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Post subject: Should I mod my new American Special?
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 7:20 pm
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OK, I know I may be opening a can of worms... I have had my American Special for two days now and my question is:

Are there any mods that the experienced players on this board would highly recommend? I am sure locking tuners would be nice... and I know that the bridge/saddles on the Specials are not considered to be as nice as those on the Standards. I have also heard all this talk about modifying the electronics for dialing in the middle pup etc. which sounds intriguing but really I am clueless! What say y'all?

Oh, and I wouldn't be attempting any mods myself... I would purchase the hardware and have a pro at Goez or J. Gravity do it!

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my gear:

Jackson USA Phil Collen PC-1
Warmoth Custom-Build Stratocaster (The Andersong)
Fender American Special Stratocaster
Squier J. Mascis Jazzmaster
Fender Mustang GT40
Eleven HeadRush w/ two Alto TS212 FRFRs


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Post subject: Re: Should I mod my new American Special?
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 7:35 pm
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I too would like to do some mods. I have got the American Special Limited Honeyburst. I plan on replacing the pick-guard with a white pearloid and the tremolo cover with a white pearloid. I am in the motion on replacing the tuners with Fender Locking Tuners and replacing the string trees with Tusq. Replacing the neck plate to resemble the American Standard neck plate, just looks better. Not sure what else at this time but just making the Special look a little better. :D


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Post subject: Re: Should I mod my new American Special?
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 5:48 am
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Roadie
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Heck, yeah. Mod away.

I wouldn't mod it just to mod it, though. My Strat is a 2007 MIA standard. Within six months of buying it, the only stock parts on it were the body and the back plate for the neck.

I knew that I wanted noiseless pickups, so I went with the Dimarzio Area PUPs. I wanted a steel sustain block and a better trem, so I went with a Wilkinson VS401, and a Warmoth neck with ebony fingerboard, compound radius, and stainless frets, etc. and so on.

Each mod was carefully considered, and was installed with a specific goal in mind.


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Post subject: Re: Should I mod my new American Special?
Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 8:44 am
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I upgraded my HSS with the Deluxe model pot (SW-1) volume switch, matching 5-way switch and a capacitor recommended by fender. I did this to gain the additional 3 pickup configurations to match the Deluxe model at a cost of around $125 including parts and labor from a certified Fender repairman. Also installed a Fender white pearl pickguard to contrast with the black body (had black pickguard). For all practical purposes, I now have an American Special HSS Strat deluxe, except for the hotterr pickups the Deluxe offers. All in all, it was an easy, cheap upgrade and the guitar looks and plays great. The single coils sound somewhat "twangy" expecially with the neck, mid, and split bridge on but that's the way it is. If you call Fender, they can send the kit directly to you. The user guide supplied with the guitar shows the wiring diagram for the Deluxe as well as the standard. Hope this helps.


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Post subject: Re: Should I mod my new American Special?
Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 9:32 am
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(if you have the HSS version) I would recommend replacing the stock selector switch with a 5-way super switch that would allow you take advantage of splitting the humbucker. I used to have a US Lone Star Strat which came stock with the super switch and allowed for the humbucker to be split in position 2 (bridge + mid in parallel). But I took advantage of the switch to get the rear coil of the Pearly Gates Plus in parallel with the neck Texas Special which is a nice nod to the Tele tone.


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Post subject: Re: Should I mod my new American Special?
Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 7:49 pm
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Deluxe HSS pickguards had an extra hole to accommodate a blower switch.

With the blower switch your signal is sent directly to the humbucker no matter any position from the 5-way pickup selector used. This function also disables the master volume and tone controls - useful for solos.


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Post subject: Re: Should I mod my new American Special?
Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 8:06 pm
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Looks like Twanged and I have the exact same FSR American Special Strat... it is an SSS. It has the greasebucket circuit already... can other circuit mods, such as pup blending, be done without altering the greasebucket?

Also, I am specifically interested in whether there is much advantage to swapping out the vintage-style bridge and saddles with the more modern ones. I do not use the trem bar heavily.

A frequent forum poster has raved on a few threads about a "Blade Runner" bridge?

