Wired up a new Fender Tex-Mex set for a friend, new aged Mother of Pearl, he aged the pickup covers by soaking them in strong coffee for 2 hours, it works really well because the plastic is porous, the staining is in the plastic and doesn't rub off.

The Songbirds Guitar Museum

I know what I am doing the next time I am in Chattanooga, Tennessee..

https://reverb.com/news/the-songbirds-guitar-museum-our-new-favorite-place-on-earth?utm_campaign=1612019_blogsongbird&utm_medium=FB&utm_source=FB

Found a real goldmine of guitar mods.

http://www.premierguitar.com/authors/85-dirk-wacker

He has over 15 articles just on the Fender Esquire (the predecessor of the Telecaster). He also has his own website of wiring diagrams.

To any and all of the people that follow my posts, please let me know what subjects you would be interested in seeing. As always, Stay Tuned

Author:

Dirk Wacker lives in Germany and has been a guitar addict since age 5. He’s also a hardcore DIY-er for guitars, amps, and stompboxes and runs a website on the subject (singlecoil.com). When not working at his guitar workbench, he plays country, rockabilly, surf, and flamenco. Contact him at info@singlecoil.com.

http://www.guitars4vets.org/

http://www.guitars4vets.org/

     I have contacted the Denver Rep for Guitars For Vets to offer my services for doing set ups at the current time. He says that they have about a dozen guitars that they offer as loaners until the Vets can get a guitar.
    That means to me that they is a need for guitars that can be donated to these fine folks that have offered their all for us. Can I please reach out to any of you that have a spare guitar? It doesn't have to be really nice or expensive, just a guitar that has a truss rod so that it can be adjusted. In the case of acoustics, that there is no damage on the top as I cannot afford to do the work, yet.
   You can contact the Denver Rep on their page, it is about half way down the page. Once he has the guitar I will have him let me know and I will dial it in.
   If you have a time on a Wednesday night (this is when the Denver Chapter meets) I'll bet they would be interested in any tips, lessons, or anything that you can offer. Do have a few set of strings that are gather dust? Anything will help.
 
     brew

Top Five Guitars to Mod

Top Five Guitars to Mod

Here is an article for choices to hot rod. The Strat is always a good option, it seems that a good share of the off-the-shelf replacement part are for this Fender main stay. I am also posting this on Facebook Pawn Shop Puppy Rescue Guitars, please like and share my business page. As always, Stay Tuned

published Jun 24, 2014 by James M. Brill on Reverb.com under Tips and How-To's

I heard Paul Gilbert say in an interview once, "As a guitar player, you must tweak." This is true: no other musicians, save for synth players, revel in the amount of knobs, switches and micro adjustments to be made than the electric guitarist. The 1980s gave us the "hot rod" and "Super Strat" era, and heroes like Van Halen inspired not only with chops but with mods as well.

With so many options in the pickup and replacement part world readily available these days, let’s look at five less expensive guitars that, with some new parts and passion, can become your most versatile instrument.

The rules: guitar must be a standard run and go for less than $600 on the used market.

1. The Super Vintage Strat

Here we can take a readily available guitar, the Made in Mexico Fender Stratocaster. On the used market you can pick these up for around the $350 mark, which is a steal for such a serviceable ax. The first new addition would be pickups. There are likely a million options, but for the vintage vibe we can go with "Custom Shop Fat Fifties". Next, with a bit of routing help, upgrade the tremolo to a Vintage reissue. Next, throw on some vintage style locking tuners, now you have a vintage tremolo system that actually works, but still looks like it belongs in the ‘50s. Finally, throw on the pickguard and knobs of your choosing, and you have a vintage Strat for less than the price of a Custom Shop Case.

• 
  Fender Standard Stratocaster
  

  The Fender Standard Stratocaster (made in Mexico) just might be the most popular guitar under $500. And for good reason. Build quality, tone and playability are so good with the Mexican Strat it requires a true connoisseur to tell it apart from its American brother. This model is also a favorite for modding, often by swapping out pickups and pots. Compare new and used Fender Standard Stratocasters here on Reverb.

