Good deal? Bad deal?

[synapsistheory]

Speaking of Floyd Rose's...

This just came in the mail today...a lot sooner than I was expecting.



This thing is a lot bigger than the original block



Got it all back together.

[synapsistheory]

Filled and painted the hole where the previous owner installed the strap button on the bottom fin. I also touched up the small places on the horns that were chipped down to the wood with black nail laquer. Waiting on that stuff to dry before I start drop filling.

[synapsistheory]

*UPDATE* ...because who does'nt like pictures?

Paint touch up is coming along, but slowly. Can you spot the ding on the front of the horn tip and the repaired strap button hole on the lower fin without looking too hard? They're a little more obvious in the second photo but they're looking better! I'm still not done with them yet and have started touching up the other blemishes.






Started un-installing the old electronics preparing for SD blackouts. This is some guitar open heart surgery





We're getting there...

Damn, does this thing look badass with blackouts in it!


To be continued...

[Number Of The Priest]

Great pics! How on earth did you manage to balance the guitar on the edge and the headstock tip?

[toejam]

Looking good!

[synapsistheory]

Great pics! How on earth did you manage to balance the guitar on the edge and the headstock tip?

VERY carefully I have a Dunlop NC65 to cradle the neck(I highly recommend for those that work on their own guitars) and I angled it slightly to hold the headstock and it balanced perfectly with the body on top of that box. I gave it a few careful wiggles to make sure it would'nt tip over. I'd be really upset if that happened and it fell off my workbench. That'd be a catastrophe.

Looking good!

Thanks, TJ! We're getting there! Still lots of work to be done. I was up until 5am working on it and was so excited about the blackouts I could'nt get to sleep. Needless to say, I'm exhausted this morning, but gotta work. I'll finish up soldering the electronics later this evening and get it all back together. I can't wait to wail on it!

[synapsistheory]

*UPDATE #2* Electronics

So the KV2 comes standard from the factory with 2 volumes and 1 master tone with a 3 way blade switch...

I wanted to change that to have just 1 master volume and 2 tone controls with a 3 way blade switch(pretty common). So I ended up having to rewire the whole blade switch itself in order to accomodate. No big deal, right?

The terminals on this particular blade switch were ass backwards compared to any Seymour Duncan wiring schematics that involved a 3-way blade(awesome), so I had to figure it out on my own. Not only that, but I had to account for my new tone control and reroute the wiring for that on the blade, adding to the confusion. In theory I thought about the terminals being mirrored on my particular switch but wanted to ask an expert before I started soldering. I called up SD and spoke with one of their techs, Dennis, and talked him through my situation and what I was doing. He agreed with my logic about the terminals being mirrored saying, "In theory, that should work".

Cool.

I took my time routing and cutting the wiring trying to make it as neat and clean as possible so there was plenty of room for the battery and because I'm an OCD neat freak. In doing so I almost cut a few of the the last wires too short and started getting irritated when my POS $5 soldering iron was'nt melting the solder when trying to keep the short wires held in place. I finished up the last bit of soldering(or so I thought), put the cavity plate back on, installed the freshly cleaned and upgraded Floyd, restrung it, plugged it in the tuner, and then...

Nothing.

DAMNIT!

Bummed out, pissed off, tired, and hungry from not eating all day, I was fed up with it and decided to put it away and call it a night. I needed a break. I had been working on it tirelessly the last 3-4 days and was exhausted.

Can anyone figure out what's wrong? (I already know and have fixed the problem)



I went and got some food, relaxed, watched a movie, and while sitting there, I racked my brain about why the guitar was'nt putting out a signal.
I went over the whole thing in my head again and again and thought it HAD to be that damn switch! Even so, I still wondered if I had missed any soldering connections. I decided to get it back out just to double check.

Apparently in my frustration with my shitty soldering iron and trying to get done quickly, I forgot to connect and solder the hot wire coming out of the volume pot into the blade switch. DERRRRRRR!! It was the last wire I needed to solder. I quickly got excited again, cut a wire to fit, and soldered it in there. As soon as I plugged it into the tuner, it was showing signs of life! HURRAY! It had a pulse! It was ALIVE!

