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  • #1

    Not happy with the DK2 - mod questions

    I bought a DK2 a couple years ago. I'm very happy with the neck, body style, etc. It's a fun guitar to play - unplugged!!! Once it's plugged in the problems start. The tone pot went first. That went back to be replaced. Then the volume pot went. That was a couple years ago. I just decided that it wasn't worth it to be shipping this guitar repeatedly for something that was probably being replaced with equally poor quality parts.

    I'm thinking it's time to upgrade this guitar a little bit. I'm looking for ideas as to what this guitar needs for pots first of all. Then I'm also wanting to take out the Duncan "Designed" pickups. Again, what works well with the DK2. I certainly don't want to try to turn this into a Soloist, etc. so I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who's used non-Duncan pickups, etc.

    I also understand that there's probably been a million discussions regarding this sort of question but I'm just getting into this forum and I'm not having a lot of luck with the 'search' function yet.

    Thanks for any help.
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  • #2
    Re: Not happy with the DK2 - mod questions

    contact a reputable retailer who sells and fits pickups and controls. try the EMG?
    Fuck ebay, fuck paypal

    "Finger on the trigger, back against the wall. Counting rounds and voices, not enough to kill them all" (Ihsahn).

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    • #3
      Re: Not happy with the DK2 - mod questions

      emg

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      • #4
        Re: Not happy with the DK2 - mod questions

        Are you guys thinking EMG - active? If I understand it right the active pickups ship with new pots. That would solve all my problems at once but when I bought this guitar I was chosing between active and passive. I went passive so I will probably stay with that.

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        • #5
          Re: Not happy with the DK2 - mod questions

          Contact Roy at rsguitarworks.net.Tell him your problem and get one of their pot upgrade kits.I swear by them,big monster tone.CTS pots all matched, cloth covered wire, R&S/ hovland capasitor.These kits are known the world over.
          Check on their sight and see who uses their products.
          Steve Stevens,Rick Derringer,Ritchie Sambora just to name a few.
          I tell all the people I do repairs and set ups for about these kits and I have installed plenty and I have not had one person not be astounded in the difference and how much better their guitar sounded.Les Paul owners can finaly use their tone controls.
          Really? well screw Mark Twain.

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          • #6
            Re: Not happy with the DK2 - mod questions

            So what your saying is, you think putting Duncans in it will turn it into a soloist?? [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img] ok, well, no, but, you definitely don't want one of those... [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

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            • #7
              Re: Not happy with the DK2 - mod questions

              Scrap the electronics (take out both pots, the switch, and the input. Replace them with quality parts. Replace the pickups (whatever you preference, mine is a duncan distortion, and a jazz in the neck (but since you've got 2 singles, I'd say a distortion in the bridge, and 2 lil 59s.)

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              • #8
                Re: Not happy with the DK2 - mod questions

                Thanks Richard - That's exactly what I was looking for with the pot upgrade kit.

                Burn - No. I'm not thinking that putting Duncans in will turn this into a Soloist.... I meant that I didn't want to be replacing all the cheap parts in what seems to be a cheap guitar to turn it into a guitar I could (maybe should) have bought in the first place.

                Duncans are not 'off limits'. I'm finally figuring out the search tool and plugging my way throught the PICKUP threads. So far seems like these are the way to go.

                Thanks again for the help.

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                • #9
                  Re: Not happy with the DK2 - mod questions

                  What style do you play? I've been happy with the Duncan Full Shred in the bridge, and usually just keep the stock single coils since I only use them for a clean part now and then.
                  sigpic

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                  • #10
                    Re: Not happy with the DK2 - mod questions

                    Duncan Custom Custom or Custom 5, JBJr in the neck, and Lil 59 or Cool Rails in the middle, a better set of pots like CTS (but I've never heard of "matched" pot sets aside from vintage models - otherwise it sounds like hype IMO), a high-quality switch, Switchcraft output jack (more sturdy than an el cheapo), some solid core copper wire to connect everything rather than the thinner and "bargain priced" braided wire it comes with, and an OFR will turn a DK2 into a USA-quality axe, but yeah in the end you'll probably spend as much as if you had bought a USA Soloist or DK-1, but you will not have spent all of it at the same time as you would buying the USA models.
                    I want to depart this world the same way I arrived; screaming and covered in someone else's blood

                    The most human thing we can do is comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

                    My Blog: http://newcenstein.com

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                    • #11
                      Re: Not happy with the DK2 - mod questions

                      Love my DK2 - 100% stock!

                      I have 3 EMG-SA's, an 89, an 85, but not for this guitar. The only thing I'd like to change are the singles - I have a strat so it's redundant having noisey singles in this axe. JB Jr. and a Lil 59 would be great, but I'm a cheap SOB.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Not happy with the DK2 - mod questions

                        Inazone / DonP - Thanks. That makes a lot of sense to me. My biggest problem right now is that my volume control doesn't work (at least it failed at ~ 50%). At a minimum I need to get that back. I'm thinking that I'll leave the single coils as stock. The next dollar spent will be on a bridge pickup. Maybe that would be a good place to stop for a while.

                        Newc - I'll have to go back to the Duncan website to listen to those you suggested. Again, I haven't spent a lot of time on this forum yet. Any 'directions' to the sound clip area would be appreciated.

                        Another question comes to mind from these responses - for you guys who do a lot of guitar mod's, what's your favorite 'base stock' to start with? This DK2 seems like a good candidate.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Not happy with the DK2 - mod questions

                          [ QUOTE ]
                          Another question comes to mind from these responses - for you guys who do a lot of guitar mod's, what's your favorite 'base stock' to start with? This DK2 seems like a good candidate.

                          [/ QUOTE ]

                          Hmmm, considering I'm the "strange one" that likes the HB102B bridge pickup...

                          I've put EMG85/81 into a Kelly Star with an SPC boost. This was a nice axe and deserved an upgrade from the stock Duncan Designed pickups (the HB103B just wasn't happening).

                          I have a Fusion Deluxe built from parts with EMG's, I've done tone changes to a couple of LP's (pots and caps).

                          I don't think the DK2 is any better or worse of a platform to start with.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Not happy with the DK2 - mod questions

                            [ QUOTE ]
                            Another question comes to mind from these responses - for you guys who do a lot of guitar mod's, what's your favorite 'base stock' to start with? This DK2 seems like a good candidate.

                            [/ QUOTE ]

                            The DK2 provides a great base for modding. I have a mid `90s Dinky XL Pro, which is very similar in most regards to a DK2, and bought it used from a tech who modded it quite a bit: Duncan JB in the bridge, Lil' 59er in the neck, stock Jackson single in the middle, and a Schaller Floyd trem. I have a Soloist Pro with a similar setup, and I liked it enough to warrant a GMW refinish.
                            sigpic

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                            • #15
                              Re: Not happy with the DK2 - mod questions

                              The only way you can turn a Dinky into a Soloist is if you make it a neck-thru. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
                              I feel my soul go cold... only the dead are smiling.

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