RocknRollFun Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 That seems a popular option for many who add a PG to a Special II. (From a thread in the DIY in the Epi Lounge): Naturally the proper way would be to set up a jig and have a router table...etc...etc. I don't have that kind of setup and was not going to the expense for one pickguard. That is why I use the construction paper template and the Dremel. Once the paper PG was a perfect fit I scribed it on the back of the PG. I used a sharp scratch awl. The trick when cutting it down is not to cut too close to the line with the dremel. Once within about 1/8" I took my time and did the rest with a file and sandpaper as mentioned above. Takes a bit longer but hey, it's a one time shot. Willy I've been totally inspired to add a pickguard to my Special II, and have been lurking this board extensively [and a couple of others] to pick up tips. I've seen a couple of people who sell really nice guards, but I'm a gal who gets her kicks by getting the job done by herself. I've decided the "chrome" look is direction I want to go, though it might behoove me to start out a little less ambitiously. [Didn't say I was too smart ;)] Since I don't have one to look at, would you be so kind as to give me the rough estimation of the thickness of a normal pickguard? I know this varies... I would like to cut one myself since I plan to use double sided tape [recommendations welcome!!] and don't really want any screw mounting holes. Yeah, I'm going to try to cut a stainless steel sheet with a dremel [criticism and insults welcome!!] and file a bevel on it which hopefully won't be capable of cutting a digit off. Sorry to hijack the thread. I plan on posting pretty pictures [hopefully!] of the success/failure mod. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 RnRF, I spent 35 years as a sheet metal worker. If you are going after stainless be prepared to spend a couple of bucks....not crazy but not cheep. Get yourself a small piece and try to drill a hole through it with a typical drill bit. I'll lay odds you burn the bit out in about 2 seconds if you have no experience at it. Even at it's thinnest it is very dense and takes very expensive tools. If i was working with tin (8 hrs./day - 5days/ week I figured my snips to last 6 mo. to a year. If I was working with stainless I figured 2 weeks. Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocknRollFun Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Thanks for the advice! You called it- I have no experience. I was just looking around and saw sheets such as this: http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/ProductDetails.aspx?SKU=5204003 Maybe it's best I start with PVC or more likely an LP guard [and live with the mounting holes], perhaps a little "chrome" spray paint! I don't really want to burn out too many tools... or lose an eye! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 I spent 35 years as a sheet metal worker. Hey Willy, my first apprenticeship was sheet metal working nearly 50 years ago, the apprenticeship that took hold though was fitting & machining, and like you mention stainless steel can be extremely taxing on tools. When using motorised tools such as drills, mills, lathes or even dremels it's always best to use a lubricating coolant, it'll prolong the life of the tool enormously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lefty Bill Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Hi, and welcome to the forum, there are many inspiring ideas posted here regularly. Many Epiphone owner/players are involved in custom modifications and creating new parts from various materials. Willy's recommendation of using paper for the initial sizing and shaping is a very practical approach. I believe your guard attachment plan to use something other than mounting screws is very reasonable, as it leaves many options available for future revisions without the need to hide holes which may not be needed later. Double-sided tape is commonly available in 2 basic types.. the thicker foam-cored type, and a very thin tape without the foam. Both of them can be difficult to release, however, if the user first sticks them on a cotton fabric (t-shirt or pantsleg) before applying them, they'll be easier to remove later (some lint/fuzz is transferred to the sticky tape from the cotton fabric, making it a sort-of semi-permanent sticky note bond). Some types of stainless steels exhibit a nasty characteristic commonly referred to as "work hardening" which makes certain alloys difficult to work with. The K&S Engineering metals are intended for art/hobby/craft projects, so they're most likely fairly easy to work with, and the 430 alloy isn't a work hardening type of stainless (although 430F is better, the F designates a free-machining alloy). Even though 430 isn't particularly susceptible to work hardening, it is a steel, so it will be a bit tougher to cut than aluminum or brass sheet (for example). Additionally, thin metals present some cutting and fabricating issues involving methods to cut them while maintaining their flatness.. it's fairly easy to distort thin metals near the cutting line (or near a hole when drilling). There are common shop practices/methods to prevent such issues, found in many metalworking texts. Other materials may present different fabricating issues, and many are much easier to work with than metal, but many won't offer the flashy appearance that polished or plated metals do. Anodized finishes on aluminum are available in many colors, and brass can have chrome or nickel plating which results in a mirror-like appearance, for examples. One alternative could be a clear plastic sheet material, with a metalized plastic film applied to the back side. This may not