I gave it a setup the way I like it, installed some strap locks, shined it up, finally plugged it into my amp for the first time and spent damn near 2 hours playing it! This thing kicks ass! Amazing guitar! ...and now I need sleep Hope you guys enjoyed the story. And since I know you guys like pictures, I'll leave you with some. Now it's officially NGD for me. This thing is a brand new resurrected beast! Rock on!

[Number Of The Priest]

I love tech/setup stories with before and after pics! You're inspiring me to get to work on two neglected guitars I recently purchased used but haven't revealed yet. I know the feeling, spending hours solving setup puzzles and then coming out at the end with such a smooth playing instrument that you end up noodling well into the night.

I am looking at your latest pics (the finished product) and trying hard to find the repaired strap pin hole in the lower wing (along with the other dings you've highlighted in previous photos). I can't tell where it is. You did a great job hiding that! Why can't I see it there, but I can see it in your drop-fill repair photos?

Seriously, from a small distance this now looks like a 9.5/10 condition guitar. Probably have to be up close and trying on purpose to find the previous damage.

Did you even try playing through the stock pickups and then the Blackouts, just for a fair before-and-after comparison? I know the guitar wasn't originally strung for a right-handed player, but curiosity would have made me want to compare both sets.

[synapsistheory]

I love tech/setup stories with before and after pics! You're inspiring me to get to work on two neglected guitars I recently purchased used but haven't revealed yet. I know the feeling, spending hours solving setup puzzles and then coming out at the end with such a smooth playing instrument that you end up noodling well into the night.

Exactly! I have so much fun doing this stuff. And the end results are well worth the hard work and frustration at times. I'm happy I can provide you some inspiration, Priest! Get to work on those two guitars! I want pics and stories! Don't hold out on us! I got the RR1 and this KV2 restored back to glory. Now it's your turn. Sooooo, show/tell us what you got!

I am looking at your latest pics (the finished product) and trying hard to find the repaired strap pin hole in the lower wing (along with the other dings you've highlighted in previous photos). I can't tell where it is. You did a great job hiding that! Why can't I see it there, but I can see it in your drop-fill repair photos?

Seriously, from a small distance this now looks like a 9.5/10 condition guitar. Probably have to be up close and trying on purpose to find the previous damage.

Thank you so much! That means a lot! They are there, but yeah, you have to really look up close to find them. I still have'nt started sanding the fills and blending them in yet. I want to practice on a shitty guitar before I start sanding on this thing. I'd feel more confident. I've never done drop fills or wet sanding on a guitar before this so I want to make sure I don't screw up the finish on this beauty. I'm trying to repair her, not destroy her.

Just because I'm naturally inquisitive...you've seen all the work I've put in to it since I got her up till now...IF I was to try and re-sell it(which I'm not) what do you think would be a fair price for it given the upgrades and work I put into it?

Did you even try playing through the stock pickups and then the Blackouts, just for a fair before-and-after comparison? I know the guitar wasn't originally strung for a right-handed player, but curiosity would have made me want to compare both sets.

No, I did'nt even plug it in when it arrived. I should have though just to hear it. I immediately wanted to put blackouts in it. But I'm in no way disappointed with them. And the upgraded brass block on the Floyd really makes the tone shine and ring through. I'm tempted to upgrade my RR1's and SL1's Floyds with one. So much clarity!

[Number Of The Priest]

Is this the procedure you plan to use to smooth out the drop fills? I happened to watch this video yesterday for the umpteenth time when I saw your repair photos. Dan Erlewine heals the wound like magic and it made me think of your photos.

If you were to flip this guitar, for the cosmetic improvements you could probably justify raising the asking price a couple hundred dollars over what you originally paid for it, if the potential buyer likes your work. I've learned a while ago that pickups add little-to-no resale value, so if you were to resell the guitar, you might as well reinstall the stock pickups and keep your beloved Blackouts.

