Slightly OT: Old guy is grounded . . .

[Winston Psmith]

So, after years of working outdoors without major injury, I've developed cataracts in both eyes - hey, it's fixable & not life-threatening, more P.I.T.A. than tragedy, and although I'd rather spend the $5000+ on something fun, it's pretty cheap to preserve my eyesight. Anyhow, I'm temporarily grounded (not driving), because my distance vision is affected. It's too cold and wet to get working on my gardening yet, so I figured I'd give myself a little side project - idle hands, you know the rest.

 

I was kind of inspired by the "Ever do anything STUPID to your guitar?" thread. There's a pawn shop in my neighborhood that has a steady supply of Squier guitars, mostly Bullets and Affinity Strats. They're not exactly pawnshop prizes, but I could probably pick up a (barely) working guitar for about $20-25, and not feel bad about turning it into Franken-strat. Any suggestions, things you've tried, or thought of? I'm not able to spend much money on this, but I know if I ask around, some friend will have some random part, or pickup to spare, and I'll just start there. No idea will be rejected out of hand, but if it involves chainsaws or blowtorches, I'll have to borrow some . . .

[LeftyBlues]

Sorry to hear about your eye issues WP. The first thing I would do, which I'm in process with my MIM Strat, is to strip the paint off. If it's a decent looking hunk of wood give it a natural finish, if not start painting - that way it's unique, it's yours.

L.B.

[Caevan O'Shite]

Yeah, sorry to read of your cataract troubles, W.P.!

[desertbluesman]

I have cataracts also, but mine are "baby" cataracts according to my ophthalmologist. Sorry to hear about your "grounding" because of yours.

[Bluesape]

Sorry about the cataracts. Hope they come out soon.

 

One of the coolest Squires I ever played was a Tele with "Duncan Designed" P-90's. It was so great I wish Fender had released a US Fender version. If ya find a cheap. playable axe, I'd look that way for pups, or maybe some P-Rails.

[TuskBuffer]

Okay, you got me beat--I guess I can stop whining about my bi-focals now. Hope you come out good as new, although 5,000 clams lighter.

 

I mentioned on another thread that I once thought of rigging uup a push/pull pot to reverse the polarity of the pickups to get a Brian May sound. I'd still like to try it one of these days.

[Larryz]

Good luck with the eyes and the new projects WP...(EMG Gilmour drop-in and you'll only have about $300 in it and get some great sound)...

[bobsessed]

Talkin' about paint.....I went to a craft store since they have spray bombs in every imaginable color. I found "lacquer" made by Testors for model cars in some very cool metallics. This is NOT the paint to use! After 2 days drying, I laid my guitar body flat on a soft towel. The towel made permanent impressions in the paint. The paint finally did dry and harden, but chips if you sneeze in it's general direction. I ended up with a guitar that is "relic'd" right off the bat, and that's definitely NOT what I was going for!

 

[skipclone 1]

Here`s something that I`ve wanted to try for years but don`t have a `cadaver` guitar to try it-back in the 80s I knew a guy whose nickname was `Tricks` because of his fondness for all kinds of guitar gadgets and effects. I was listening to him and his band one night-the keyboard player would soon leave and start the band that was my first regular paying

gig-and someone told me that he had his guitar hot-rodded with gold wiring. It makes sense at least theoretically-less resistance, more signal. I would guess an already bright sounding guitar would not be a good choice, too high a chance of ending up with a quantum icepick tone. Not sure about the cost either, gold has been going up considerably in value.

Still, I would really like to hear how that would turn out.

[LeftyBlues]

Bobsessed, I build model cars and could have warned you about that paint. It might work but would need a really good primer base and loooots of time to "gas out" or cure. Then again, I could think of many other paints that would be a harder, more durable finish but all my painting experience is on plastic, whole different world.

[Bottom End]

Always use a primer, I learned that lesson the hard way.

 

Don't lacquers usually multiple thin coats and a long drying period between each coat?

[Winston Psmith]

Thanks, everyone, for the kind thoughts, and the fun ideas. Good as new is a relative thing when you're 56, but this is supposed to be an easy fix - overall, I consider myself fortunate. I can't get myself to the weekly late-night jams for a while, and there's one FLMS that's too far to manage by bus, otherwise, I get a couple of weeks off from driving.

 

Anyhow, the gold wiring idea sounds interesting, and I like the idea of the EMG Gilmour rig - I'd seen it as a drop-in, already wired up and mounted on a pickguard - but I'm more likely to be using scavenged parts, at this point. It is just possible that a buddy has some spare pickups lying around, and I've always liked Duncans, so I may get to follow up on Bluesape's suggestion. I'll let you know what I find, and what I do with it. Thanks again, everybody.