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Tiger J

my gear:

Jackson USA Phil Collen PC-1
Warmoth Custom-Build Stratocaster (The Andersong)
Fender American Special Stratocaster
Squier J. Mascis Jazzmaster
Fender Mustang GT40
Eleven HeadRush w/ two Alto TS212 FRFRs


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Post subject: Re: Should I mod my new American Special?
Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 8:52 pm
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Me, nope. I wouldn't touch a thing. Or if I did, they'd be cosmetic. Maybe some nice abalone knobs et cetera.
Whether a guitar stays in tune or not is a function of how it was strung.
And then changes in temperature will muck with that.
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Post subject: Re: Should I mod my new American Special?
Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 8:55 pm
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Is there something wrong with how it sounds or plays now?

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Post subject: Re: Should I mod my new American Special?
Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 6:42 am
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DetroitBlues wrote:
Is there something wrong with how it sounds or plays now?


This is what I've been saying to myself. I can only presume that the guitar was bought on its own merits yet after two days, the guitar is deemed deficient and must be modded? Give it a chance, at least more than 48 hours. Who knows? You may just like it as is and there's absolutely nothing wrong with this nor will favor be lost among the masses for it.

As always, this is merely IMO where YMMV.

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Post subject: Re: Should I mod my new American Special?
Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 7:03 am
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Martian wrote:
DetroitBlues wrote:
Is there something wrong with how it sounds or plays now?


This is what I've been saying to myself. I can only presume that the guitar was bought on its own merits yet after two days, the guitar is deemed deficient and must be modded? Give it a chance, at least more than 48 hours. Who knows? You may just like it as is and there's absolutely nothing wrong with this nor will favor be lost among the masses for it.

As always, this is merely IMO where YMMV.


Not a thing wrong with it so far... I love it! I guess the modding thing bleeds over from my other hobby: motorcycling! And, of course, reading all the posts about modding electronics etc.

Only mod I did as of yet was put Schaller security locks on... which I view more as a necessity than a mod! I ended up buying a 2nd guitar this week rather than sinking my extra dough into a new bridge etc. But the price was right and the devil made me do it! :twisted: I think February really is the best time to deal at Guitar Center!

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Tiger J

my gear:

Jackson USA Phil Collen PC-1
Warmoth Custom-Build Stratocaster (The Andersong)
Fender American Special Stratocaster
Squier J. Mascis Jazzmaster
Fender Mustang GT40
Eleven HeadRush w/ two Alto TS212 FRFRs


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Post subject: Re: Should I mod my new American Special?
Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 9:03 am
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Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:52 pm
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after about 10 years I did some cosmetic mods to my SRV Srat. The only tone mod I did was too add a small value cap to the volume to keep the highs as I roll the volume back. works great!!


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Post subject: Re: Should I mod my new American Special?
Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 9:06 am
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A Blade Runner Tremolo and locking tuners stay in pretty good

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Post subject: Re: Should I mod my new American Special?
Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 9:12 am
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Martian wrote:
DetroitBlues wrote:
Is there something wrong with how it sounds or plays now?


This is what I've been saying to myself. I can only presume that the guitar was bought on its own merits yet after two days, the guitar is deemed deficient and must be modded? Give it a chance, at least more than 48 hours. Who knows? You may just like it as is and there's absolutely nothing wrong with this nor will favor be lost among the masses for it.

As always, this is merely IMO where YMMV.


The only mods I've ever done was to add a jumper to tie the bridge pickup to the second tone control and add a spring or two to the tremolo.

Pickups are a different story.... :D

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Post subject: Re: Should I mod my new American Special?
Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 9:34 am
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DetroitBlues wrote:
Martian wrote:
DetroitBlues wrote:
Is there something wrong with how it sounds or plays now?


This is what I've been saying to myself. I can only presume that the guitar was bought on its own merits yet after two days, the guitar is deemed deficient and must be modded? Give it a chance, at least more than 48 hours. Who knows? You may just like it as is and there's absolutely nothing wrong with this nor will favor be lost among the masses for it.

As always, this is merely IMO where YMMV.


The only mods I've ever done was to add a jumper to tie the bridge pickup to the second tone control and add a spring or two to the tremolo.

Pickups are a different story.... :D


Now that is the mod I am interested in... a way to blend the pups with the tone knob. Can that be done without affecting the greasebucket tone circuit?

_________________
Tiger J

my gear:

Jackson USA Phil Collen PC-1
Warmoth Custom-Build Stratocaster (The Andersong)
Fender American Special Stratocaster
Squier J. Mascis Jazzmaster
Fender Mustang GT40
Eleven HeadRush w/ two Alto TS212 FRFRs


Top
Profile
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