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suggestions for upgrading a WIldkat


pingber

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Posted

I've got a 2006 WIlkat limited orange ... I was wondering what would you sugest for my first mod? I'm new to all of this and don't really know what would be best? Pickups? I was thinking of humbucks, or better P90's.... are they easy to replace? What else might i consider?

Posted

Wow...I don't hear too many people complain about the Wildkats! Most seem to like the pickups. Some...do change the

covers, to black plastic..for "looks" and/or a supposed reduction of a kind of "metallic" tone. I suppose some do upgrade

the pots and selector switch, IF/when they go bad. But, aside from that, you don't hear about to many "mods" on Wildkats.

They're such unique little guitars...almost like a small "Gretsch" type! IF you do change pickups, I'd go Gibson P-90's, or even GFS. Not Humbuckers, on that guitar! (But, that's just me.)

 

CB

Posted

I have a wildkat and like everything about it including the P-90s

only mod I could think of is maybe a better 3 way switch...mine does go funky now and then but a quick change back and forth and it's good for another couple weeks. Maybe if you wanted to upgrade the pots, but mine work fine. A bone nut? Just scratching my head trying to figure out what I would want to change ....nothing! [-X LOL

Capt

Posted
I've got a 2006 WIlkat limited orange ... I was wondering what would you sugest for my first mod? I'm new to all of this and don't really know what would be best? Pickups? I was thinking of humbucks' date=' or better P90's.... are they easy to replace? What else might i consider?[/quote']

 

pingber,

Actually, the first thing I'd replace would be the wiring harness; in the past, they've been less than ideal (cheap pots, switch, jack), and some people have reported that the difference is like night and day! CTS pots and a Switchcraft switch and jack work well for the upgrade. :-)

 

Of course, I don't necessarily recommend doing the upgrade *yourself*; I haven't had a chance to work on a WildKat myself, but generally, semi-hollowbodies (ES-335s especially) are a *major* pain to work on...

 

Hope that helps! :-)

 

-Bob

Posted

yah.. I've heard good things about the stock epi pickups..

I've sold Kent Armstrongs to epi p90 users though.. and all were happy with the change.

 

I'd do the pots, caps and switch for sure.

since they're p90s I'd line the pickup cavitys with foil and connect to ground.. less noise that way.

 

I think your f holes are larger so it wont be nearly as painful as a sheraton.. should be fairly easy in fact.

 

Anyway. that's what I'd do. and then add a set of Grover locking tuners..

got a bone nut or plastic? get bone or tusq.

 

set of straplocks..

 

your pickups are not the same size as humbucks. so you would have to modify the guitar body to use them.

I wouldn't.

 

If you swap out the pups. consider the Kent Armstrongs.. they are pretty hot.

 

I'm gonna go steal some of my sons Capt. Morgan now.. hope this helps.

 

TWANG

Posted

MMMmmm,. Wildkat - I want me one of those to round out my Epi family (that would give me the acoustic, the LP w/hbers, and a new Wildkat w/ p-90s ......perhaps I'll treat myself when I pass state boards in March [-X

Posted

Tell you what Twang...if I ever decide to get rid of this TQ WildKat, I promise I'll let you have 1st shot at it.

Things are gonna have to get really bad tho before that happens...lol

Capt

Posted

Changes aren't necessarily for the better. I get the impression you want to mod the guitar, yet haven't indicated what you don't like about it. Give it some time, play it, draw your own conclusions regarding what changes would make it suit you more.

Posted

Of all the Epi's I've played...the WildKat from the factory is one of the few that doesn't need many Mod's IMHO. If you want to replace the switch, jack and pot's and caps you can but the stock p-90's sound pretty good in that guitar.

Posted

The only mod I did to mine is purely cosmetic --- changed the knobs to some pearl-tipped ones. I've had no problems with the switch or wiring, and I like the pickups jes' fine!

 

Wildkat.jpg

Posted

All I would suggest is a pickguard, and it just so happen's I have one. I had made some up for a member from down-under, one painted gold, another clear lexan. If your interested send a PM. I have one clear pickguard left, with all mounting hardware as well.

 

Other than that, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I love the way mine sounds, and plays!

 

100_0391.jpg

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