[Scott Fraser]

someone told me that he had his guitar hot-rodded with gold wiring. It makes sense at least theoretically-less resistance, more signal. I would guess an already bright sounding guitar would not be a good choice, too high a chance of ending up with a quantum icepick tone. Not sure about the cost either, gold has been going up considerably in value.

Still, I would really like to hear how that would turn out.

 

Realistically though, the amount of resistance in 6 or 8 inches of gold wire compared to copper is infinitesimal at best. Resistance in normal copper audio cable starts to become an issue at lengths of several hundred feet. What is far more relevant is cable capacitance & that is completely separate from the metal used in the conductor. Capacitance is primarily a factor of the physical distance between the inner conductor & the shield. I wouldn't waste any money on gold conductor cable at all.

 

[Terrell]

someone told me that he had his guitar hot-rodded with gold wiring. It makes sense at least theoretically-less resistance, more signal. I would guess an already bright sounding guitar would not be a good choice, too high a chance of ending up with a quantum icepick tone. Not sure about the cost either, gold has been going up considerably in value.

Still, I would really like to hear how that would turn out.

 

Realistically though, the amount of resistance in 6 or 8 inches of gold wire compared to copper is infinitesimal at best. Resistance in normal copper audio cable starts to become an issue at lengths of several hundred feet. What is far more relevant is cable capacitance & that is completely separate from the metal used in the conductor. Capacitance is primarily a factor of the physical distance between the inner conductor & the shield. I wouldn't waste any money on gold conductor cable at all.

+1

 

I think my marriage ended due to 4 or 5 Frankin' projects. I would have started them earlier if I knew that's all it would take. Hehehehe...

 

Everything I tried was cool except for paint. I fuddled with paint, and oil and laquer 5 or 6 times. Sanding and painting and failing and re-sanding and painting and failing and... Finally, I took them down to a body shop and a buddy painted them for me. With 3 coats of clear each. Car paint is like glass and built to last. He wet polished them until you could read fine print in the reflection. Awesome! I know people frown upon it, but my results were beyond satisfactory. Probably with all of the work I had done on them and the cost of the materials. The body shop cost me $40 per guitar. I had been working on them so long by that time, I just wanted to play them. So, that made it even sweeter.

 

You could buy a couple of organ donner and cross a strat body with a Tele neck or reverse theme. Or a Jimi style. Cut holes, or modify the cut away designs. Etch

 

I'd like to make 24 fret SG with a Clapton paint job.

 

It's fun to cut, shape and wire, but don't get sucked into the paint job mess! Geesh!!!

[AlChuck]

WPsmith, I just had cataract surgery in November and December... totally easy and painless, and the results are stunning...

[whitefang]

If you're looking to do something stupid, here's an idea I once saw used on a car back in '72(no Seger gags, please).

 

Remember those vinyl tops cars used to have back then? Well, some dolt that worked at the plant I was at got ahold of that same kind of vinyl and covered his ENTIRE CAR with it!

 

Maybe you could do something like velvet or faux fur. Lame or fleece. Hell, THAT all surely sounds stupid, but think of the novelty. I wouldn't worry about the sound. It'll be a pawn orphan, anyway!

Whitefang

[Griffinator]

If you're worried about sound, just go active. Then you can do whatever the hell you want to it and it won't affect the sound of the pups.

 

Crushed velvet sounds like an absolutely awesomely gaudy thing to do to a cheapo axe.

[Winston Psmith]

Griffinator & Whitefang, you're on! Once I pick up a zombie guitar, or two, I'm off to the thrift stores & craft shops.

[Caevan O'Shite]

Crushed velvet sounds like an absolutely awesomely gaudy thing to do to a cheapo axe.

 

Yeah! Tuck-and-roll pleated! With chrome trim and a tachometer or some such automotive dash-display...

[Griffinator]

Crushed velvet sounds like an absolutely awesomely gaudy thing to do to a cheapo axe.

 

Yeah! Tuck-and-roll pleated! With chrome trim and a tachometer or some such automotive dash-display...

 

And fuzzy dice hanging off the back strap lock!

[Caevan O'Shite]

Hell, yeah!

 

On my next ruby-red Les Paul, set-up for and tuned to Open-D, besides skull-knobs, string-benders, and a clear-red dice-switch with white dots, I plan on having a vintage devil-face bottle-opener on it...