be as complicate as it may seem. The mirror-like reflective film for car windows could be applied to the back of a pickguard cut out from clear acrylic sheet, which would result in a kinda-like chrome shine. The acrylic guard will probably scratch more than stainless steel, but it will remain flashy. I've applied window films to car windows, and it lasts a long time (there is also a gold version and maybe others). Thin poly or acrylic sheet materials can be found at home centers where window repair/replacement materials are found, and window film may be found at auto parts stores or auto sections of larger retail stores. Bill I've been totally inspired to add a pickguard to my Special II, and have been lurking this board extensively [and a couple of others] to pick up tips. I've seen a couple of people who sell really nice guards, but I'm a gal who gets her kicks by getting the job done by herself. I've decided the "chrome" look is direction I want to go, though it might behoove me to start out a little less ambitiously. [Didn't say I was too smart ;)] Since I don't have one to look at, would you be so kind as to give me the rough estimation of the thickness of a normal pickguard? I know this varies... I would like to cut one myself since I plan to use double sided tape [recommendations welcome!!] and don't really want any screw mounting holes. Yeah, I'm going to try to cut a stainless steel sheet with a dremel [criticism and insults welcome!!] and file a bevel on it which hopefully won't be capable of cutting a digit off. Sorry to hijack the thread. I plan on posting pretty pictures [hopefully!] of the success/failure mod. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocknRollFun Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 That's wonderful food for thought. I love this forum! I had decided if I were to go the metal route, that aluminum would probably be my best bet. I found this on Amazon: Aluminum 5052-H32 Sheet and this nifty little e-How on polishing aluminum to a chrome-like finish: How to Polish Aluminum to a Mirror Finish [this includes a tip on removing the andonizing with oven cleaner] Once again, I'm strictly a weekend warrior with a big level of curiosity and a small level of experience with most things ;) I'm highly intrigued with the acrylic/window film suggestion, so I will look into that too. Once again, thanks to everyone and I look forward to sharing my experience here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 .....and this nifty little e-How on polishing aluminum to a chrome-like finish: How to Polish Aluminum to a Mirror Finish [this includes a tip on removing the andonizing with oven cleaner] Interesting read. Thanks for posting. Whatever you decide, take some pics along the way and keep us posted. Should make for an interesting thread. Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamGuy Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 A quick update... I'm still waiting on pickup rings, pointer washers, and tuners but did a little wiring. I cut a small semi-circle of adhesive rubber for the top of the tone pot for the capacitor to rest on. I've never read or heard that resting it directly on the pot effects anything but I thought what the heck. I also go the nickel pickup covers soldered on. I also finished with the neck inlay...just kidding. They're those inlay decals... A real pain to get lined up correctly but I think I've done reasonably well, it's close enough I don't care. They look pretty sweet but we'll see how they hold up under fire. I used them on my camping guitar and they've held up well for the last year or so. They're pretty inexpensive and peel off w/o leaving adhesive so if they don;t work out, I'll just peel 'em off. I also installed the plain truss rod cover. Included is a picture Ol' Campy with the tree of life/hummingbird "inlay". Cheers, JG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Looks to be along very well JG, that cap is wired to that pot extremely neatly, wonderful work. Love the inlay work on both necks/guitars, but that tree of life on the acoustic looks outstanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamGuy Posted January 24, 2012 Author Share Posted January 24, 2012 The last few parts arrived today... I was able to get things assembled and set up pretty quickly, no major issues and the end result is a pretty nice playing/sounding little guitar. The only real screw up, I got something wired backwards as the toggle is working opposite than it should... it's working though so I may just leave it for now. Much prefer the tone of these pickups to the stock ceramic ones. This is it for me for a while... my school schedule is getting crazy and I'd rather spend what free time I get playing rather than assembling. Cheers, JG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Well done JG, happy that it all worked out for you. Rather than rewiring the 3-way, if you have a little extra cable attaching it, maybe you could simply turn it 180deg, just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 JamGuy, Congrats on a job well done. That is one fine lookin' git ya got! Keep on stummin' Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamGuy Posted January 24, 2012 Author Share Posted January 24, 2012 Well done JG, happy that it all worked out for you. Rather than rewiring the 3-way, if you have a little extra cable attaching it, maybe you could simply turn it 180deg, just a thought. Unfortunately, I didn't leave myself any room for a 180 degree turn, that'd be too easy! It's just a simple two wire swap on the toggle... nothing major. There isn't much room in the control cavity in these guitars but the fix should be an easy one. All that aside, I'm honestly surprised what a little rocker