OT: Guitar upgrades.....

gtvlusso
gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
edited October 2011 in Commuting chat
One for the Guitar players!

When Junior mk3 was born, I sold all my lovely guitar equipment under the impression that the musical part of my life was now completely dead due to lack of time.

However, I have been given a reprieve and junior mk3 is now junior mk1 - please see another thread for detail. Suffice to say that it is complicated and not something I particulalry want to talk about!

So, anyway - I sold my beloved and well battered Fender SRV stratocaster:

IMG_0506.jpg

I miss this guitar......

yes, the wear is genuine, it had been that abused.

To make the SRV more versatile, I added Fender 57/62 pickups for a more bassy tone, a tbx tone control and a Fender 25db mid boost - kinda like supercharging the guitar.

This guitar was run through several Fender Prosonic amps, all now sold.

Suffice to say, I have decided to rejoin a bind, if I can: I just bought a 1994 Fender Twin amp, Crybaby wah pedal and a Fender "road worn" 60's strat in white.

The question is, should I upgrade this guitar to the same standard as the old SRV? Am I just weeing in the wind? Should I just go out and buy another SRV?

My soldering hand is getting itchy!

Comments

  • sketchley
    sketchley Posts: 4,238
    Buy one of these, as played (Well almost) by my Guitar Hero.

    BTW I don't play. But it is pretty.

    xl__0150068806.jpg
    --
    Chris

    Genesis Equilibrium - FCN 3/4/5
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    The DG strat is very expensive!

    I need more versatility too with a pub rawk band!
  • Depends on the quality of the guitar wiring itself (and the quality of the player, of course). My strat (1967 re-issue) was almost completely un-shielded inside and suffered dreadfully from hum. Amazing to think that so much great music, played on top-end stereos the world over, has been played on guitars with electronics so poor that they wouldn't be seen in a £5 radio.

    Last year I bought some self-adhesive copper tape to coat the inside of the cavity with the electronics, then I got a bit solderly and re-wired it with a large capacitor to stop the possibility of electrocution from a badly wired amp and did a mod devised by Seymour Duncan to allow you to use the volume control without losing tone. The guitar is noticeably brighter and sharper, just from the shielding. The other mods made some difference, but the quality of tone was vastly improved really easily.

    My advice would be to re-do the shielding on the guitar first and see what the tone is like then. Get the best out of what you have, and you may not need to upgrade as much as you thought.
  • I ache for one of these.

    Rickenbacker330-12FireGlo.jpg[/img]
  • ketsbaia
    ketsbaia Posts: 1,718
    Is there really that much discernible difference in the sound you'll get out of a bog standard Strat from a SRV strat? Especially if you're playing in a pub. Personally, I've never really needed anything more than the standard Strat/Fender Twin combo, but YMMV. Was never really that much of a SRV fan anyway, so what do I know, but I'd have thought you'll be the only person who'll really know the difference - audience won't have a scooby. But if you feel it'll give you something extra and you can afford it, go for it. I'd spend the cash on a wheelset/groupset upgrade personally. :D
  • mudcow007
    mudcow007 Posts: 3,861
    a rainbow strap...that is all to complete "the look"

    im more of an acoustic kinda guy, but them Rickenbackers are a work of art


    ooooh id also love a "resonator"
    Keeping it classy since '83
  • mudcow007 wrote:
    ooooh id also love a "resonator"

    A guy at work bought a new one a couple of months back. Lovely guitar to look at, but the tone was way too thin for my taste. Apparently they take a while to wear in properly, though.
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    ketsbaia wrote:
    Is there really that much discernible difference in the sound you'll get out of a bog standard Strat from a SRV strat? Especially if you're playing in a pub. Personally, I've never really needed anything more than the standard Strat/Fender Twin combo, but YMMV. Was never really that much of a SRV fan anyway, so what do I know, but I'd have thought you'll be the only person who'll really know the difference - audience won't have a scooby. But if you feel it'll give you something extra and you can afford it, go for it. I'd spend the cash on a wheelset/groupset upgrade personally. :D

    Yes, there is - comparitively, between strats, the SRV has a really thick sound.

    I bought it because I liked the fat neck shape, big frets and flat radius fretboard the Texas Special pickups are good too - it is also Nitro finished, so it sounds kinda earthy compared to the polyester finished guitars. Unfortunately, Fender don't do the SRV neck shape and the 12" radius fretboard on any other guitar. So, I opted for a road worn as a replacement as it at least gave me big frets and loud pickups, nitor finish - the on board 25db boost means that I can get a Gibson tone for the heavier songs without bringing along my Les Paul or extra pedals. I have already upgraded the wiring to the cloth type, larger diameter.

    It is nice to be able to play the guitar strat like, but then be able to turn up the gain and just give it a bit more when soloing or on the heavy bits.....sounds just gets bigger.

