back from the tech....

[mark555]

Just had my 555 at the tech's for a week having some work done. The nut was worn too much and needed a new one, so I had one of those tusk nuts put in. They are supposed to be better than graphite and look like bone. Also I have had the guitar completely set up along with all the frets being dressed. The end result is that it is a much better guitar to play and sounds fantastic.

 

I have often wondered how many guitar players are out there not getting the best from their instruments. I think the next guitar to go in for a treat might be the strat and have some mods done to the pick ups so I can use the neck and bridge together - has any one here had that one done? If so, what was the result?

[FredZepp]

Yes... there are many guitars out there begging for a good set-up. Many times I'll buy a used instrument and after a half an hour set up , I know the previous owner would be amazed at how good it really is.

 

As to the strat question... I have a Blender circuit on one of mine... pretty involved , but a great change.

 

It has master volume and tone , then the other tone is the blender. You can blend in an additional pickup.

If you are on the bridge pickup it blends in the neck .. adjust it full on or just a bit... or none.

If you are on the neck , it blends the bridge in.

In 2nd or 4th position... it blends in the 3rd pickup... all three pickups going.. very cool.

 

Cool Stuff... I bought it this way so I don't know what was involved in the rewire. It has Fender Custom Shop '69 pickups , so it sounds great anyhow.

[dbetts41]

Alot of brand new guitars really need that service as well...

[DetroitBlues]

I never heard of wearing a nut down before.... Just one that breaks or someone cut it too deep. But worn????

[t0aj15]

I think the next guitar to go in for a treat might be the strat and have some mods done to the pick ups so I can use the neck and bridge together - has any one here had that one done? If so, what was the result?

I have a pair of Carvin Bolt axes that instead of a second tone control they had a mini toggle in it's place which was a 'neck always on' switch that allowed both bridge+neck and bridge+middle+neck. I found it to be useless and removed it on both guitars and instead went with this configuration;

 

 

I've never liked the position of the volume control on Strats and found this setup to be far more useful to me then having the mini-toggle in the bottom tone control position. I simply removed the mini switch altogether and moved the volume and tone controls down while plugging the original volume hole with a chassis plug.

[DetroitBlues]

Makes volume swells a lot harder... I used to hit the volume control all the time, but I've since moved my right hand further up the guitar...

[Kuz]

Yep, a great set up with either tradition fret-dress or in my case a PLEK, and a new nut can make a HUGE difference. Not only in playability, but TONE as well.

[SouthpawGuy]

Just had my 555 at the tech's for a week having some work done. The nut was worn too much and needed a new one, so I had one of those tusk nuts put in. They are supposed to be better than graphite and look like bone. Also I have had the guitar completely set up along with all the frets being dressed. The end result is that it is a much better guitar to play and sounds fantastic.

 

I have often wondered how many guitar players are out there not getting the best from their instruments. I think the next guitar to go in for a treat might be the strat and have some mods done to the pick ups so I can use the neck and bridge together - has any one here had that one done? If so, what was the result?

 

Sounds good on the 555. As for the Strat I have that on a couple of guitars. G&L uses it on the S500 model, it basically combines the neck pickup with whatever other pickup is selected by the five way at that moment. On strats it can give a very nice quasi Tele tone, I had it done to an ESP strat with a splitable humbucker in the bridge and it is a very versatile guitar, from all out metal to country twang from the same guitar and simple to use.

 

G&L S500 with the "expander" switch

 

 

 

 

ESP S800 with EMGs ssh and neck pickup combiner mini switch. Humbucker splits on push / pull volume knob. Single master tone control to simplify things

 

I need to find a tech locally to do some work on one of my Heritages, a pickup change on the Millie. I only have the pickups about two years now !

[Spectrum13]

I'm pretty OCD about my setup. Still can't figure out how a nut slot cuts deeper and evenutally needs tp be replaced but it happens. Tunning a wound string is kind of like a saw blade cutting in I guess. My strat has a blend but it's on the neck pup as the bridge is a bucker with a coil split. Choose any combo.

[DetroitBlues]

I always put a little pencil shaving in the nut slots every time I restring a guitar. The graphite helps "lube" the nut....

[bobmeyrick]

I think the next guitar to go in for a treat might be the strat and have some mods done to the pick ups so I can use the neck and bridge together - has any one here had that one done? If so, what was the result?

 

Hi Mark, it's a simple job if you can handle a soldering iron! I did this myself on my Paulman Strat (which I'll bring along to the next HOC-UK meeting), which has one volume and one tone control, by replacing the tone control with one which has a push-pull switch incorporated. I soldered wires from the 5-way switch neck- and bridge- connections to the switch, so that when the switch is pulled out the neck and bridge pickups are connected in parallel. The 5-way switch now operates as follows: 1 - neck + bridge, 2 - all three pickups, 3 - middle only, 4 - all three pickups, 5 - neck + bridge. With the switch in, the 5-way operates as normal. A mini-toggle could also be used if you don't mind altering the guitar's appearance. The result is a couple of useful extra sounds with a minimum of work.

