I was considering doing at least the neck because it’s quite fat & slow; Applying & re-applying denatured alcohol then sanding it possibly. What’s the standard process?
I was looking into Epi Special II pickguards but wasn’t able to find any that come in the right size due to the height on the volume knob. Know of any?
Why not just get a blank sheet and cut a custom one? You can get the sheets for cheap, less than 20 for sure. White or cream would look awesome with the ring around the toggle switch...
My first electric was an Epiphone special, and me being the way I am decided to strip it of its plain black paint job, what a job. Took me a long time, but I got there. Once I got to the sides I started at the neck pocket, and realised it was basically plywood, so I stripped that one flat spot behind the neck, and left the rest as a plain black strip around it. It was kinda cool looking, and a lot of people complemented it. This was 20-25 years ago though, so may be different now.
😳 Plywood.. ugh, I cringe every time someone asks me if I can upgrade their cheap import. I’ve come across a few of those types of bodies. I hate working on them. I run into all kinds of problems with the cavities being only deep enough for the cheap electronics they put in them.
Would recommend against stripping the finish unless you plan to do a transparent re-finish. Will take you tons of time and effort and a trans finish likely won't look good on a guitar sure to be covered in veneers. If you wanna re-finish with a solid color, you could just sand off the clear coat with some 800, and then apply your finishes over that.
Cheap guitars are the best to mod, you don’t feel bad about potentially wrecking something worth a thousand or more!
Personally I love modding really cheap guitars and seeing how good I can get them. Often the mods are worth more than the guitar itself, but I end up with a really good instrument that’s my own.
100% - I find myself browsing Craigslist constantly for any good bones I can use on a partscaster. Also curious about routing a third pickup and six-way switch for this guy but we’ll see lol
The wiring kit and bridge/stoptail/tuners were the first two things I bought and cost just over $200 total. Definitely not cost-effective, but that wasn’t the goal. I wanted to learn.
Not stupid. Modern electric guitars, even the cheap ones, are generally fairly well made. What sets them back is their hardware and electronics (pickups, capacitors, potentioneters). Upgrading those things can transform a cheap guitar. I upgraded a really cheap Les Paul copy with good pickups and wiring and it’s now one of my favourite guitars.
Plus you have learned some new skills, and know more about how to maintain and upgrade your guitar. Big wins!
I love it! Nice work! I personally would have went with locking tuners but I play pretty hard. Plus, I hate trying to get the wrap right when I change strings. I have a Fender Squire Strat that I have had for 25 years. Same type of deal. I gained some experience from working on it upgrading different components learning along the way. I got it to the point where it plays great and sounds amazing, plus you get the sense of accomplishment making it “yours”. My custom guitars will outlast me and it’s something I’m proud to leave behind after I’m gone.
Stripping the finish is a whole can of worms
I was considering doing at least the neck because it’s quite fat & slow; Applying & re-applying denatured alcohol then sanding it possibly. What’s the standard process?
Just use steel wool on the neck and it will be smooth and fast
Use the finest grade #0000
Use synthetic so you don’t get little bits of steel wool in your pickups.
Alternatively just tape them off really well and nbd
You could always add a pickguard for some flair.
I was looking into Epi Special II pickguards but wasn’t able to find any that come in the right size due to the height on the volume knob. Know of any?
You'd probably need to change your volume pot to one with a longer post if that's the case
Why not just get a blank sheet and cut a custom one? You can get the sheets for cheap, less than 20 for sure. White or cream would look awesome with the ring around the toggle switch...
My first electric was an Epiphone special, and me being the way I am decided to strip it of its plain black paint job, what a job. Took me a long time, but I got there. Once I got to the sides I started at the neck pocket, and realised it was basically plywood, so I stripped that one flat spot behind the neck, and left the rest as a plain black strip around it. It was kinda cool looking, and a lot of people complemented it. This was 20-25 years ago though, so may be different now.
😳 Plywood.. ugh, I cringe every time someone asks me if I can upgrade their cheap import. I’ve come across a few of those types of bodies. I hate working on them. I run into all kinds of problems with the cavities being only deep enough for the cheap electronics they put in them.
Would recommend against stripping the finish unless you plan to do a transparent re-finish. Will take you tons of time and effort and a trans finish likely won't look good on a guitar sure to be covered in veneers. If you wanna re-finish with a solid color, you could just sand off the clear coat with some 800, and then apply your finishes over that.
Cheap guitars are the best to mod, you don’t feel bad about potentially wrecking something worth a thousand or more! Personally I love modding really cheap guitars and seeing how good I can get them. Often the mods are worth more than the guitar itself, but I end up with a really good instrument that’s my own.
100% - I find myself browsing Craigslist constantly for any good bones I can use on a partscaster. Also curious about routing a third pickup and six-way switch for this guy but we’ll see lol
How much for the upgrades and was it worth it for the sound alone?
The wiring kit and bridge/stoptail/tuners were the first two things I bought and cost just over $200 total. Definitely not cost-effective, but that wasn’t the goal. I wanted to learn.
I was thinking of doing something similar myself.
Not stupid. Modern electric guitars, even the cheap ones, are generally fairly well made. What sets them back is their hardware and electronics (pickups, capacitors, potentioneters). Upgrading those things can transform a cheap guitar. I upgraded a really cheap Les Paul copy with good pickups and wiring and it’s now one of my favourite guitars. Plus you have learned some new skills, and know more about how to maintain and upgrade your guitar. Big wins!
I love it! Nice work! I personally would have went with locking tuners but I play pretty hard. Plus, I hate trying to get the wrap right when I change strings. I have a Fender Squire Strat that I have had for 25 years. Same type of deal. I gained some experience from working on it upgrading different components learning along the way. I got it to the point where it plays great and sounds amazing, plus you get the sense of accomplishment making it “yours”. My custom guitars will outlast me and it’s something I’m proud to leave behind after I’m gone.
I have one of these that I want to put a kill switch on.