Birki Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 hi! so I did it. lacking musical mastery for 25 years, I decided that at least my gear needs an update. so I took my 94 Sheraton II - which I really love for being a cool guitar and a fond memory - to a luthier, and now we have come to a decision: - replace the nut with a bone nut. - replace the machine heads with black Schaller vintage tuners - get rid of the old 72 mm stud spacing problem of older Sheratons by placing two dowels to the location of the bridge, place new bushings, and install a black Schaller GTM - place two more dowels and install a black schaller stop-tailpiece i am already pretty excited about the outcome to be expected ( ), but the major problem remains - the pups (which were never great, BTW) ... I am pretty determined to carry on this "change the somewhat well worn gold hardware I never really liked to black schaller stuff" thing on... therefore I would love to use the black humbucker caps schaller offers (http://guitar-pickups.biz/hp122402/Pickup-Cover-1132B.htm) ... however, I have not come to a decision here. I want a PAF-type old school pickup, maybe a set of SD SH1-59 or something like that. so I am asking for your experiences/suggestions on that pup-topic. PLUS: the schaller caps come with standard 48 mm or f-spacing (~51 mm). if I go for the SDs, it may happen that I have to use the open pup cover since it appears to me that the pole spacing SD uses is different (by almost 2 millimeters, according to their specs). are there other suggestions for pickups of PAF type that could be used with the Schaller 6 hole cover? ... decisions, decisions ... yours wolfi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blues335 Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 Got no suggestions, but be sure to post some photos when you have finished, sounds interesting........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birki Posted December 6, 2010 Author Share Posted December 6, 2010 hi! been busy tryin to figure out the problem with the SD pole spacing - it is quite confusing since the german SD guys don't have anything but the technical drawings from the SD site, and from those, it appears as if the trembucker spacing is almost 54 mm ... i think that there is some sort of an 2mm curse on that guitar ... yours wolfi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birki Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 hi! 2 months later and one step closer to poverty .... ... phase 1 is completed. The tuners are now black Schallers, and so is the bridge and the stop-tailpiece. solving the issue with the non-standard stud spacing of the old MiK Sheraton II was finally resolved by making custom brass studs with asymmetric threads for the bridge posts. next, I will change the electronics, replace the pickups with SD SH-1 PAF-copies. still I am waiting for black covers, that that should be an issue of a few days. I like the hardware :) yours wolfi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianh Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Looking good Birki. Have you considered just upgrading the wiring, pots, switch, and jack, and leaving the pickups in to see what they really sound like first? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Interesting project, looking good so far Birki, going for black rather than the usual nickel/chrome/gold option is something I'm intrigued with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supersonic Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Nice. I'm not a fan of black hardware myself, but that's pretty cool how you're doing yours. It will definitely stand out as an original look. I'd really like to see it when you get the black pickup covers on there. Looks good so far. Are you going to replace the knobs with black ones also? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birki Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 hi! @brianh: well - i will solder the harness in the next few days, and given the effort in installing that stuff in the epi, i am rather reluctant to leave the old pups in there, especially since they are not great. but I can make a recording over a POD with clean settings with the old ones and the SDs ... and yes, I am looking forward towards the black pup-covers as well. right now, that is too much of a contrast. the knobs will be replaced as well by classic black gibson knobs ... yours wolfi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigneil Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 very cool I usually only see black hardware on what I can only describe as "Metal Guitars". I really like it on your Sheraton, it really looks good with the the colour of the guitar. It would fit right in next to the other cool guitars at the jazz club! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birki Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 It would fit right in next to the other cool guitars at the jazz club! lol hehe ... i do even have a black Godin 5th Avenue kingpin (basically a copy of a post WWII ES 150) with black hardware including the tailpiece, which was not easy to get in that color :D ... never liked the gold ... yours wolfi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigneil Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 hehe ... i do even have a black Godin 5th Avenue kingpin (basically a copy of a post WWII ES 150) with black hardware including the tailpiece, which was not easy to get in that color :D ... never liked the gold ... yours wolfi could you post a pic of it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birki Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 could you post a pic of it? here it is ... I was a little bit exaggerating - i have not changed the klusons yet :D yours wolfi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upiory Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Very nice, Wolfi. I'm trying to resist the temptation to steal your idea for my blonde Sheraton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birki Posted February 4, 2011 Author Share Posted February 4, 2011 ... rewired it, and attached the neck pup. then i ran out of gas (i used a buthane-powered soldering iron). i built the electronics harness on a piece of cardboard. however, installing the harness is hell!!! but i made it somehow. and ... the SD (at least the neck pup :)) is beyond belief compared to the original pups ... time to go to bed ... yours wolfi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birki Posted February 4, 2011 Author Share Posted February 4, 2011 hi! pickup covers still missing, a few gold screws are left, and I do not know yet what to do with the pickguard. but otherwise, I am pretty satisfied. and the SD 59ers deliver like hell. no comparison to the original ones :D yours wolfi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birki Posted March 8, 2011 Author Share Posted March 8, 2011 done ... black german silver schaller pickup covers, a tusq-nut and polished frets. the only thing that remains is the pickguard. any suggestions? yours wolfi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 nice idea..i would have never thought of using black on that. why not try no pickguard, maybe it will bring out the cleanness of the black more. (i never liked those pg's anyway). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birki Posted March 8, 2011 Author Share Posted March 8, 2011 nice idea..i would have never thought of using black on that. why not try no pickguard, maybe it will bring out the cleanness of the black more. (i never liked those pg's anyway). ... well - I need it somehow. who makes custom pickguards besides the cabinetmaker next door ? yours wolfi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbrooks0711 Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 TWANG makes custom pickguards. I got him to quote me a sheri guard a while back, and his prices were very reasonable. Hit him up on here, he's pretty active. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil_K Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 hi! pickup covers still missing, a few gold screws are left, and I do not know yet what to do with the pickguard. but otherwise, I am pretty satisfied. and the SD 59ers deliver like hell. no comparison to the original ones :D yours wolfi Cannot say enough good about the SD PAF's. My SH55 provide a godly overtone when I push them on my 96 Sheraton... you made a great choice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkuss Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Don't like black hardware myself but great job on making this guitar your own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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