quapman Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 Interesting! I'm surprised at how many of you leave them alone. I thought there were more tinkerers on here. If I buy a guitar it means I like it. So I too leave them alone. All my guitars are bone stock. I leave the set up to the place selling it. I have no problem with their ability and always get it how I want so I have no need to do that. I did pick up a cheap squire at a pawn shop that I set up myself but if I'm paying for a new guitar I expect them to set it up how I want it. New strings is about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quapman Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 I converted my wife from a set neck to a bolt on. Dude! I knew you were handy but I had no idea. Impressive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingarmadillo Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 Mine are stock, except for brass bridge pins on one of the acoustics, but I've been GASsing for a parts-caster or dipping into the Warmoth catalog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 Wondering if any acoustic players want to get into this thread. Don't want to veer away from topic, so haven't jumped in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StRanger7032 Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 Only my 2016 Les Paul is completely stock (and will remain so). 2014 SG: Bought as body and neck only-nothing stock but the nut and finish. 1993 Epi G-400: Nothing stock but the bridge, tailpiece, and finish. 1996 Epi LP: Stock except for Bourns pots. 2013 ESP Edwards: Stock except bridge pickup. 2013 USA Tele: Stock except 2011 pickups (more vintage sound). 2011 USA Tele: 2013 Bridge pickup (guess where that came from), Seymour Duncan Hot Tele neck pickup. As for acoustics, I guess you could consider my USA Ovation modified since the top was replaced under warranty with a color that was not available on that particular model. I can't leave stuff alone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fromnabulax Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 Wondering if any acoustic players want to get into this thread. Don't want to veer away from topic, so haven't jumped in! Well, if it's acoustics, I have peeled cheap looking pick guards off of a few guitars, sanded down, as well as shimmed up several saddles. I suppose that counts as modding them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 Well, if it's acoustics, I have peeled cheap looking pick guards off of a few guitars, sanded down, as well as shimmed up several saddles. I suppose that counts as modding them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4Hayden Posted February 18, 2016 Author Share Posted February 18, 2016 Strap locks which some might consider a modification. I consider it a safety necessity. I agree with you one 100% 4H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 Maybe. Somehow, saddles are more set-up than mod to my thinking. Peeling off an aesthetically offensive pickguard could be a modification; quite a few of us removed the x-tra thick guards from some 1960's Gibson models in order to improve tone and increase volume. Plastic bridges were another item that got changed, not to mention all the folks who changed adjustable bridges to the fixed saddle variety. How about rebracing the top from ladder to X? Or scalloping existing braces? Enlarging soundholes is considered by some to improve treble response. What about shaving necks or reshaping them? Does one refinish a guitar or not? The list goes on.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4Hayden Posted February 18, 2016 Author Share Posted February 18, 2016 Almost nothing in my life is stock... guitars included. Even my wife has been modded... slowly... over time... She the boss now ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4Hayden Posted February 18, 2016 Author Share Posted February 18, 2016 I converted my wife from a set neck to a bolt on. I have the same bolts C2,3,C4 , best weather machine ever invented 4H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 As far as the important stuff is concerned - p'ups, tuners, electronics etc. - I prefer to spend a long time in finding the guitar which is as close to 'correct' (for me) as possible rather than swapping things about at a later date. 'Cosmetics' are a slightly different matter. One of my '1960 Classic' Lesters had already been modified by the change to a plain 'guard, SD Antiquity p'ups and some really crap caps before I bought it. This one I did mod by changing the caps for PIO which transformed the tone no end. When my 1940's Antoine Di Mauro had it's 'board shaved and trued the paper-thin celluloid diamond-shaped traps were removed (out of necessity, of course) and were not re-instated. I've kept them, though, so if I decide to re-fit them later on it can be done. Other than that? I've fitted a 'guard to my 1993 R9 because, as we all know, a 'guard improves tone. Schaller strap-locks to all LPs. Blank TRC's on the 1960 Classics. Gold hat-box knobs on the R0 because I don't particularly like 'mirror' knobs. DiMarzio 'Dual Sound' p'ups on my 1975 Grant 'Les Paul' copy. The originals were laughable; the weediest single-coil (under a 'bucker-sized cover) p'ups ever made. Pip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHTom Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 Every one of mine gets strap locks.......that's automatic. Many of mine have small "bolt on" mods.......99% cosmetic. Amber switch tip, different knobs, etc.....all original parts get bagged and saved and can be swapped back at a moments notice. A couple are stock (still strap locks) and a couple (from "back in the day") are modded. These days, I tend to find one that is what I want stock rather than buy it just to change