What is the Dumbest thing you've done to a guitar??

texasguitarslinger · **Posted:** Fri Dec 11, 2009 5:14 pm

The dumbest thing my Dad ever did to a guitar was to sand the "ugly" sunburst off of a 1950s Airline that belongs to my Granddad. He was in high school and at the time there was nothing vintage or special about a 1950s guitar. He even applied eagle decals to the back. :lol:

Last year I broke a rusted tuner off the same guitar, so I guess every generation has to mess something up on that guitar. It would have been worth $1200 with the original finish and tuners. Just don't tell that to my Granddad.

Celtic Cyclonus · **Posted:** Fri Dec 11, 2009 5:28 pm

Just been buskin for the Christmas shoppers all day. Some arsehole kept bating me for my Telecoustic Deluxe tothe point of almost violence. If it wasn't for binterz he would have got her off me. Not good and quite horrible to be honest.

Bad things could have happened.

CC

Ceri · **Posted:** Fri Dec 11, 2009 6:38 pm

Hey, excuse me ladies and gentlemen. A page an a half later I haven't seen anyone falling off their chair in amazement at this extraordinary post. This is the post of the day, far as I'm concerned. Or the week. Or...

We're in the presence of guitar tech royalty here, people. Let's all savour this one:

Martian wrote:

I could write a book on this subject. My own personal instruments, not so much though. The worst thing I can recollect was in 1969 when I played street softball with my '67 Harmony Stratotone with OEM Roe-DeArmond pickups. Man, that shattered REALLY well!!

The book I could write is what players over the years have asked me to do to many a (now) priceless instrument.

Here are a mere few examples. Note that the reason why I agreed to these is because if I didn't, someone else would. The owners were adamant on these tasks being done regardless of devalue issues which was THOROUGHLY explained to them. Consequently, either I did it and made the money or someone else would but at least I did it 'perfectly' to the extent possible:

Create a swimming pool rout in a '65 SG Standard so the owner could install a middle humbucker himself in what he thought would be the sweet spot along the 'track'. He then brought it back to me to install and wire a larger on/off switch for this pickup directly to the toggle switch.

Rout an OEM Cherry Red 1956 Gibson LP Standard from the Soap Bar cutouts to full sized humbucker routs and install them. Never heard of an OEM Cherry Red one? This was the first and last one I ever saw!

Remove a real PAF out of an old Gibson Howard Roberts and replace it with a Duncan JB. I was given the PAF for my trouble because the owner couldn't stand it.

Install a P-Bass pickup in the, "neck positon" of a 1968 Telecaster Bass and wire it to be on at all times with the OEM single coil.

Remove the frets out of a '56 Strat and fill in the fret slots. Remove the nut and replace it with a threaded rod similar to the bridge saddles of an old Tele. The owner wanted to make it a fretless guitar for slide playing with higher action.

I can't tell you how many Strats and Les Pauls I've had to destroy with Floyd and Kahler installations.

Grind the frets absolutely flat and polish them in a Gibson L6S because the owner wanted it to play more like the old, "Fretless Wonder" Gibson LP Customs.

Install as many Guild Bass humbuckers as would fit from neck to bridge in a '68 Gibson EB-3-L and wire them straight to the output jack, bypassing the controls; I was able to fit four.

Install Rickenbacker "Toaster" pickups ON, not IN, a '57 Gibson Melody Maker.

And this sickening list goes on and on.

"Viva La Difference" (I guess.) :roll:

Cheers to you, Martian - C

Celtic Cyclonus · **Posted:** Fri Dec 11, 2009 6:42 pm

Oh I know Ceri. It's any wonder the guy moved to Mars with the diabolical 5h1t us guys on Earth do. Most o those requests are beyond disgustin!

CC

Syeklops · **Posted:** Fri Dec 11, 2009 11:10 pm

fhopkins wrote:

Tochai wrote:

I set a quite lovely acoustic down on a sofa, sound harmless right?
Well it was sat on, by a pirate.
The neck snapped clean off.

That's weird cause my wife sat on my brother-in -law's Gibson Hummingbird about 20 years ago. He says he's forgiven us but I know he still thinks about it. Besides that I guess it's selling several guitars when I was much younger that would fetch some nice coin nowadays!!

How does one sit on a sofa and not see something as big as a guitar?

KevinCurtis · **Posted:** Sat Dec 12, 2009 12:38 am

Bought the Ibanez.

Bought the Washburn.

Bought the Schecter.