  135 used from$275.00 209 new from$449.00

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2. The Super Les Paul A La Jimmy Page

As a Led Zeppelin nerd, this is one that I've always wanted to do and not have to take out a car loan to make it happen. A nice candidate is the Schecter Solo 6 series or the Ibanez ARZ series. The real magic for this one will depend on your soldering iron. Once you swap in the pickups, Seymour Duncan’s Whole Lotta Humbucker or Bare Knuckle’s Black Dog sets are prime options, and buy a push-pull for every pot, you are good to go. Wire in a coil-tap and a series parallel switch and you are ready to send your playing "over the hills and far away" (couldn't resist).

See more affordable LPs »

3. The Blues and Twang Machine

Many semi-hollow guitars are aimed at blues or rockabilly sounds, but with some work both can be covered well without dropping a fortune. A great model to use as a platform is the Epiphone Dot. These can be had on the used market for $350. Throw on a Gibson 490R and 498T, which are readily available and usually affordable on the used market.

• 
  Epiphone Dot
  

  For lovers of semi-hollow guitars, the Gibson ES-335 is the holy grail. Unfortunately, its price tag puts it out of reach for many. Enter the made-in-Asia Epiphone Dot. With the same dimensions, configuration and semi-hollow resonance as a 335, it's a perfect starting point for modding with new pickups/wiring or just getting your semi-hollow fix on a budget.

  45 used from$250.00 31 new from$283.39

4. The Shredder

There are many directions you can go to make the perfect shred machine. Nothing beats theJackson Dinky. These come in all pickup combinations, so choose a configuration that fits you best. For my taste, I like the true Super Strat HSS pickup combination. Here I would go with EMGs for maximum shred power and clarity. The EMG sa/sa/85 set is perfect, and can be cobbled together very cheaply, along with the other EMG components. For extreme performance, upgrading the Floyd Rose to a higher end model will add stability, and adding a big block will add sustain.

See more Dinky's »

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5. The All-In-One Tele-style

I own a Godin SD series guitar, and these are great Tele style guitars, and can be had at great prices, usually in the $300 or less neighborhood. Tons of options here due to the HSH pickup format. For all-out versatility swapping the stock humbuckers for Seymour Duncan P-Rails gives endless tonal options. Also Duncan’s website gives wiring options for getting all three sounds of the pickups with just two push-pull pots, so no crazy routing needed. For the middle single coil, a stock Strat pickup will yield great results, and is a cheap replacement. Throw on some locking tuners, and you have an all in one tone machine. There's also the three-pickup Fender Deluxe Nashville Telecaster that allows for easy, versatile pickup swapping.

See more affordable Telecasters

Any guitar can be a great guitar. With a few after market pieces and some soldering skills, you can take a cheap ax and make it your signature model.

I have been sharing some articles from Reverb.com on my Facebook Pawn Shop Puppy Rescue page, as a way for Guitarists and Bassists to better understand their their instruments and their options.
Here is the first page I shared. A great article about different set up options.
I hope that this is of some assistance, and as always, Stay Tuned.
Should You Set Up Your Guitars Differently? (click on the title to be taken to the original article) 
published Jun 14, 2016 by James M Brill
Under Reverbs: Tips and How-To's

For most guitar players, consistency is thought of as the key to success. We all have specific ways we like things: strap length, pickup height, and string height are just a few examples. But is this “sameness” a detriment to creativity? Experimentation can lead to new approaches, new ideas, and new experiences.

One of the easiest, and least expensive ways to experiment is with the setup of guitars you already own. We all know that every guitar sounds different, but each plays just as differently as well. If you explore these differences within your instruments, you can find new sounds, and even play better.

The Strength Builder

I have a guitar by my bed, like many of us do. This guitar is a small-scale acoustic parlor guitar. Its small size allows me to grab it in any situation, and sneak in some practice in at any moment. I have this guitar set up specifically with higher action; not uncomfortably high, but just a little bit higher than normal for me. There are several reasons for this. For starters, it helps me build strength and accuracy, and play more consistently.

