Whitmore Willy Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Keep in mind I'm using this guitar as a learning tool. Consequently, I'm not putting much money into it. (at least, not yet) That said, I would have loved an intonatable Tone Pros or Badass. $100 is out of the question. Even though Matiac warned me against it, I bought a $20 Mighty Mite. As usual, Matiac was right. They are 3 or 4/64" too tall. Now cheap metal and parts I understand. But, why make a part that just isn't right and what kind of idiot buys one? (oh...that would be me) The easy fix would be to file down the top of the saddles. However,there is significant room under the tailpiece. So... lets lower the tailpiece. I can think of a couple of ways to do this. Two of them would involve milling. Frankly, I just want the thing installed and working. I therefore, lowered the bushings. (easy fix later if I decide to upgrade.) Anyway, plenty of height on the collar of the bushing: Step one....removed bushings. Sorry, no pics. there is plenty of info in the DIY and Youtube as to how to do it. Reamed out top surface of holes to diameter of collar. Did it by hand using a stone reamer: (nice and short) Better pic of reamer (post 15): http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/76958-beater-guitar-part-4/page__view__findpost__p__1050715 Routed them out with my Dremel: (maybe I should say pencil router...these are starting to sound like a commercial) Reinserted bushings flat with top of guitar: Ready to add wraparound tailpiece. Just one problem. Once again Matiac is correct. As is, the T.P. has a bad forward lean which also causes the saddles to rise up excessively. It is caused by the forward tension of the strings combined with the height of the post which is more than the thickness of the T.P. Solution....eliminate most of the forward lean. To do this I made a couple of shims. I cut a washer in half. Routed the center to fit the posts with a diamond router tip. (Harbor Freight...couple of bucks for a set) I then used a fiber cutting wheel to grind them to the correct thickness: They were then inserted at the back of the posts: Forward lean minimized: While I was at it I sanded the pickguard. (small circles) I used 1500 grit. I wet sanded with soap and water. Buffed with Stewmac micro fiber pads and polished with polish: It will never again have the high gloss shine of a new one. It is IMHO better than it was: New nut is next. Probably next week. (Getting the grandkids for the weekend.) Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSAR Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 It looks to be coming along nicely! I'm impressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Simply awesome! I would imagine that a full washer of the proper inner diameter would have worked to? I guess I'm curious as to why you cut it in half instead of just using the whole thing. Aesthetics? Or did you grind out the center too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted November 18, 2011 Author Share Posted November 18, 2011 RTH, The post has the screw/bolt head on the top and a collar on the bottom. How would you put the washer on the shaft unless it was bigger than the bolt head or the bottom collar? So, I just shimmed it where it was needed. If the post was built like a standard bolt with no bottom collar that would have worked. That is one of the possible millings that I was talking about in the beginning. I just didn't want to go through the trouble. (good observation though) What you see here at the bottom is the collar that is on the post. The bushing collar is countersunk. Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Well that makes sense! I didnt really think about the bushing and head. Yeah, that would be impossible. Duh! Thanks for the reply, Willy. Great job on this. These need to go in to the DIY section as soon as Greg has a chance. No rush, obviously. This is just really good stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted November 18, 2011 Author Share Posted November 18, 2011 These need to go in to the DIY section as soon as Greg has a chance. Thanks for the kind words. I put up a post in the DIY a while back on replacing the old fashioned tuner knobs. At the bottom of the post I have been putting the links to the mods I am doing on my beater. Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Good idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigneil Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 great work Willy and a great thread too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
animalfarm Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Well that makes sense! I didnt really think about the bushing and head. Yeah, that would be impossible. Duh! Thanks for the reply, Willy. Great job on this. These need to go in to the DIY section as soon as Greg has a chance. No rush, obviously. This is just really good stuff. Thanks for the kind words. I put up a post in the DIY a while back on replacing the old fashioned tuner knobs. At the bottom of the post I have been putting the links to the mods I am doing on my beater. Willy I am posting this so that I can (if needed) pull up "My Content" and find this and other 3 before! Hoping it doesn't come to that point. Would be more efficient to create single thread title with links below. Give me a wee bit of time... As usual, great threads, Willy. The PICS really make a difference. Very professional. Regarding Tuner Knob replacement... Did I miss it? Usually, I'm decently on top of things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I am