this thing is. I spent some time with it last night through my Fender Mustang III amp and it sounded and played great. When these pickups were in my Cort Source (335 copy), that guitar and amp combo didn't play well together... I'm glad the same pickups in this guitar sound good through the MIII. I'm going to spend some time playing with it through my Twin Reverb but I'm pretty confident it will sound good... just about anything plugged into the Twin sounds great but I'll report back later... who knows, maybe I can blow off some school work and get a video posted soon! Cheers, JG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamGuy Posted January 24, 2012 Author Share Posted January 24, 2012 Sure enough... blowing off school work it is! Here's a little something for anyone interested.Cheers, JG http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN469z20ivo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 J.G. Reminds me a lot of early Dead. Anyway....very cool Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitarjeff Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Man, what a difference! Just the pickup change makes it look and sound like it costs way more than it actually does. I just knew the LPS II could be way better than it is stock. Can't wait to get mine together! Great job, JG! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamGuy Posted January 25, 2012 Author Share Posted January 25, 2012 Man, what a difference! Just the pickup change makes it look and sound like it costs way more than it actually does. I just knew the LPS II could be way better than it is stock. Can't wait to get mine together! Great job, JG! Thanks, yeah, I'm pretty happy with it. As a heads up, I'm not sure what your modification plans are, but here's a few things to keep in mind. *The finish chips VERY easily around the original holes (tuner, pots, switch...etc) if you go slow and easy there shouldn't be a problem when enlarging them. *Two of the four neck screws seemed pretty lose fitting to me so I squirted a little wood filler in them before finally assembly. *There was also a neck shim which I removed, it was in there all willy nilly and couldn't have possibly been doing anything to help the neck/pocket fit. *Also, depending on what you use for replacement parts, don't count on many of the screw holes to line up or be the right size. Thankfully, I have enough spare parts lying around I was able to find appropriate screws that worked for everything. The pickup covers are not the same size as the stock ones (the ones I ordered came from Stewmac) They left a very tiny gap on the top side of the neck pickup. It may just have been that the pickup hole itself was larger than it was supposed to be. *One last upgrade I would strongly recommend is to replace the strap button screws...the stock ones are super small compared to say a stock Fender strap button screw. Leaving the stock ones in seems like a problem waiting to happen...I replaced the buttons themselves too, as the stock ones are super cheap-o. Other than that, it's all pretty straight forward and if you're a tinkerer and done some guitar work before, it's nothing that should surprise you. One thing I was surprised about was the plastic tuner bushings... not even crappy pot metal, but "chromed" plastic. As I mentioned before, stock/out of the box it's pretty ho-hum but would be a fine starter guitar. As it stands now, it's as nice playing, solid feeling, and well built as an instrument costing at least two or three times what I have in it... all told, around $230 bucks. I'd gig with it if that says anything... Good luck with the project GuitarJeff... hopefully we get some pics of yours soon. Cheers, JG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueEpiphone Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 JamGuy that Special II looks perfect! Good choice with the creme trim and gold knobs. It puts your focus on the hardware instead of the finish. The fret inlay stickers make the neck look great. Did you get them online? I have yet to see them in music stores. I'm amazed how dark the fretboard looks as well....endangered wood from Gibson??? You have to admit that the Epi. headstock with tulip-style tuners is classic. The wiring looks fantastic. @Willy: I still remember that remark about a "blemish" on the blue Special II...I know Greg is still laughing @Lefty Bill: the tint film applied to the underside of the pickguard is something I must try @RaSTus: take a bow! We got through this week's tornado with your help @RocknRollFun:you have one of those purple "Blueburst" Special II Plus-Tops??? What chord is that cat playing? Petty Officer Fitts (Submariner, USN) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 @JG: great vid, some wonderful noodling there and it really showed what can be done with a budget guitar with a bit of elbow grease and some well chosen mods, fantastic result. With opening up the tuners holes, many use a tapered reamer, but I've been contemplating one of THESE, it would give straight holes off the bat and you don't have to go all the way through either, just enough for the bushing to seat. @BE: Thanks so much for the sentiment, it means a great deal. I ran off the rails a little, spent too much time awake and was like a rabbit in the headlights, I was taking a 3 or 4 word thought and expanding it into 3 or 4 paragraphs, just rambling on, I put in a lot of responses about the hours I'd been at it, I wasn't bragging in any way, it was meant to be an excuse why I may seem to be waffling on a bit, so to anyone who received a nonsensical incoherent rambling, I apologise sincerely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueEpiphone Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 @ RaSTuS: I was doing EXACTLY the same thing!! I wanted to express some real sentiments and be as clear as possible but I was looping like a stuck CD player. I scrolled through one thread over and over, typed hundreds of "important" thoughts, erased them,and then I just PM'ed you because I thought YOU might be concerned for my mental state because I was logging in and out of that one thread for at least five hours! You were making perfect sense to me! That's why I chose to PM YOU!!! The looping stopped as soon as I got that message out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocknRollFun Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Awesome JamGuy, I hope to one day grow up to mod like you ;) @RocknRollFun:you have one of those purple "Blueburst" Special II Plus-Tops??? What chord is that cat playing? Yup! I wasn't expecting purple but I've grown to love it. And well, as for my pet, I taught him how to play a C and an A... but he gave up when I told him there was no "T" chord. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamGuy Posted January 26, 2012 Author Share Posted January 26, 2012 Awesome JamGuy, I hope to one day grow up to mod like you ;) Yup! I wasn't expecting purple but I've grown to love it. And well, as for my pet, I taught him how to play a C and an A... but he gave up when I told him there was no "T" chord. Thanks... that is a cool color. While most of my instruments are pretty traditional colors or bursts, something a little different is nice. I'd like to see a 70's tupperware custom color collection...avacado, mustard, that burnt orange, and chocolate brown... wow, I can't believe I just shared that :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lefty Bill Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 I thought I'd give the custom pickguard recommendation a try, and I have an image if I can add it properly this time... A close-up shot can be seen at this Flickr location The overall shape of this pickguard is another idea I've been wanting to try, particularly after reading the comments regarding not wanting to drill holes in a new, expensive hollow body guitar. The notches and small holes located near the corners of the Dunlop box are extended areas which fit under the humbucker rings, so the ring screws hold the guard in place.. no other hardware or additional holes needed. The pickup rings are notched to accept these extended tabs so everything just kinda fits together. Bill Snippage One alternative could be a clear plastic sheet material, with a metalized plastic film applied to the back side. This may not be as complicate as it may seem. The mirror-like reflective film for car windows could be applied to the back of a pickguard cut out from clear acrylic sheet, which would result in a kinda-like chrome shine. The acrylic guard will probably scratch more than stainless steel, but it will remain flashy. I've applied window films to car windows, and it lasts a long time (there is also a gold version and maybe others). Thin poly or acrylic sheet materials can be found at home centers where window repair/replacement materials are found, and window film may be found at auto parts stores or auto sections of larger retail stores. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 The overall shape of this pickguard is another idea I've been wanting to try, particularly after reading the comments regarding not wanting to drill holes in a new, expensive hollow body guitar. The notches and small holes located near the corners of the Dunlop box are extended areas which fit under the humbucker rings, so the ring screws hold the guard in place.. no other hardware or additional holes needed. The pickup rings are notched to accept these extended tabs so everything just kinda fits together. Nice Bill, and a good idea to use the pup rings, I've also seen them so they screw on top of the rings using the two screws that hold the rings in place (or one of them in some cases), your idea though would look more integrated, I'd like to see it once it's mounted, should look a treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lefty Bill Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Thanks, hopefully the example will stimulate others to try similar projects.. the clear acrylic guard opens up opportunities for others to try more creative projects, such as more artistic talents, to be applied under the acrylic.. waterslide decals, painted graphics, etching or engraving, on n'on. One idea I want to try out is adding some LEDs (concealed by the opaque p-up rings) to edge-light the clear acrylic, which would really make an etched design "pop". I happened to already have the materials for this guard, it was just a matter of (a)locating them, and (b)working at it among the various other small projects.. it wasn't difficult and didn't require any tools more sophisticated than a couple of files and a scoring knife, although the Dremel rotary tool was helpful. Oh, I took your recent suggestion to get one of those stepped reamers for enlarging tuner holes. Thanks for mentioning those. I bought the Great Planes brand which has 5 flutes (whereas the cheaper ones only have 4 flutes and likely to be less effective/accurate). I have tapered reamers, but it's very handy to have the correct specific sizes on one tool (actually, there are separate metric and inch versions). Bill Nice Bill, and a good idea to use the pup rings, I've also seen them so they screw on top of the rings using the two screws that hold the rings in place (or one of them in some cases), your idea though would look more integrated, I'd like to see it once it's mounted, should look a treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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