Mods to cheaper guitars

Session 5

Session 5

Ambassador of Strings & Wings
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:)I have heard it said you can make any cheaper guitar sound as good as a more expensive guitar and I agree. You hear of guys taking a cheaper guitar and mod it with higher end pups etc. That's ok some guys like to experiment and so on. But at the end of the day you still have a cheap guitar. Personally I want a guitar that comes with a Quality build and hardware that will stand the test of time. I like to purchase a guitar that looks and sounds just the way I want it when I play it. Instead of putting good money into making a cheap guitar sound good, why not just take that money and put it into a guitar that has what your looking for. I am not referring here to those that are just starting out learning guitar, and don't want to spend more into their equipment until they see they will be in it for the long haul.
 
TBH, I actually don’t agree that a cheap guitar can be made to sound and play as good. I’ve tried to do it myself enough times that I learned my lesson and buy quality from the start. By the time you put enough money into a cheap guitar to get it into the stadium parking lot (let alone the ballpark) you would have been better off just buying the better guitar that will retain its value better. Not to mention the time spent fiddling with the guitar that could have been spent playing. Of course, this is just my own experience.
 
I don't believe you can get top of line sound out of a modded cheap guitar either. I mod cheapies simply because I enjoy it. The money I spend on it is my money. They may not sound like a higher end guitar but they work for me and that's all that matters.
 
In 1988, bandmates chipped in and bought me a new 1987 Squire to replace my stolen Ibanez Destroyer II.

It's been leveled and crowned at least 4 times, and its had Gibson, Carvin, Fender, DiMarzio, and at least a half dozen other less commom pickups in it in 29 years, but it never really sounded great, regardless of what i did to it.

In 2005, I bought a brand new Schecter C1 Hellraiser. Paid $1,149.00 for it. Best guitar I ever owned in that it never had to be tweaked, but I just never could love the tone from the active EMG 81/85.

I've done quite a few mods on people's guitars....all kinds of guitars and I cannot honestly say I have ever found a cheap guitar with expensive pickups sound great.

On my 19987th Squirecaster, I put a $100 custom made vintage wiring harness from Tone Man (with K40Y tone capacitors) and a pair of Gibson 57 Classics - both costing more than double the guitar's 1988 sticker price and it just did not impress me. I pulled the 57 Classics out, sold them and threw the pickguard/wire harness in a box.

Wasted $$$$$.

I am convinced that certain guitars have better tonal characteristics based on wood density. My 2016 Gibson SG and my Von Herndon prototype double neck are both super loud unplugged. I gravitate towards this attribute in guitars.

Interestingly, both are solid mahogany.

Pickups too are a big deal. I can honestly say I have used at least 40 different manufacturers pickups over the years. Some were so lackluster, they didn't stay in the guitar for more than a couple of days.

DiMarzio impressed me with their hum cancelling single coils - and I bought my first on in 1988.

Of all the humbuckers I have ever experimented with, these Thro-Bak SLE-101's are the quietest, most articulate pickups I have ever used.

While it may be possible to put good hardware in a "beater" and get decent tone, here's what I would do instead.

I would order up a high quality body and neck from B. Hefner, Warmoth or Musikraft - and I have used bodies and necks from all three - then take my time and build up a guitar a little at a time, with premium parts and electronics, and have something truly unique....
 
gball said:
TBH, I actually don’t agree that a cheap guitar can be made to sound and play as good. I’ve tried to do it myself enough times that I learned my lesson and buy quality from the start. By the time you put enough money into a cheap guitar to get it into the stadium parking lot (let alone the ballpark) you would have been better off just buying the better guitar that will retain its value better. Not to mention the time spent fiddling with the guitar that could have been spent playing. Of course, this is just my own experience.
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Very true...I spent more time soldering than soloing...
 
I think "cheap" has various meanings. It all depends on what happens to be "cheap" about the guitar - electronics or build.

I've chronicled the mods to my Washburn HB-30 before, but I'll revisit them because the topic is germane to the thread. My Washburn HB-30 was all of $278.00 on ebay. MSRP is a few hundred dollars more than that, so maybe it doesn't really qualify as a cheap guitar, but it is thousands of dollars less than an ES-335. My HB-30 was made in Korea. Although it has the name "Washburn," like most guitars made in Korea, it was actually produced by the Samick Corporation.

Anyway, the guitar's overall fit, finish, and playability are actually pretty good. But, the electronics were quite sub-par, in my opinion. That guitar is one of my modding platforms and I've replaced every bit of the electronics, including the pickups. Until I finished my recently completed Les Paul Studio project, that Washburn was the only guitar I have for which I have received unsolicited compliments about the tonality and sound.