posting this so that I can (if needed) pull up "My Content" and find this and other 3 before! Hoping it doesn't come to that point. Would be more efficient to create single thread title with links below. Give me a wee bit of time... As usual, great threads, Willy. The PICS really make a difference. Very professional. Regarding Tuner Knob replacement... Did I miss it? Usually, I'm decently on top of things. Its right here: Beater Guitar Part 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted November 18, 2011 Author Share Posted November 18, 2011 great work Willy and a great thread too Thank you, my friend. I really don't think this one will be of much use to anyone. Still, if future questions come up, any of what I am doing, or posting pics of, can always be copied and pasted as part of your answers if you can use them. Regarding Tuner Knob replacement... Did I miss it? Usually, I'm decently on top of things. You are as on top as you need to be. Take care of the important stuff....YOU and PIA!!! All we are talking about is putting our DIY post links in YOUR DIY so that you can sort them out later when you feel better. We are just adding posts to your DIY thread. You are missing nothing. http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/51292-the-d0-it-yourself-thread-look-here-for-tech-related-questions/page__view__findpost__p__1031507 Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 I really don't think this one will be of much use to anyone. Are you kidding? As long as they keep selling aftermarket bridges that are too high for proper action, and they will, this thread will remain relevant. I would have never thought of such a thing. I would probably have shimmed the neck in to oblivion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianh Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Did it by hand using a stone reamer: (nice and short) Routed them out with my Dremel: (maybe I should say pencil router...these are starting to sound like a commercial) Reinserted bushings flat with top of guitar: Willy, I'm missing something here - how did you keep the reamer centered? This is a more attractive solution than my filed bushing approach, but I couldn't figure out how to keep the bit from wobbling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
animalfarm Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 This was a test for me. AND, YOUR Beater Guitar Series is Now in DIY. Under "Projects and Builds" sub-section. Scroll down, you won't miss it. Now to investigate those tuner knobs - I BELIEVE I remember now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted November 19, 2011 Author Share Posted November 19, 2011 This was a test for me. AND, YOUR Beater Guitar Series is Now in DIY. Under "Projects and Builds" sub-section. Scroll down, you won't miss it. Thank you A.F. I hope the pics are of use in the future.....But, please keep this in mind. As useful and important as the DIY has become to many of us, it is inconsequential when compared to our concern for your health. If the DIY thread needs be set aside while you heal, then so be it. Get well soon. Willy Willy, I'm missing something here - how did you keep the reamer centered? I couldn't figure out how to keep the bit from wobbling. Brian, The answer is mechanical and 2 part. Here is a better pic of the reamer in case it helps: First, I'm just that good! (LOL and Kidding) There was no real talent involved. I chose that particular stone reamer because it was fine enough to control with my fingertips.. It was also coarse enough to do the the job effectively. The combination of these allowed me hold even pressure, with my finger tips, on the back of the stone's outer diameter. Keep in mind that the reaming was done by hand using wrist movement, rotating both clockwise and counter clockwise. Second, and most important, was the steep (thus shallow) conical shape. In the pic of the reamer setting in the hole, no reaming to that hole has been done yet. A good look at the stone reveals the dust left from the first hole. It was only necessary to ream down around 1/64" - 1/32". This opened the surface past the finish and large enough to match the circumference of the bushing collar. This is evident in my second picture. The bushing collar is setting inverted in the reamed out hole. The combination of these factors made it possible to do the reaming by hand in only a few twists of the reamer. The remainder of the countersunk hole was done slowly with the pencil router. Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swamprock Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Very cool watching these posts. I have the same guitar and have done a couple of mods to it (new Tusq nut, Dream 90 pickup) but plan on doing more. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted November 20, 2011 Author Share Posted November 20, 2011 I have the same guitar and have done a couple of mods to it (new Tusq nut, Dream 90 pickup) I'll lay odds yours is in much better condition than mine. Like the GFS pickups, myself. Put a couple in my grandson's special. Would be doing the same to this one but I've vowed to only use parts I have around the house. The T.P. was the one exception. I do have a Epi soapbar P-90 lying around. Maybe someday!? As to the Tusq nut, I'm installing one on it today. Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixx_ gunner Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 Great work! Love seeing people doing their own work and sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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