    I must admit that I am wondering whether it is worth the hassle, just buy an extra tube screamer!

    I only ride SS MTB and fixed road bike now, so bike upgrades are not really worth it.....
  • ketsbaia
    ketsbaia Posts: 1,718
    gtvlusso wrote:

    I must admit that I am wondering whether it is worth the hassle, just buy an extra tube screamer!

    Bing!
  • Mr Plum
    Mr Plum Posts: 1,097
    It's all about the groove 8):

    DSC00132.jpg

    Old picture, but I'll tell you now that n+1 with bass/guitar is much easier logistically than with bikes...
    FCN 2 to 8
  • Mr Plum wrote:
    It's all about the groove 8):

    DSC00132.jpg

    Old picture, but I'll tell you now that n+1 with bass/guitar is much easier logistically than with bikes...

    I'm shocked...

    Not a single fretless bass, how do you manage?
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    I've got a German Warwick Corvette somewhere.....at my mums I think.....

    Anyway, must do some soldering tonight, either way as I have an audition on Monday night!
  • Mr Plum
    Mr Plum Posts: 1,097
    Mr Plum wrote:
    It's all about the groove 8):

    Old picture, but I'll tell you now that n+1 with bass/guitar is much easier logistically than with bikes...

    I'm shocked...

    Not a single fretless bass, how do you manage?

    Ha, I've got a crap P Bass copy that I de-fretted. Sounds alright actually.
    FCN 2 to 8
  • Mr Plum
    Mr Plum Posts: 1,097
    gtvlusso wrote:
    I've got a German Warwick Corvette somewhere.....at my mums I think.....

    Anyway, must do some soldering tonight, either way as I have an audition on Monday night!

    Good luck with the audition!
    FCN 2 to 8
  • Nik Cube
    Nik Cube Posts: 311
    Just get a new one and break it in

    Although personally I would buy a prs
    Fcn 5
    Cube attempt 2010
  • wouldnt bother with new "kit" in your guitar really! just mod some bits in it that are cheaper. put new pots in it enless there CTS or bournes pots along with all new wiring pots n resistors. makes a huge change! much brighter...in a nice way! could do a treble bleed mod on the tone pot like one of the guys said above that means as the volume is roleld off it doesnt go all bassey. make sure the whole thing is shielded on the scratch plate, dont worry about the back it doesnt actually make a diffrence, the hum is interferance from stuff in frount of you not behind :lol: and mabye the guy above is confusing the hum with the natural 60 cycle hum that single coils get? pop your strat in part 2 or 4 of your 5 way switch if it goes its the cycle hum :) tube screamers are the dogs!!!!! love mine so so so much! best money ive ever spend, but if you have a little more try a keeley mod! even nicer :D if you dig the whole hum bucker stuff, mabye think of a mod which puts the pick ups in series with one another making them an affectively stretched out humbucker??? and mabye a push pull pot to add the bridge pick up in so you can play all pick ups or just the bridge n neck :D i love guitars, i work in a music shop so have loads of sweet kit that i pick up cheap haha! managed to pick myself up a fender american deluxe, minter! 3 color sun burst start for £500! bargin. then a mirade of otehr stuff too :D love my yammaha SG for blues n jazz...yep thats right a 17yr old with sweet kit and plays blues n jazz along with his rock haha

    sorry about the mental long post, wasnt at work today so am deprived haha :lol:
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    Okay - switched the wiring back to standard. Took 20 winds off the front pickup to take the muddyness out, added a high mass tremolo block and put my standard .12 guage strings on.

    Seems to be just right. I think I will update to Fender 57/62 pickups again thoughas the Tex Mex pickups sound a little undefined to my ear.
  • gtvlusso wrote:
    Okay - switched the wiring back to standard. Took 20 winds off the front pickup to take the muddyness out, added a high mass tremolo block and put my standard .12 guage strings on.

    Seems to be just right. I think I will update to Fender 57/62 pickups again thoughas the Tex Mex pickups sound a little undefined to my ear.

    Seriously, some proper shielding will make more of a difference to the clarity of the tone than you would believe. Also you can improve the grounding of the circuitry significantly (Fender stock electronics are very shoddy indeed). Some of this:

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EMI-COPPER-FO ... 843wt_1022

    And follow these instructions:

    http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/shielding/shield3.php

    You do need to shield the back as well as the front, interference can come from many sources. My strat even used to pick up long-wave radio at times, I kid you not. When plugged into an amp at decent (loud) volume, when I let go of the strings, I could hear people taking in French. Make the cavity into a nice Faraday cage and all becomes VERY clear.
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    So, went to audition:

    Guitar, big fat strings, working like a dream. Amp - starts the night okay, then 'kaboom' pre-amp tubes blown. After a quick bit of swappage, got one channel back working.

    Note to self, but spare set of tubes......

    Got the gig though....
  • Congratulations!