Solid Body Love Songs · **Posted:** Sat Dec 12, 2009 12:53 am

Syeklops wrote:

fhopkins wrote:

Tochai wrote:

I set a quite lovely acoustic down on a sofa, sound harmless right?
Well it was sat on, by a pirate.
The neck snapped clean off.

That's weird cause my wife sat on my brother-in -law's Gibson Hummingbird about 20 years ago. He says he's forgiven us but I know he still thinks about it. Besides that I guess it's selling several guitars when I was much younger that would fetch some nice coin nowadays!!

How does one sit on a sofa and not see something as big as a guitar?

there is a catchy tune in here Syeklops :lol:

number one cause of neck issues on Gibsons is?

Blertles · **Posted:** Sat Dec 12, 2009 3:44 am

I once lent my strat to an old girlfriend who wanted to learn how to play.. (or at least think she knew how to)

I almost suffered anxiety attacks in cold sweats of the thought she returned it with a mark. It so turned out that she did put a mark on it.

I also sold that strat, worst mistake.

NEVER sell your first Fender. it's a guaranteed sellers remorse for the rest of your days. :cry:

BastardN · **Joined:** Fri Jun 22, 2007 7:00 pm **Posts:** 1218

Ceri wrote:

Hey, excuse me ladies and gentlemen. A page an a half later I haven't seen anyone falling off their chair in amazement at this extraordinary post. This is the post of the day, far as I'm concerned. Or the week. Or...

We're in the presence of guitar tech royalty here, people. Let's all savour this one:

Martian wrote:

I could write a book on this subject. My own personal instruments, not so much though. The worst thing I can recollect was in 1969 when I played street softball with my '67 Harmony Stratotone with OEM Roe-DeArmond pickups. Man, that shattered REALLY well!!

The book I could write is what players over the years have asked me to do to many a (now) priceless instrument.

Here are a mere few examples. Note that the reason why I agreed to these is because if I didn't, someone else would. The owners were adamant on these tasks being done regardless of devalue issues which was THOROUGHLY explained to them. Consequently, either I did it and made the money or someone else would but at least I did it 'perfectly' to the extent possible:

Create a swimming pool rout in a '65 SG Standard so the owner could install a middle humbucker himself in what he thought would be the sweet spot along the 'track'. He then brought it back to me to install and wire a larger on/off switch for this pickup directly to the toggle switch.

Rout an OEM Cherry Red 1956 Gibson LP Standard from the Soap Bar cutouts to full sized humbucker routs and install them. Never heard of an OEM Cherry Red one? This was the first and last one I ever saw!

Remove a real PAF out of an old Gibson Howard Roberts and replace it with a Duncan JB. I was given the PAF for my trouble because the owner couldn't stand it.

Install a P-Bass pickup in the, "neck positon" of a 1968 Telecaster Bass and wire it to be on at all times with the OEM single coil.

Remove the frets out of a '56 Strat and fill in the fret slots. Remove the nut and replace it with a threaded rod similar to the bridge saddles of an old Tele. The owner wanted to make it a fretless guitar for slide playing with higher action.

I can't tell you how many Strats and Les Pauls I've had to destroy with Floyd and Kahler installations.

Grind the frets absolutely flat and polish them in a Gibson L6S because the owner wanted it to play more like the old, "Fretless Wonder" Gibson LP Customs.

Install as many Guild Bass humbuckers as would fit from neck to bridge in a '68 Gibson EB-3-L and wire them straight to the output jack, bypassing the controls; I was able to fit four.

Install Rickenbacker "Toaster" pickups ON, not IN, a '57 Gibson Melody Maker.

And this sickening list goes on and on.

"Viva La Difference" (I guess.) :roll:

Cheers to you, Martian - C

+1 Ceri beat me to this one.
When I posted this, I was pretty curious to see what Martian was gonna post. I was not let down to say the least.
-N

Tochai · **Posted:** Sat Dec 12, 2009 7:15 am

Syeklops wrote:

fhopkins wrote:

Tochai wrote:

I set a quite lovely acoustic down on a sofa, sound harmless right?
Well it was sat on, by a pirate.
The neck snapped clean off.

That's weird cause my wife sat on my brother-in -law's Gibson Hummingbird about 20 years ago. He says he's forgiven us but I know he still thinks about it. Besides that I guess it's selling several guitars when I was much younger that would fetch some nice coin nowadays!!

How does one sit on a sofa and not see something as big as a guitar?

Well he was wearing an eye patch, and besides he didnt so much "sit" he more fell back and landed in a sitting position.