Beyond that, the control placement and ergonomics of the guitar are such that I actually prefer it to an actual ES-335. Sure, I'd take one if I found one inexpensive enough, but the control placement would irritate me after awhile. Some guys get hung up on neck profiles; I don't. I do, however, get hung up on control placement as far as suits my individual preferences. So, addressing the idea of why I don't just save up for an actual ES-335, I simply don't want one.

So, do I think you can take a cheap guitar and make it sound great? Yes, I do. But, it depends on the quality of the actual guitar. If the only really cheap things are the electronics, those can be replaced and you can have a fine sounding instrument. (Though, if the headstock doesn't have the "right" name some folks are sure to hear a difference!). But, if the actual build of the guitar is poor, results may vary quite a bit.
 
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You can make a cheap guitar sound just as good as a more expensive one. It depends on what guitar you are getting and the mods that you are doing if you do it right. I've had success with modding cheap guitars like Squiers which fit the bill for a quality guitar at a fraction of the price.


;>)/
 
YOu can most certainly --- I think RVA and Hackmaster, Judas...many others --- even yours truly have proven this time and again.....sometimes even a 40.00 garage sale find can be an amazing player ........with a little tweak here and a touch up there...and amazing player----or MOD platform --- beater.....travel guitar.....

there is a satisfaction in NOT having to fret and worry if it gets a dent or ding....
 
Don’t really have a solid opinion on inexpensive vs expensive guitars. I’ve only ever had the cheap ones. Used G400. A Tele clone I got cheap and refinished. A used Hagstrom Vikings. And my newest addition. A brand new MIM Strat I picked up a few months ago.

The Epi came first. Learned a lot on that guitar. Learned how to R&R the nut. Learned how to intonate a guitar. New pots and pups. I know I’ll never get back what I spent, but no biggy. Don’t plan on unloading it. To me it seems to play and sound just fine. I’ve had friends that do have higher end guitars that have played it and all have told me it a darn nice guitar.

The Tele. Other than refinish it, which was a learning experience. I’m a mechanic. Not wood worker. All I did to it was a 4-way switch and installed a new bridge for thru body strings.

The Viking and Strat will stay as is.

For me part of the fun was modding and refinishing. The even funner part is that each has their own personality. Depending on my mood decides which one to play.

Would I have rather purchased an SG..... or Gibby LP. Maybe a custom shop Strat. You bet I would have. On the other hand. I have less invested in all 4 electric guitars I have than one good LP. And at my skill level (read that as lack of skill) these guys are perfect for me.
 
I mod cheap guitars because I can't afford expensive guitars. So I bought a cheap brand new Epiphone SG for $300, spent an unknown amount on modding it and have way more money and time invested than if I would have bought a new Gibson SG. Hmmmm... something missing here. Oh yeah, I had a great time learning and doing with my own two hands. If the truth be told, I actually enjoy tinkering and modding guitars more than playing them. Probably because I'm better at the tinkering.
 
You can make a guitar good but a great guitar happens at birth. The term " a good one " is a rare guy or amp that comes to you when you never expect it. Good guitar you can pull off, a good one comes from above or the like. A good one is very rare and a great guitar is not too far away. My Les Paul Standard is a great guitar, same deal with my Studio is a great guitar. My Burny is a good one.
I found nothing to do to it because it was born like that. I have a bunch of good guitars and some great guitars but only two that I call a good one. White Strat and my Burny Japanese Les Paul.
 
Session 5 said:
The neck of a guitar is important to me as well as having good quality frets. I find in most cheaper guitars you cant find this, so for me to invest in pricier electronics for a cheaper guitar doesn't work for me.
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I try not to get out of control with pricey part on poopy guitar upgrades. My Epiphone Junior is turning into a losing battle to make it a good player. I cut a bone nut, new tuners, bridge and pick up. It still sucks! I am having an other go at it. I have a mini humbucker from a 1980's Deluxe. The pickup is worth more than the guitar. I'm going to make the pots more sensitive and then give it to my g
WavMixer said:
I mod cheap guitars because I can't afford expensive guitars. So I bought a cheap brand new Epiphone SG for $300, spent an unknown amount on modding it and have way more money and time invested than if I would have bought a new Gibson SG. Hmmmm... something missing here. Oh yeah, I had a great time learning and doing with my own two hands. If the truth be told, I actually enjoy tinkering and modding guitars more than playing them. Probably because I'm better at the tinkering.
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Sir you are correct! I have a great time working on a cheap guitar. I go to work and home. After a long day here a nice sit down job at the work bench just feet from my play pen. I have dumped insane amounts of money into guitars I will only play once or twice. I pass them of one the stupid local kids. That keeps them off Chatham properly and getting attached by a guard dog.
 
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