trem, I took it to my local guitar tech to let him install it in case something came up in the process. He called me the next day to tell me that some routing would be necessary and that he'd prefer not to touch it. The only place I was able to locate that would do the work was 50 miles away in Raleigh aaaaaaaaaaaand, get this, it would probably be 3 months before they could get it back to me. THREE FRIKKIN' MONTHS???!!! So, I decided to take my time and do it myself.
First off, the holes for the inserts had to be enlarged slightly. Didn't understand that part, but no biggy. The trem itself when mounted sat way to the right in the cavity and was obstructed from moving freely. I had to route approximately 1/8" from the side to allow proper movement. That's where I stopped before I screwed anything up. It didn't matter whether it looked like it was sitting perfectly in the middle of the route. I just wanted it to function like it should. Additionally, because it sat so far to the right, some routing of the right-rear side of the hole for the block was required as well. Once I got the movement that was required, I cleaned out the cavity and repainted it with flat black model paint. Now it looks and functions fine. Also, based on Sully's advice, I installed a shorter nut for a licensed Floyd rather than modify it to fit the OFR nut. The block I received with it was too long at 37mm so I drilled the holes deeper and cut the length to match that of the block on the JT580LP.
As good as the JT580LP trem is, there's nothin' like an OFR. You can just feel the difference in quality. Movement is smoother, fine tuners work much better, sustain is better, and I actually think the notes themselves ring out better.
So, ladies and germs, here's my bottom line: if you really, really, reeeeeeeeeeeeally want a low profile trem on your import like I did, you now have an idea of what may be required to install one. If not, just go with an OFR. Based on other JCFers, they drop right in and the only problem you may possibly encounter is the string locking screws hitting the back of the route.
Alright, I've babbled enough and I can hear y'all screamin', "Shut the fuck up and just show us pics already!" I'm more than happy to oblige. Here she is:
I'd forgotten how much I loved this guitar and it's neck.
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