Troublecall · **Posted:** Sat Dec 12, 2009 10:49 am

The dumbest thing I ever did to a guitar? Picked it up and tried to learn to play it....

guitslinger · **Posted:** Sat Dec 12, 2009 5:40 pm

Although I posted a dumb thing earlier on this topic this one beats it hands down.In 1975-6 I let a friend who was an amateur woodworker "refinish"my 65 Strat,it was 10 yrs old and"roadworn"and I didn't have the foresight to see it would become highly collectable and valuable in an untouched state.He couldn't get the sunburst stain out of the wood and took a handheld beltsander to it,it looked fine with a natural finish but as time went on I realized the sacrilege I'd commited.I couldn't bear to look at the guitar any more in that ruined state and dismantled it and put the hardware and electronics in an after market walnut neck and body. Some day I intend on getting the old neck and body(which I kept)put together with the old hardware at least it will still be a 65 but heavily restored.Another project for Ceri maybe?

ZZDoc · **Posted:** Sat Dec 12, 2009 8:14 pm

[quote="BastardN"]What is the dumbest thing you have ever done to one of your guitars!?!?

Hey Guitslinger......Hows this one for your hindsight is foresight department

#1:In 1969 I sent a 1958 Stratocaster out to Fender to be refinished. They didn't refinish it........they swapped the body for a '64 as I was to sadly learn some 25 years later. :twisted:

#2: About 13 years go I paid $350 for a "93 Tele Plus which was only one small cigarette burn ding on the back away from excellent used. Then I swapped it out for a used '97 Artist Clapton, also in similar condition. I didn't know about Radiohead then.

eyecandy · **Joined:** Tue Jul 28, 2009 11:10 am **Posts:** 1086

hit the back of the neck against a stage post... :oops:

sleepyness attacked~

ZZDoc · **Posted:** Sun Dec 13, 2009 5:50 am

BastardN wrote:

Ceri wrote:

Hey, excuse me ladies and gentlemen. A page an a half later I haven't seen anyone falling off their chair in amazement at this extraordinary post. This is the post of the day, far as I'm concerned. Or the week. Or...

We're in the presence of guitar tech royalty here, people. Let's all savour this one:

Martian wrote:

I could write a book on this subject. My own personal instruments, not so much though. The worst thing I can recollect was in 1969 when I played street softball with my '67 Harmony Stratotone with OEM Roe-DeArmond pickups. Man, that shattered REALLY well!!

The book I could write is what players over the years have asked me to do to many a (now) priceless instrument.

Here are a mere few examples. Note that the reason why I agreed to these is because if I didn't, someone else would. The owners were adamant on these tasks being done regardless of devalue issues which was THOROUGHLY explained to them. Consequently, either I did it and made the money or someone else would but at least I did it 'perfectly' to the extent possible:

Create a swimming pool rout in a '65 SG Standard so the owner could install a middle humbucker himself in what he thought would be the sweet spot along the 'track'. He then brought it back to me to install and wire a larger on/off switch for this pickup directly to the toggle switch.

Rout an OEM Cherry Red 1956 Gibson LP Standard from the Soap Bar cutouts to full sized humbucker routs and install them. Never heard of an OEM Cherry Red one? This was the first and last one I ever saw!

Remove a real PAF out of an old Gibson Howard Roberts and replace it with a Duncan JB. I was given the PAF for my trouble because the owner couldn't stand it.

Install a P-Bass pickup in the, "neck positon" of a 1968 Telecaster Bass and wire it to be on at all times with the OEM single coil.

Remove the frets out of a '56 Strat and fill in the fret slots. Remove the nut and replace it with a threaded rod similar to the bridge saddles of an old Tele. The owner wanted to make it a fretless guitar for slide playing with higher action.

I can't tell you how many Strats and Les Pauls I've had to destroy with Floyd and Kahler installations.

Grind the frets absolutely flat and polish them in a Gibson L6S because the owner wanted it to play more like the old, "Fretless Wonder" Gibson LP Customs.

Install as many Guild Bass humbuckers as would fit from neck to bridge in a '68 Gibson EB-3-L and wire them straight to the output jack, bypassing the controls; I was able to fit four.

Install Rickenbacker "Toaster" pickups ON, not IN, a '57 Gibson Melody Maker.

And this sickening list goes on and on.

"Viva La Difference" (I guess.) :roll:

Cheers to you, Martian - C

+1 Ceri beat me to this one.
When I posted this, I was pretty curious to see what Martian was gonna post. I was not let down to say the least.
-N

It reads like an obituary for aftermarket modifications. That's why Niki gave me hell at my thought of having my '89 Clapton refinished in Grigio Silverstone. If I knew then, what I know now, that '58 Strat would never have left NYC.

"But I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now"

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