PRO TIPS
PIMP
YOUR RIDE CUSTOM PICKUPS The sound that goes into your amp comes out of your pickups. Seymor Duncan, Dimarzio, EMG, Lindy Fralin and Bill Lawrence (among others) offer a wide selection of "after market" replacement pickups for just about any guitar. Single coils, humbuckers, soapbars - they're all here. From vintage models to hot-rodded screamers, they're all available. Several models even offer multiple wiring options, so you can also install a push-pull volume pot or mini-toggle switch to select between series, parallel or split-coil wiring combinations if you want. The possibilities are endless, which brings me to my next point: it's important to balance what you think you actually want with what you know you'll actually use. Do your homework. Ask questions. Remember, it's your sound - no one elses. One word of caution: unless you're very adept at the mechanics of soldering in tight places and the nuances of custom wiring configurations, leave the replacement to a highly qualified guitar tech. Expect to spend $50 to $120 per pickup (plus installation) depending on what you get. It's money well spent - your sound is worth it (every guitar in our arsenal has been retrofitted with "after-market " pickups). Very simply, the tonal options and outputs available from specialty pickup manufacturers far exceed those of the stock pickups in most "off the shelf" instruments, despite claims to the contrary made by all the guitar manufacturers. Besides, if stock pickups are so great, how come most professional players choose to use one (or more) of these "after market" brand pickups in their instruments? The proof is in the tone. If you really want to "pimp your ride," this is the place to start. CUSTOM ACCESSORIES Companies like Stewart-MacDonald www.stewmac.com and All-Parts www.allparts.com offer so many different custom accessories and replacement parts that it would be impossible to list them all. Here's some ideas you may want to consider (again, this is not all-inclusive; just consider it a starting point to "kick start" your imagination). There are no limits - anything goes! Replace those stock strap buttons with Straploks. Got humbuckers? Replace those plastic mounting rings with chrome (or brass, or black chrome) ones. Replace that plastic pickup selector switch knob with a chrome one to match. While you're at it, replace the volume and tone knobs with chrome ones - don't forget to replace the end of that whammy bar as well. Get the idea? How about a new pickguard? There are so many designs, colors and motifs available that your head will spin. What about your strap? Does the color and style compliment your instrument? It should! Say you like everything about your axe, but your bridge saddles are chewed up. You can simply replace them. Need new tuning pegs? New string trees? New output jack? New nut? New anything? No problem! Chances are that the part you want already exists and is easily obtainable. How about some cool stickers? These aren't for everybody, but they can be pretty cool if you're into punk, grundge or metal. You can even custom make them www.stickerjunkie.com to say or show whatever you want. Just remember: never put a sticker on an unfinished guitar body. The stickum seeps into the wood grain so that if you ever want to remove it, the stain from the stickum remains. You shouldn't have any trouble with a finished body. If you ever try to remove a sticker and it's a little stubborn, try "Goo-Gone" (available at any hardware or drug store). It softens it up nicely, making removal easy and it won't hurt the finish. What about a new paint job? This option may not be for everyone, but it can be very cool (natural finishes or unsealed bodies are NOT candidates for this). This is best left to a professional. Most musicians tend to have other artistic friends and aquaintances. So your friend is a graphic artist? Great! Have him/her do it for you. Figure out what you want, work with him/her on a design, negotiate a price and go for it. Feeling adventurous? There's nothing preventing you from doing it yourself (take a look at the "Psychedelicasters" in our Guitar Gallery for an example of what's possible if you do do it yourself - the paint jobs on both of these were done completely freehand, and I can't tell you how many double-takes and compliments we've gotten on them). Basically, anything goes. This option is not for the squeemish - you must accept the reality that once you start, there is NO turning back; the only way you can remove what you've done is to completely strip the finish of the guitar down to the raw wood - a huge undertaking in itself. Try sketching out ideas before you start (unless you want to just "let it happen" like we did and see where you end up). DON'T rush into it. Take your time! Testors model paint (available at any hobby store) works great, and they have tons of different colors. Remember to make sure the paint is really stirred up well (toothpicks work great for this). Do one color at a time. Use small brushes. Spray paint is OK, but you need really good ventilation. If you do spray, either remove everything from the body or mask off everything completely. You can just try painting the pickguard if you want. There are no rules. Use your imagination. Free your mind, then let yourself go! Any of the above-mentioned "tweaks" allow your own unique personality to come through. They really finish off any guitar beautifully, and exude a truly individual custom vibe. None of these upgrades are going to break the bank either, and you'll get a big "bang for the buck" with any of them. One last word on "after-market" modifications: If you're a "vintage" fanatic / collector / purist, what I've been saying here is sacreligious, and borders on blasphemy. "IT'S GOT TO BE ORIGINAL!" Fine - for a '57 Strat or a '59 Les Paul - but most players can't even afford "vintage" guitars, and even if they can, they don't usually play out with them much. Why jeopardize the value with unnecessary wear and tear? After all, they're collector's items and investments. My point is this: if you're going to REALLY be playing a certain guitar all the time, why not set it up the way you want? It's that simple. Make up your own mind. Do what you want. It's your axe, anyway - no one elses. CUSTOM BUILT There are basically three approaches here, and each carries a pretty hefty price tag. Admittedly, these may indeed be beyond the reach of all but the most "well-heeled" players, but there is no better way to get the guitar of your dreams than to have one built - just for you. (1) Fully Custom Built - For this option, you need to find a highly qualified luthier to build one "from the ground up" for you. This option, admittedly, is the most expensive (expect to spend between $2,500 to $10,000 depending on what you want). There is no better way to get your ultimate dream guitar. Period. That being said, this is only a dream for most players (but we can dream, can't we…), and you'd better be prepared to deal with the aspects of every minute detail available to maximize its worth to you. You'll have to make decisions on things like: fretboard radius, fret profile, neck scale, body wood (maple, mahogany, ash, poplar, basswood), fretboard wood (maple, rosewood, ebony), nut (ivory, bone, brass), body style (solid, semi-hollow, chambered), construction (slab, three piece, bolt-on neck or neck-through-body) and shape, bridge (chrome, brass, fixed, floating tremolo), tuning peg style and gear ratio, pickup configuration, control layout, knob and switch style, finish, paint scheme, ad infinitum - all the way down to things like the taper of the volume and tone pots and the style of the pickguard screws. It can be a bit intimidating and overwhelming, but if you can partner with a good luthier, he can walk you through every single detail to achieve the ultimate "one-of-a-kind" guitar built exclusively to your specifications. All it takes is time and money. (2) Custom Shop - Manufacturers like Fender, Gibson, Ibanez and Paul Reed Smith (among others) offer "limited edition" instruments featuring exotic woods, custom finishes and higher quality components than their standard models - with price tags to match. Expect to spend as much for one of these as you would for the "ground up" approach explained above. Just remember one thing: all of these guitars are "souped-up" versions of existing models, so if you know for sure you want a Strat or a Les Paul, this is the way to go. (3) Carvin
- This approach is sort of a hybrid of the first two. Carvin www.carvin.com
offers a true "ground up" approach on every guitar they sell. You
choose every component (this takes a little time, but it's well worth it),
right down to a truss rod cover with your name on it - all done from the comfort
of your own home via the internet. The prices are very reasonable, well under
either the fully custom built or custom shop approach. The California Carved
Top (CT6M) is particularly stunning (expect to spend from about $1,300 to
$1,600 for a totally tricked-out version). There are myriad model upgrades,
neck options, color schemes, even a choice of case style, all offered with
a "10 Day Hands-On" money-back guarantee - you can't go wrong (I'm
not trying to "sell" you here, but based on a point-by-point comparison,
Carvin offers the best cost-to-benefit ratio of all of these three options,
hands down). |