Got a MIJ E-Series Strat earlier this year for very cheap. Anyway, it needed a bit of work on the bridge, the nut, and the locking nut. Before I even got it to playing condition, I decided to rewire it and put in new pickups, pots, cap etc. I had read that the electronics in these MIJ strats were sub-par.

So I got the new pots and wired her up with GFS Texas wound pickups. It sounds nice and all but I just have not "bonded" with it. So I offer it up for sale or trade on Craigslist a few weeks ago and I'm not getting many offers. Today I figured that I would put the original wiring / pickups back in, seems like folks who are buying prefer original in my area. I get it all wired up and back together 100% original and wow it sounds great. The GFS pickups and pots I installed were totally unnecessary.

Hopefully I learned my lesson, I'll try to wait to make any mods until I can hear what the guitar actually sounds like! I guess I'm one of those guys who mods because I read too many forums .

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Positive proof that cyber-hype is effective.



Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

You mean everything I read on the forums isn't true???!!!

She sure looks purdy though!

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-T

"You can't spend what you ain't got, you can't lose what you ain't never had" ~ McKinley Morganfield

Kong I fully sympathize. Whatever I get I have to tinker with. Be it a TV or a table.
Sometimes you're better off to just leave it alone.

Though I think that trem needs a humbucker. Sorry mate, I just can't let that one go.

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No no and no

Nick,what are you going to do to the new Les Paul???

Nik, you're right! A Duncan lil' 59 would probably work well with this guit!

I got a trade offer of one of these today. Straight up trade.



I don't have an SG. What do you guys think? (I have 2 other Strats that I like better).

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Try the SG and see how you like it. I think unless you're shopping guitars in Alain La'France's range then money spent then becomes dead money. After all the money has already gone once the guitar is bought. As long as you end up with a guitar you are happy with, then you're never going to see the green folding again.

You don't like that Strat, you may love that SG. Who knows?
Just assess the situation very carefully.
Those 3 pickup white SG's are my absolute favourite SG. If you're anything like me don't let your head be turned by a shapely leg (or neck). Weigh up properly and soberly how much you do or don't like the guitar.

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No no and no

Good advice, Nik. I know what you mean about the money being gone when we buy these instruments. That being said, I have almost no green into this Strat and that makes this trade a very good deal. My only currency for G.A.S. right now is trading as I have my first baby on the way and don't want to put any more cash into gear. I do find the SG sexy and think it may be affecting my decision.

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Not that you asked for my opinion, but I think I'd go for the trade too, especially if you're feeling ho-hum about the strat...the SG looks like a cool guitar, I love my Epi G-400... it's taken some time to get used to with the flatter radius and the fact that its a little neck heavy, but it sounds and plays great.

BTW, I share your affliction, I too am a mod-aholic. Take solace in knowing that you're not alone

Mate, I being not a bad judge of character. And also being quite presumptuous, judge you as being kind of like me in a lot of ways. Bit soft but won't stand too much messing. Bit of a home bod, who likes to get about a bit as long as he's back before the fireplace with his feet up by bedtime.

If that is the case, forget the SG, it can wait. Get the kid well into the world cos it's gonna turn you upside down and inside out at the same time. (I was literally a mess for the first seven years. Paranoid as hell that I didn't deserve this gift and that the universe was going to exact some kind of revenge on me for having it. All because things that good just didn't happen to me).
You'll look on your guitars as a waste of space for four years. You'll most likely not have the energy to play them.
I was very very lucky with my firstborn. She was and still is very tolerant of noise. Was a excellent baby. The last one we had was a bit of a rascal. Cried every night for eighteen months and any time I picked up a guitar.
A bit like most of my audiences.

In the meantime, until you regain some sense of normality in your life. There's always the next mod. It's far more interesting than buying new guitars, you'll always learn something. And you can get on with a quiet bit of soldering whilst the missus is having a night off. Without fear of waking the kid.

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No no and no

Good advice Nik and I'm flattered by your characterization of me - pretty close to the mark on a few points . My baby is due October 1st.

Anyway, I did jump on the SG Custom and have no regrets. It is a pretty cool axe, and rounds out my collection nicely. I only paid $100 for the Strat and had another $100 of repairs into it. So in essence I got a nice SG for $200.

I figured I have a bit more time to pay attention to guitars and I do think their importance to me is set to plummet for some time to come.

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Hi Kong I have an Epi G-400 Custom identical to the one you have pictured and it's a fabulous guitar.With 3 pups you can get just about any tone you like from it and with all 3 engaged it sounds almost Strat like in its fullness and chime.It can scream out the heaviest metal tones or the mellowest of jazz tones or just about anything else.My daughter's boyfriend prefered it to his Gibson SG saying that it was much much better in every way.I paid $550 for mine in '08.

I don't mod my guitars at all,I prefer to keep them stock for the simple fact that if there's something about a guitar I don't like I leave it in the store.I have done mods and upgrades for others though.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Hey Kongster

Great news on baby mate! Great news on the guitar too. Gonna be able to get a new mod in before Oct?

Dan

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My Rig: Guitar into Pedals then into Amps and out into Speakers.

Congrats on the Baby Kong....it's hijack time...
http://youtu.be/nCvfb0WpmkU

Update: Wife is 33 weeks pregnant and the countdown is on for Baby Erin. I'm still suffering from major G.A.S. though ... I know, I know I've got problems...

I couldn't bond with the SG so I sold it. The neck seemed a bit rubbery to me. So tonight I bought an Epi Korina Explorer with the proceeds from the sale of the SG.

It was on craigslist for $250, a 2009 in pretty nice shape with Dragonfire Active pickups (similar to EMG 81 /85 set). I may install passives, but I'm going to play it for a while. It was setup with .013s and the action was high and the neck was a bit bowed for my taste. I installed .010s, tightened the truss rod about 3/4 turn and lowered the bridge to a height more to my liking. After setting the intonation, this thing plays pretty nice. Overall it is pretty lightweight and has a somewhat bright tone, and I think I might be falling for the active pickups. The thing looks killer and is comfortable to play sitting or standing.

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