it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike_L Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 I like my guitars to be uniquely mine. I like to tinker as well. I don't do anything that couldn't be restored to stock if I decided to do so. 2014 LP Traditional: Faber USA bridge and tail piece, '57 Classic / Classic + PUs, bone nut, 50s wiring, Schaller strap locks 2014 ES-355: Schaller strap locks, TP-6 stop bar, Faber bridge and tone lock tail piece screws. Tried locking tuners but did not like them. 2015 ES-355: vintage knobs, switch tip from ivory to amber, Schaller strap locks, Faber Tone Lock bridge and tail piece just ordered. Thinking of swapping the Burstbuckers for some '57 Humbuckers and changing the caps to PIOs. The exception: a Taylor 614ce. Stock and will stay that way. It has some interesting marks on the finish that were unacceptable in the Japanese market and make it unique on to itself. Plus, I don't think acoustics should be fooled with (much). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 She the boss now ? Has always been - will always be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vangoghsear Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 I won't tinker with collectibles, of which I have a three that loosely qualify. I also won't tinker with my Gibsons, other than maintenance (such as having the frets redressed on a used LP Studio). I won't touch their pickups, having chosen them because I like their pickups and Gibson electronics are good quality. I will tinker for dependability in my cheap imports. I have changed tuners on a cheap Epi Junior that I have since sold, the original covered tuners were awful. I have changed scratchy pots and weak pickups in a Squier Affinity Strat, replacing the old crappy parts with a loaded pickguard from Dragonfire (excellent quality for price). And I have replaced pickups and wiring harness in my Jay Turser JT-133 because the body and neck were just so darn nice, but the electronics kept cutting out on the original neck pickup. Most all of my other guitars I buy have good pickups (USA made Duncan, or Asian made Duncan Design, USA made Rockfield, couple of DiMarzio, Etc), decent electronics and do not require modding. Except maybe my cheap Ibanez hollowbody AF55. It plays really nice and the body is great, the ceramic pickups work well, but are just a bit harsh. I can see a future pickup replacement possible for that guitar, maybe just the neck pickup as the hotter ceramic bridge wouldn't be too bad. Hmmm, now I am seriously considering doing that. Oh, and I have locking guitar straps, so I don't have to install straplocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4Hayden Posted February 20, 2016 Author Share Posted February 20, 2016 Has always been - will always be. Been there for years 4H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmokeyGhost Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 All mine are same as I bought them. Stock. Same here. See no need to mod them as I bought them because I liked them as they are. If I don't, as a result of buying sight unseen, I sell them quickly. Have sold very, very few over the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dReit1 Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Usually. And I repeat Usually, I buy guitars I like and leave them alone. Sometimes I'll buy one I almost like and fix what I don't like. But then again I always add Schaller strap locks and bone nuts. So on second thought I usually change them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinlander Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 I am a bit of a tinkerer, but with my cheapies only. My Gibsons are pretty much stock except for a bone nut on the Tal; the TOM bridges on my LP and SG unfortunately collapsed so I needed to change them. My Epis on the other hand were the poor victims of my compulsive tinkering; they only have their body stock and even then, my Regent got its top routed for a full humbucker. I learned a lot doing my own setup, swapping hardware and electronics on my Epis. To be honest there was far more gain in knowledge than actual tone improvement... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darling67 Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 I always used to leave guitars stock. However, after working among a bunch of gear heads and super-particular guitarists, I kind'a caught the mod fever. It will depend, of course, on the guitar… but I've already modded two of my newer guitars quite a bit—both cosmetically and electronically. Should I acquire one of those 2016 SG Standards with P90's, that guitar will be left stock, more than likely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GibsonKramer Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 Depends on the guitar. My 2006 LPC? Heck no. Though, I believe the original owner swapped out the nut for bone. Its a bone nut now, and I don't think they came that way. My 2013 SGJ? And 2014 LP Studio Pro? Oh yeah! Stock Now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 All of my guitars are pretty much stock. I likely wouldn't buy it if there was already something about it I didn't like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4Hayden Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 Same here. See no need to mod them as I bought them because I liked them as they are. If I don't, as a result of buying sight unseen, I sell them quickly. Have sold very, very few over the years. Same here if your going to mod one why not buy a body and build you own 4H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4Hayden Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 strap locks I understand , other than that build your own. 4H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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