My two recent guitars still sitting untouched are an Ibanez RG570 for CAD$200 (USD$155.89 which included a Behringer GM108 amp) and an Ibanez GRG170DX for CAD$50 (USD$39). My plan for the latter will be to use it as a cheap guinea pig for learning soldering, possibly fretwork, and repairing dings. If I end up doing this massive amount of learning/work, I'll likely document it with photos like you have. If we lived in the same city, I could have even given you that guitar for your practice!

[synapsistheory]

Is this the procedure you plan to use to smooth out the drop fills? I happened to watch this video yesterday for the umpteenth time when I saw your repair photos. Dan Erlewine heals the wound like magic and it made me think of your photos.

Yep! I watched and bookmarked that video as well as a few others to expand my knowledge. I plan on using his exact techniques. Nothing beats practice/experience though. Hence why I have'nt started sanding yet. That's a skill I have yet to master before I touch this beauty. I know I could do it, just want some practice on something else first. The horns on mine will be tricky...and the beveled edges going down them. I'm really gonna have to take my time and slowly work on those with a blade in order to get the results like this guy probably would. He's amazing.

There's the TINIEST superficial ding in the clear coat on the face of the top horn of my SL1 that I plan on using that technique for as well. Though I may be able to get away with putting just a shot of super glue on it and leaving it be since it's so tiny. No sanding required.

If you were to flip this guitar, for the cosmetic improvements you could probably justify raising the asking price a couple hundred dollars over what you originally paid for it, if the potential buyer likes your work. I've learned a while ago that pickups add little-to-no resale value, so if you were to resell the guitar, you might as well reinstall the stock pickups and keep your beloved Blackouts.

Yeah, I'd re-install the original pickups if I were to ever re-sell it but I don't see that happening. I've always wanted a Black Ghost Flame KV2 and I'm a big fan of this one I got..especially with all the labor I'm putting into it. I don't think I'll ever sell it.

My two recent guitars still sitting untouched are an Ibanez RG570 for CAD$200 (USD$155.89 which included a Behringer GM108 amp) and an Ibanez GRG170DX for CAD$50 (USD$39). My plan for the latter will be to use it as a cheap guinea pig for learning soldering, possibly fretwork, and repairing dings. If I end up doing this massive amount of learning/work, I'll likely document it with photos like you have. If we lived in the same city, I could have even given you that guitar for your practice!

Sweet! You got a great deal on that RG570! ...and with an amp! Awesome! For sure photo document your progress. Oh damn, that would have been cool but that's YOUR guinea pig. I can grab something used for cheap to practice on. I am also curious about doing fretwork but I have'nt started researching it at all yet.

[Catharpin]

Great score and nice work!

[ed]

I have 2 great youtube channels from which i have learned a lot:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOXNPo7CtnzzZ9A4GyQ6Tog

This is a cool Canadian guy that i learned lots from. Also he is funny in my opinion anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdD1Cqxr8aINzWs1agg3tEQ

Crimson guitars from UK. you can learn lots from these guys aswell and they build some nice stuff. Ive been recently watching their stuff and its pretty funny too sometimes.

I guess i just like watching channels with lots of guitars =)

But thats great job so far Synapsis. And i have to say i am kind of jealous of your workbench =)

[synapsistheory]

Great score and nice work!

Thanks, dude! Pretty cool we live only 20-30 minutes from each other.

I have 2 great youtube channels from which i have learned a lot:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOXNPo7CtnzzZ9A4GyQ6Tog

This is a cool Canadian guy that i learned lots from. Also he is funny in my opinion anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdD1Cqxr8aINzWs1agg3tEQ

Crimson guitars from UK. you can learn lots from these guys aswell and they build some nice stuff. Ive been recently watching their stuff and its pretty funny too sometimes.

I guess i just like watching channels with lots of guitars =)

But thats great job so far Synapsis. And i have to say i am kind of jealous of your workbench =)

Thanks so much for the channel links, Ed. As well as the kind words!

[synapsistheory]

Had to post a pic of it with the whole USA family