[brentrocks]

I always put a little pencil shaving in the nut slots every time I restring a guitar. The graphite helps "lube" the nut....

i use chapstick

[Trouble]

Just had my 555 at the tech's for a week having some work done. The nut was worn too much and needed a new one, so I had one of those tusk nuts put in. They are supposed to be better than graphite and look like bone. Also I have had the guitar completely set up along with all the frets being dressed. The end result is that it is a much better guitar to play and sounds fantastic.

 

I have often wondered how many guitar players are out there not getting the best from their instruments. I think the next guitar to go in for a treat might be the strat and have some mods done to the pick ups so I can use the neck and bridge together - has any one here had that one done? If so, what was the result?

I had a Tele plus with lace sensors, strat model gold sensor in the middle and a mini toggle so you could get all 7 combinations. On that guitar the neck and middle pickup sounded so similiar that it really didn't do much good, I imagine with the right pickup combination it could be a more useful mod, and I think its one of the easiest mods to do to a strat.

[Trouble]

I have a pair of Carvin Bolt axes that instead of a second tone control they had a mini toggle in it's place which was a 'neck always on' switch that allowed both bridge+neck and bridge+middle+neck. I found it to be useless and removed it on both guitars and instead went with this configuration;

 

 

I've never liked the position of the volume control on Strats and found this setup to be far more useful to me then having the mini-toggle in the bottom tone control position. I simply removed the mini switch altogether and moved the volume and tone controls down while plugging the original volume hole with a chassis plug.

Crap I forgot I have a Bolt too, It's been in project status for several years now, I didn't much like the pickups it came with but I did like the mini switch on that one.

[Trouble]

I always put a little pencil shaving in the nut slots every time I restring a guitar. The graphite helps "lube" the nut....

Me too.

i use chapstick

Chapstick, Really?

[mark555]

I have a pair of Carvin Bolt axes that instead of a second tone control they had a mini toggle in it's place which was a 'neck always on' switch that allowed both bridge+neck and bridge+middle+neck. I found it to be useless and removed it on both guitars and instead went with this configuration;

 

 

I've never liked the position of the volume control on Strats and found this setup to be far more useful to me then having the mini-toggle in the bottom tone control position. I simply removed the mini switch altogether and moved the volume and tone controls down while plugging the original volume hole with a chassis plug.

 

I also do not like the position of the volume control on a strat, it gets in the way, I will have it changed when it goes in for the mod.

Yep, a great set up with either tradition fret-dress or in my case a PLEK, and a new nut can make a HUGE difference. Not only in playability, but TONE as well.

 

The tusk nut is supposed to give good tone, it certainly sounds good.

 

Hi Mark, it's a simple job if you can handle a soldering iron! I did this myself on my Paulman Strat (which I'll bring along to the next HOC-UK meeting), which has one volume and one tone control, by replacing the tone control with one which has a push-pull switch incorporated. I soldered wires from the 5-way switch neck- and bridge- connections to the switch, so that when the switch is pulled out the neck and bridge pickups are connected in parallel. The 5-way switch now operates as follows: 1 - neck + bridge, 2 - all three pickups, 3 - middle only, 4 - all three pickups, 5 - neck + bridge. With the switch in, the 5-way operates as normal. A mini-toggle could also be used if you don't mind altering the guitar's appearance. The result is a couple of useful extra sounds with a minimum of work.

 

Hi Bob, I am planning to host another get together when the better weather comes next year, you and any one else who wants to come will be very welcome. I will have a packet of crisps as a prize for the person who comes the furthest - probably cheese and onion.

[mark555]

Yep, a great set up with either tradition fret-dress or in my case a PLEK, and a new nut can make a HUGE difference. Not only in playability, but TONE as well.

 

The tone does seem better, I enjoy playing it a lot more. While I was at the tech's he had a Rory Gallagher strat it, it was fabulous, almost the real thing.

[Kuz]

 

The tone does seem better, I enjoy playing it a lot more. While I was at the tech's he had a Rory Gallagher strat it, it was fabulous, almost the real thing.

 

Wow, those RG Strats are pretty rare and VERY expensive. I would like to have a quick spin with that Strat.

[mark555]

Wow, those RG Strats are pretty rare and VERY expensive. I would like to have a quick spin with that Strat.

 

I am not a strat fan, just can't enthuse about mine right now. But that RG strat was something else, it was incredible how it just seemed to have come right out of 1962. Maybe one day, if I have a lot of spare money, who knows? I love hearing the real thing on Rory's live Album "Irish Tour". Rory was a fantastic player.

[mark555]

Alot of brand new guitars really need that service as well...

 

I totally agree, when I bought my strat brand new it was almost unplayable.

 

I never heard of wearing a nut down before.... Just one that breaks or someone cut it too deep. But worn????

I'm pretty OCD about my setup. Still can't figure out how a nut slot cuts deeper and evenutally needs tp be replaced but it happens. Tunning a wound string is kind of like a saw blade cutting in I guess. My strat has a blend but it's on the neck pup as the bridge is a bucker with a coil split. Choose any combo.

 

I was speaking with fellow forumite Pete Green last night. Pete has about twenty stunning guitars and nuts do wear down, he has the same problem with his 335 and is taking it in to the tech for the exact same job.