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Post subject: What was your most cost effective modification?
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 3:32 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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I am curious what all you Strat people feel was your most Bang-for-the-buck mod you made to your beloved Strat.
New pickups?
New graphite or roller nut?
New electronics(wiring,pots etc.)
New tuning machines?
New bridge saddles?
New trem block?
New frets?
New tremelo unit?
What else can you replace????????


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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 3:47 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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I got a set of Custom Shop Texas Special P/U's that had been in the store for a while for $100.00 and put them in a 2000 MIM Standard Strat. What a difference. i sold the guitar to a friend, and later bought it back.


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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 3:50 pm
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Location: In a galaxy far far away
Earvana nut £20 to get your guitar to be perfectly intune all the way up the neck.


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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 5:52 pm
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Rock Star
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Location: Mars, the angry red planet.
My DiMarzio Virtual Vintage Area 67/58/61 pickup set:

- Got a new 61 from a grateful friend for fixing some problems he was having with his #1 guitar;
- Traded some spare guitar parts I had lying around for a new 58 and 3 new DiMarzio creme covers;
- Bought the 67 used but in pristine condition for half the price of a new one.

The bottom line: About an hour's worth of work and $30 got me the entire, color matched set!

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Post subject: Re: What was your most cost effective modification?
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:22 pm
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paisley strat wrote:
I am curious what all you Strat people feel was your most Bang-for-the-buck mod you made to your beloved Strat.
New pickups?
New graphite or roller nut?
New electronics(wiring,pots etc.)
New tuning machines?
New bridge saddles?
New trem block?
New frets?
New tremelo unit?
What else can you replace????????


======

None of the above. A good set up, and it's free cause I do it myself! :wink:


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 7:07 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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+1

also you did not list a good set of strap locks.


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 7:43 pm
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Location: Washington
graph tech saddles

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My other guitar is a Strat.

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Post subject: Re: What was your most cost effective modification?
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 8:00 pm
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Location: DC
paisley strat wrote:
I am curious what all you Strat people feel was your most Bang-for-the-buck mod you made to your beloved Strat.
New pickups?
New graphite or roller nut?
New electronics(wiring,pots etc.)
New tuning machines?
New bridge saddles?
New trem block?
New frets?
New tremelo unit?
What else can you replace????????

pickups, graphite nut on my MIM, schaller tuning machines, american standard bridge, and ofcourse schaller strap locks on 4 of my guitars :P


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 8:14 pm
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If you're looking for tone change, definitely the pickups - IF you're only taking guitar mods. The amp will change your tone MUCH more than any pickup change, assuming you have decent ones there in the first place.

Some other things I'd recommend....

- strap locks
- making sure it's wired solidy
- making sure it's shielded properly
- a cool (but not gawdy) pickguard and new knobs can completely change the look and vibe
- locking tuners, like sperzels. so much better for changing strings and helps them keep in tune better


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 8:47 pm
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Roadie
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Location: New York City
The best mod - and it's free - is to take off the back plate so you can change your strings faster. Much faster.

PS Don't throw away the back plate or screws, just in case you ever sell the guitar.

Love,
Todd

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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 9:42 pm
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Location: uɐʇsıʞɔnuɐɔ 'puɐlʇɐlɟ
Best and lowest cost mod was to practice so I could play better!

Only mods I've made to my latest no1 is to add a trem spring (1$) to harden the trem action and switched it to heavier gauge D'Addario strings (5$ every few weeks)

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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:23 am
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I appreciate all the ideas. A set up is not a modification in the truest sense, but more like regular maintenence. I do all my own work, and remember, time is money. I do put straplocks on all my favorite guitars, but they never improved the tone much(lol)!!!!
With all the various parts available for Strats, sometimes it's hard to decide what to spend my hard earned money on. I never have regretted buying the highest quality parts. I am just not sure that buying that expensive Callaham trem block will provide a big difference in tone and sustain. Do Graphtech parts really improve tone and tuning stabilty(I don't have a problem with string breakage due to meticulous bridge set up). Buying new pickups is great except for the fact that if they dont provide me with the sound I have in my head, what next?? I have always been happy with the pickups I have bought already(Seymour Duncan SH-4 Jeff Beck, DiMarzio Air Norton, EMG 81, EMG SA) I just don't know about the newer ones(Kinman, Lollar, Rio Grande, GFS, Rockfield etc.) How about the Tonestyler??
I have several amps(Marshall, Roland, Fender, Peavey, Epiphone) and can get just about any sound I want from my amps.
I am probably like a lot of you folks, I LOVE TO TINKER WITH MY GUITARS!!!!! I know y'all do too, it's an obsession.
Just the rambling thought of a madman..............


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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 12:10 pm
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Location: Peckham: where the snow leopards roam
Most cost effective mod tonewise? On a guitar that doesn't already have it, run that tiny little bit of wire between the middle two tags on the correct side of the five-way switch to bring the second tone knob into the bridge pickup's circuit.

Some people always play with the tone controls wide open - some even remove them entirely. But I find the ability to slightly dial the edge off the top of a brash bridge pickup is well worth having.

What's the cost of 3/8ths of an inch of pickup wire?

We'll call it my two cents' worth...

Cheers - C


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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:59 pm
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Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 1:24 pm
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dgonz wrote:
If you're looking for tone change, definitely the pickups - IF you're only taking guitar mods. The amp will change your tone MUCH more than any pickup change, assuming you have decent ones there in the first place.

Some other things I'd recommend....

- strap locks
- making sure it's wired solidy
- making sure it's shielded properly
- a cool (but not gawdy) pickguard and new knobs can completely change the look and vibe
- locking tuners, like sperzels. so much better for changing strings and helps them keep in tune better


+1 on everything dgonz said.


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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:13 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Posts: 524
Location: Bogor - Indonesia - South East Asia - Asia - Earth
Custom Wiring: Make all pots volume for 3 pickups.... $60 in luthier

Coin Straplock------------> made from 2 1947 Indonesian coins which have a hole in the middle, longer screws, and a Get'm Get'm strap ($34).


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