The higher action also protects against the effects of climate change in the room, so the guitar plays well no matter what season it is. Because I leave this guitar exposed and in standard E tuning most of the time, I have silk core strings on it, which allows the guitar to be under less strain than a standard steel string set (a good idea if it is left at pitch for long periods). These strings are also easier to bend -- it allows me to get to higher notes not usually available on a short scale instrument. Using a 12-fret instrument like this also helps me to focus on practicing the fundamentals rather than just soloing. Keep in mind, however, that setting action too high can result in hand strain, so take care with your setup.

The Slider

Slide guitar is truly its own art and requires a specific guitar to fully explore the style. While it’s easy to turn any electric guitar into a slide instrument, it’s a pain to adjust back and forth, and can be detrimental to the instrument in the long run. Also, as slide is in different tunings, having the instrument adjusted to best cope with the proper string tension is essential. Having the right action for slide will make the notes ring clearer and sound better. If you don’t want to invest in having a higher nut fabricated, Grover and other companies make “extension nuts,” which fit over the existing nut, raising the action, and are easily reversible.

The Alt Tune

Just like having a guitar setup for slide, if you play in alternate tunings, dedicating a guitar for that tuning is a great idea. Proper string tension and action will make for a better playing experience. Even if you tune down slightly, having the proper setup will save you the frustration of buzzing and sloppy-feeling strings.

For example, I have an electric 12-string guitar tuned to D. Many 12-string players choose to tune down, which makes tension and vibrato easier. I also find that tuning down removes some of the piercing high-end treble frequencies that occur with a 12-string. Having mine set up as a full time down-tuned player, the neck is more stable and not under the heavy stress a 12-string tuned to E standard would be. Simply putting a capo on the second fret brings you right from D to E standard when it's necessary.

The Bender

If you’re a blues player, you understand the simple beauty of a bent string. The longer I've played, I've realized that higher action makes for cleaner bends and more sustain on bent notes. Having a guitar set up for blues playing requires action that lies somewhere between low and medium. Low is great for fast playing, but bends can get sloppy sounding if you the action is too low. I also tend to like my blues action a little on the stiffer side, which makes for a clearer note through the length of the bend, and gives you more expressive tone. More relief on the truss rod will also give more room for bends in the middle of the fretboard, which is very important when playing with blues pentatonic scales or box patterns.

The Speed Demon

Most of us want action that is low, light, and quick. However, achieving this can come with some work. Setting up a guitar for speed requires a straight neck with very little relief and very low action. I find that this setup works well on some guitars -- but not all. I've found this setup easiest to achieve on 25.5” scale length guitars rather than shorter scale guitars.

The greater string tension is more forgiving when making the neck its straightest. But keep in mind that setting for speed may not be optimal for styles that require lots of rhythm work or big blues-style bends. For setting up in this style, I try to find my thinnest-necked guitar that can also remain stiff. A guitar with these attributes lends itself best to this style, which is why Ibanez has been so successful in speed-playing circles: their very strong multi-piece maple necks can accommodate extra-low action.

The Rhythm Machine

Finally, a dedicated rhythm guitar has been a studio secret for ages. While a speed demon setup may be great for solos, it can also make your chords buzzy and sloppy-sounding. A chording set up will make chords sound rich and full, and will allow for more dynamic playing. Higher action will give you the opportunity to hit chords harder, making your rhythm playing more exciting and dynamic. While you might need to raise your bridge and nut to get set up, the full-sounding chords will make it worth the effort.

We tend to get complacent when we get comfortable with “the same.” Utilizing guitars you already own and tweaking them for different ideal playing scenarios can open you up to new sounds and styles that you might never have experienced before.

What is your set up? Do you experiment on your instruments, or is only one setup best?

We can also be found at www.facebook.com/PSPRguitars

I find guitars and basses at Pawn Shops and turning them into professional caliber instruments. Custom Set up, fretwork, electronics and paint done. Stay tuned as I get this site going... It's going to be great!