generation zero Posted December 19, 2008 Posted December 19, 2008 Title says it all... post pics of your ugly sticks. Got the idea when posting mine in the "it's not an epi, but..." thread. Post your most hideous, abused, beat up, embarrassingly ugly guitar... only rule is it has to be functional. Bonus points if you actually play it in public, LOL... Here's mine. It started out as an experiment really, to see if my "reverse killswitch" idea worked like I thought it would. Yeah, that's silver spraypaint. On part of the body. Just for the heck of it. In other areas, I took a propane torch to it, sandpaper, a screwdriver to gouge out a few spots... I wanted it to be really ugly. You should see the original white pickguard... A close up of the controls... the toggle activates the kill feature. (Flipping the toggle turns the guitar off, and pressing the button down turns it on while the button is pressed only.) Blade selector switch is a three way, set up like a Paul. (Bridge, Both, or Neck) The headstock... complete with matching "silverburp" finish. Close up of my nut repair job, LOL. I tried putting baritone strings on it for down-tuning at one point, and the nut didn't like it. Popped the edge off... :D I didn't want to spend $30 for a new nut on a guitar I at that point had $20 invested in, so I just MacGyvered it. Surprisingly, it plays fine, and stays in tune perfectly.
iansmitchell Posted December 19, 2008 Posted December 19, 2008 I think the reverse kill would be better if you had, when the switch was on regular, the button put the pickups in series, like a boost for certain notes on a solo.
generation zero Posted December 19, 2008 Author Posted December 19, 2008 That could be interesting to play around with... :D Would require a DPDT button though, this one is only SPST. That would also seriously change the circuit... could be tricky to wire. I may look into that though, I love a wiring challenge! :-&/ I'll have to post a video of me using it one day, it's hard to really describe how fun it is to toy with. Still haven't written it into a song yet, but I'm sure I will soon. Probably once I impliment the system into a slightly more... "stageworthy" guitar.
iansmitchell Posted December 19, 2008 Posted December 19, 2008 momentary series switch seems great, IMO. reverse phase may work, too.
28v6r Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 I guess that's the new terminology "Wrecked" instead of reliced!
Bender 4 Life Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 My "beater" is my "go to"......a Washburn D10SB. The pic doesn't show it, but it's covered in scratches, dings, and good old Alabama red dust. It keeps tune as well as any, and is rated as the "Best under $500 dreadnaught" on the market. I've made a few upgrades that have improved the tone from stock.
ef_in_fla Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 Well it's not totally a beater, but it's a real cheapie. Ordered new as a B stock for $120, repainted it, added a chrome ESP label on the headstock and the chrome inlay stickers. Upgraded the pickups from cheap to semi-cheap (Powered by Lace humbuckers). Blocked the trem so it stays in tune and added a graphtech nut. I really like the feel of the neck, it's a fun guitar to play.
WireWhipper Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 My ugly duckling is (was) a mid 90's American Strat with a Warmoth fat back neck and custom shop 50's p/u's but I plan to use the original neck and get a new Warmoth body and build my own, er, "signature" model Strat eventually, and use the parts from this one. BTW - I'm not responsible for the damage, I bought it (cheap) like this! My apologies for the ridiculous size of the pics . . . I'm still trying to figure out my digital camera.
pohatu771 Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 I'd strip that body if I were you... or do an artificial relic - just to make it look a little better.
stan 58 Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 Heres my cheapest, 125$ with gig bag. Squier 51, I play it alot. Stan.[/img]
Svet Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 The Little Martin in the middle is my least expensive "Beater" guitar. It is the one I am least concerned about getting dinged. She is followed by my Epiphone Emperor Regent.
charlie brown Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 Sorry, Svet....from what I've seen...YOU don't own any "Beater" guitars! LOL CB
BSAKing Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 The victim in question is a '61 (or so) Gibson Les Paul Junior.... So one day I was walking past a pawn shop downtown in Winnipeg (I was probably about 15 at the time) and saw this red Gibson guitar in the window. I knew nothing about them really, but went back a week later and bought for $125. Prior to when I got it, the Gibson had at time some sort of vibrato arm on it so a hole had been chunked into the body and covered with a plate. Probably big bucks back then I guess (about 1964 I guess) and maybe I got taken – who knows? Anyhow – back then, we did not have the global encyclopedia of the internet to be able to find out information on practically anything known to mankind at the touch of a button, so I decided to ‘improve’ it by filing the frets! Obviously not the most astute move by today’s standards, but – hey! Times were different and I was only a kid… (same as removing the original finish from my ’64 Strat, but that’s another story too. Lol) So this is my beater (assuming I have posted the pic links the right way - never tried this before) The one showing the frets makes it look like the neck is all chewed up, butit is not. Just the frets are toast...
