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Post subject: American Special Hardware Replacement
Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 1:03 am
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Ok, 3 gigs in a row, new strings, stretched out just how I've always done. Each gig I get through 1 set, maybe a set and a half and "ping!" d string is gone.

I think the string is rubbing up against the height adjustment pole for the brass saddle, and in doing so getting pinched in the edge where the thread meets the saddle. I have made sure that the saddle position is correct after I restring the instrument, but I guess that a combination of

1) Palm Position while playing (resting on the bridge/first saddle)
2) String vibration

What does this mean: I'm gonna replace the bridge from a 3 barrel tradition brass tele bridge to a 5 saddle gotoh bridge.

Yes I'm aware I might lose some of the spank of the tele by removing the all important brass resonate contact but I'm gonna gain two things

1) Better intonation on the guitar
This hasn't really been driving me nuts, but I have noticed that high voice chords started getting a little.... wonky. Yes I've set it as good as possible, I even tried this http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/choosing-installing/tech-tips/saddle_up_your/, but since I play in two bands (one r&b and one rock pop), I'm getting all over the neck most nights of the week (i'm not just chugging on the bottom four string). At some spots you just notice that a chord aint as in tune as it would have been an octave down (or up). Is a 6 saddle going to fix this? not entirely, but it's gonna make it noticeably better to me

2) I get to switch the hardware to gold :)

So a friend of mine recently bought a Epi Les Paul Custom in Alpine White and Gold Hardware. Not really a super fan of the Epi, it sure sounds nice and the push pull knobs make it super flexible, just the neck on the thing is HUGE.

One things for sure that Gold on white looks awesome! So onto StewMac and I've ordered the parts to Goldify my tele. Bridge, Jack Plate, Neck Plate, Control Plate, Ferrules and Knobs and string tree.

I'll post up pics when it gets here. Just a before and after because I'm sure you guys dont want 200 pics of hardware being taken off or put back on (unless you do in which case let me know ;P).

Cya in about a week.

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Post subject: Re: American Special Hardware Replacement
Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 6:53 pm
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couple of picks of the "current" look of the guitar

Image
Image

I have absolutely no problem with how it sounds, love the texas specials in there. The order shipped yesterday, so we'll looking at 7 days to get half way around the world, so next monday night I should be piecing this thing together that night :)

One thing is I've gone with the vintage string tree look rather than the modern fender string tree. Purely because it was the only gold string tree stew-mac had...

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Post subject: Re: American Special Hardware Replacement
Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2014 7:48 pm
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So, the hardware came in on Friday.

Everything was nicely packaged, got it out and started replacing parts. Started with the bridge, then control plate, then pickup....

Now I wasn't aware that the pickup covers were stuck as hard as they were. Being some what conservative I decided to google it. One guy posted "2 steps to removing a tele pickup cover. Step 1 buy a new tele pickup with the right cover on it, Step 2 swap the entire pickup". Turns out this guy was over reacting :).

Step 1) is to un-solder the pickup cover to the ground wire and bend the tabs back:

Image

Step 2) Next get ya mrs hair dryer out (First time I've had need for a hair dryer in.... 10 years) and blast the pickup for about... 2 mins. You start to see moisture coming out. I was careful to protect the guitar AND my hands, the pickup ends up pretty hot by the end of it. The pickup cover then slid off fairly easy after this, I tried it at about the 1:30 mark and it was JUST moving, 30 secs more and it slid off with a little bit of friction.

Step 3) Put the new one on

Image

Step 4) bend tabs and solder ground lead back on.

Image

Then I screwed everything on and checked I didn't damage the pickup (I had not :P). And the end result looks like this:

Image

I'll take some snaps with a real camera where I can control the white balance, because the olympic white looks really creamy with the gold hardware, that doesn't come out in this picture. But still, its a great looking visual change + the new gotoh bridge is fantastic now its setup, its a subtle difference with string spacing and chord voicing over the neck. Really pleased with the outcome.

Edit

One dodgey thing was my drill wouldn't clamp on to the drill bit I needed to drill the guide holes for the tuners screw (gotoh tuners use a screw where the MIM tuners on the American Special have the predrilled guide tabs). So I had to improvise to get that drill bit going.... one lacky-band later:

Image

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Post subject: Re: American Special Hardware Replacement
Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2014 9:39 pm
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Impulse7 wrote:
Image


This twangbeast looks fabulous with the gold hardware. I would replace the stock 3-ply black pickguard with a 4-ply tort and put a bridge pickup with gold pole pieces for a proper look :P


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Post subject: Re: American Special Hardware Replacement
Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2014 9:47 pm
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chromeface wrote:
I would replace the stock 3-ply black pickguard with a 4-ply tort and put a bridge pickup with gold pole pieces for a proper look :P


Cheers for the feedback chrome :) I will keep that in mind for the next facelift :)

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Post subject: Re: American Special Hardware Replacement
Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2014 9:27 pm
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Well heres the final photos.

Turns out I bought the wrong size gold pot on my first try, luckily a friend from work is a hobby machinist so he could drill it out to the right size for me. So instead of the photo being taken from above with the knobs balancing in place, heres the final product :)

Image
Image
Image
Dan

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Post subject: Re: American Special Hardware Replacement
Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 1:24 pm
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Impulse7 wrote:
chromeface wrote:
I would replace the stock 3-ply black pickguard with a 4-ply tort and put a bridge pickup with gold pole pieces for a proper look :P


Cheers for the feedback chrome :) I will keep that in mind for the next facelift :)

Go pearloid - goes fine with everything but white/gold/pearloid really make each other sparkle...


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Post subject: Re: American Special Hardware Replacement
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 6:47 pm
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jmattis, next parts-o-caster will have the pearloid. Couple of months away though ;)

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