Dumbest Guitar Mods

[eakinj]

So I was thinking about some of the things i did in butchering my Charvel Model 1 back in the day. You know, putting in a kill switch, and another switch to make the pickup sound like a single coil (Which never worked, btw) and other stuff, It became my experimental guitar.

I was curious as to what kinds of dumb mods you've ever done to a guitar or seen in person of a real guitar - and I don't mean changing out a pickup, I mean something that caused a physical alteration to the guitar.

Although I never owned the guitar, there was an Anderson's Music in Livermore and they have this les paul custom that had been cut down to a tear drop shape and repainted. Regardless of ones feelings towards Gibson or even just the les paul, that just looked like shit. supposedly it sounded good according to Danny, but i wouldn't touch the thing to find out. It looked cursed.

[metalhobo]

sad I don't have any pics of the gore, but I did some modding on my usa so-cal. basically I didn't like the bridge pickup position because 1. it was slightly too far from the bridge and 2. it is oriented flush the body when I really wanted it flush to the strings, since those guitars have a neck angle. I figured out that if I install a slanted pickup ring in the current position, the pickup will just bump into the body since the route isn't wide enough. so I decided to bust out the router and enlarge the cavity. not a "dumb" mod per se since I got exactly what I wanted and it looks perfect with the pickguard and ring installed, but it's definitely not a mod I would perform unless I was sure I would keep and play that guitar for the rest of my life.

[Lemonheadfr]

I scalloped the entire fretboard of one of my guitars, with full refinish, refret, etc, only to find out I hate how it feels, haha. I did a decent job, tho, and it was a cheap guitar.
But as a guitar tech, I've seen countless atrocities coming to my shop, The biggest was a 1960 les paul that was ruined (paint removed to bare wood, bridge changed, headstock reshaped...).

[pianoguyy]

I scalloped the entire fretboard
only to find out I hate how it feels,

Not to hijack a thread....
But I think scalloped boards are an acquired taste. They aren't meant for everyone. But even for those who do like them, it is like everything on a guitar - you have to try a bunch before you find what you like. Different combinations of things.


As example, I don't like the Malmsteem signature model. But I don't like Fender to begin with. He and I have very different playing styles. If that was my only experience with a scallop, I would never go scallop again.
But, then you look at my Jackson (a brand I do like). The scallops are "off-center", which is much better for my playing technique. And it is only the upper frets.

Am I a convert? Do I now swear by holy stainless steel of the scallop? Do I stand outside of the Red Lobster to protest the selling of my deity?
No. But it is one of two guitars which I have had over 25 years. When I "sold everything", thinking I was retired, I kept it just in case. Sure enough, I didn't stay retired long. So, while some guitars get bought and sold faster than I can lose a groupie playing poker with Stillwater, my Frankenstein and my scallop have been with me for the long haul.

[Sanctuary]

Not done by me but Neal Moser rescued this BC Rich Seagull Jr from some ridiculous butchery...

[catzodellamarina]

I took a Charvel Fusion to a trusted luthier to add a humbucker. He screwed on an ugly pickguard and attached the pickups to it. I was horrified. It was the last time I let him "get creative" with my guitars.

[RatDog8o8]

My first guitar was a Silvertone 1420 Stratotone. Hollow-body electric, wood bridge, wrapped tailpiece, etc. Typical 60's era guitar. Bought it along with a Mongomery Wards Airline amp for $35. Hold on, there's more. My second guitar was a mid-70s Gibson SG in Tobacco Sunburst; got it from a pawn shop in Austin TX for $400. I was storing it at my mom's place even though I had an apartment in Austin, and for some reason she wanted it gone. (Bear with me, it's all relevant).

So, younger fool that I was, I traded the SG for some new pickups (Bill Lawrence HBs), and some new tuners. Here comes the butchery....

I modded the Silvertone to accept the pickups, with a full-on coil-tap, split-phase wiring job on each pickup. Added the 4 little micro-switches for all that. Then, I modded the headstock to accept the new tuners. Normally, nothing bad there, except the Silvertone headstock is a 3+3, and the new tuners were 6-inline. They actually didn't look too bad, even though you could see the offset if you looked at the headstock straight on. Oh, and later, I added a tune-o-matic bridge, but kept the wrapped tailpiece. Maybe at some point I'll reveal how I refinished it.

The SG that I only gave $400 for? They go on eBay now for about $5k. (Thanks, mom..)

I still want to find another Silvertone, though. No mods. I also want to find another SG like that, but at those prices....probably not anytime soon.

I still have the Bill Lawrence HBs. They sound really cool when the right switches are thrown; going from the HB "chunk" to a surf guitar sound in just a few clicks.

[Guest]

Despite the Halford Warrior, there's some things I just won't do to a guitar. I've done stickers, spikes (obviously), Krylon, and routed singles to hums but haven't tried to turn an Explorer into a Star, for example.