GeeMan Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 I want to get a Squier Bullet Strat when I travel. I don't want to bring any of my Epi's to get them damaged.
charlie brown Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 The victim in question is a '61 (or so) Gibson Les Paul Junior.... So one day I was walking past a pawn shop downtown in Winnipeg (I was probably about 15 at the time) and saw this red Gibson guitar in the window. I knew nothing about them really' date=' but went back a week later and bought for $125. Prior to when I got it, the Gibson had at time some sort of vibrato arm on it so a hole had been chunked into the body and covered with a plate. Probably big bucks back then I guess (about 1964 I guess) and maybe I got taken – who knows? Anyhow – back then, we did not have the global encyclopedia of the internet to be able to find out information on practically anything known to mankind at the touch of a button, so I decided to ‘improve’ it by filing the frets! Obviously not the most astute move by today’s standards, but – hey! Times were different and I was only a kid… (same as removing the original finish from my ’64 Strat, but that’s another story too. Lol) So this is my beater (assuming I have posted the pic links the right way - never tried this before) The one showing the frets makes it look like the neck is all chewed up, butit is not. Just the frets are toast... [img']http://www3.sympatico.ca/cill/CIMG2836.JPG[/img] And just look at those lovely (deep) bevels, back then! Now THAT's and SG!! ;>) "Beater" or not... CB
Mugatu Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 My God! Some of you have BEATERS? I don't have a beater... I just have on acoustic and one electric, and they are both treasured. I used to have a beater, (an old encore strat copy) but it was so bad I got rid of it 2 months after I started to learn to play. I only play guitars that I love to play now. And they all look brilliant. ;-)
charlie brown Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 Interesting "switching," too...BASKing. What's that all about? CB
Charles Obscure Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 The only beat-up guitar I have is this one. I got it pretty cheap, under $500, and it's playable. Maybe it's not crappy enough though.
andy59 Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 I also would not call it a "beater" but it is my First Act guitar. http://i22.ebayimg.com/06/i/001/21/c4/62d4_1.JPG It is very basic, functional and fun to play.
iansmitchell Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 The victim in question is a '61 (or so) Gibson Les Paul Junior.... So one day I was walking past a pawn shop downtown in Winnipeg (I was probably about 15 at the time) and saw this red Gibson guitar in the window. I knew nothing about them really' date=' but went back a week later and bought for $125. Prior to when I got it, the Gibson had at time some sort of vibrato arm on it so a hole had been chunked into the body and covered with a plate. Probably big bucks back then I guess (about 1964 I guess) and maybe I got taken – who knows? Anyhow – back then, we did not have the global encyclopedia of the internet to be able to find out information on practically anything known to mankind at the touch of a button, so I decided to ‘improve’ it by filing the frets! Obviously not the most astute move by today’s standards, but – hey! Times were different and I was only a kid… (same as removing the original finish from my ’64 Strat, but that’s another story too. Lol) So this is my beater (assuming I have posted the pic links the right way - never tried this before) The one showing the frets makes it look like the neck is all chewed up, butit is not. Just the frets are toast... [img']http://www3.sympatico.ca/cill/CIMG2836.JPG[/img] I'll TOTALLY give you 2 times what you paid. Even with the botched level, modding, I NEED a '60s gibson... I've been looking at double cut melody makers, but the SG juniors... ooooh.
iansmitchell Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 My beaters are a vintage G-400 with a repaired headstock I got for $140, and an acoustic.
Guitar Chico Posted December 21, 2008 Posted December 21, 2008 Well it's not totally a beater' date=' but it's a real cheapie. Ordered new as a B stock for $120, repainted it, added a chrome ESP label on the headstock and the chrome inlay stickers. Upgraded the pickups from cheap to semi-cheap (Powered by Lace humbuckers). Blocked the trem so it stays in tune and added a graphtech nut. I really like the feel of the neck, it's a fun guitar to play. [img']http://www.hillsstores.com/esp05.jpg[/img] Thats your beater? I wish I could see your other guitars. I currently have only one guitar its a strat copy from a company called Indiana. Its got a few dings and scuffs here and there but nothing too major. GC
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