BC Rich US Series Outlaw Solidbody

Here's a BC Rich US Series Outlaw that came in for an electronics overhaul and setup. It was bought used in 1999 and has definitely seen a lot of use since then. If you'd like to compare this guitar to a similar one in much better shape, do check out this Reverb listing.

The BC Rich Outlaw is basically a Strat-style solidbody featuring a maple neck, 12" radius maple fretboard, 22 jumbo frets, two humbuckers, three-way blade switch, two volumes and one tone; and Strat-style six-screw tremolo bridge.

There was lots wrong with this Outlaw when it came in. Plugged in, all you could hear was a loud hum. Yes, open circuit! Besides this, the frets were badly worn and the saddles frozen. Oh yes, someone had also reamed out the jack plate and installed a barrel jack. Further checking revealed rusted-out electronics and seriously miswired pickup leads. To put it bluntly, the guitar would not have worked even if the pots were Emerson Pros, the switch a CRL; and the jack a Switchcraft #11.

The whole control cavity was gutted and pickups removed for a thorough checkup. Each had four leads plus a braided ground. Both coils of both pickups were working, and so, after splicing some extra wire (the leads had been cut a tad too short by the previous tech) and a rewire; everything was fine and dandy.

The rusty pots were replaced with Alpha 500Ks, the switch with a generic PCB-type; and barrel jack with a Neutrik/Rean NYS229. And, as the oval jack plate had been attached to the body with humungous pan head screws; the oversized screw holes were plugged and redrilled to accept generic 1/2" pickguard screws.

As for the frozen saddles, they were removed and given a good soak in lube. After things had loosened up somewhat, the saddle height screws were unscrewed with the aid of nippers. Following this, new saddle height screws, as well as intonation screws/springs; were installed.

This Outlaw badly needed a full refret as the frets were worn down too low for a dressing. However, insufficient funds dictated that this would not come to pass. And so, after slapping on a set of Ernie Ball Super Slinkys, the guitar was tuned to pitch, the truss rod tightened a tad; and action/intonation done.

Well folks, that's about it for this post. Thanks for dropping by, I appreciate it very much. And though we're all facing challenging times, do have a very Merry Christmas with your loved ones :)

Acknowledgement
Fender®, Stratocaster®, Strat®, Telecaster®, Tele®, P Bass®, Precision Bass®, and the distinctive headstock designs of these guitars are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

 

Yamaha AES620 | Part Two

Part One | Part Two | Part Three

It had been a while since I'd last seen this Yamaha AES620. Seven years, in fact. In all this time, quite a few things had changed. For one, owner Izzat had installed a trio of rather ill-fitting set screw dome knobs. They'd have to go, of course. He'd also pointed out, amongst other things, that the electronics were beginning to malfunction and needed to be upgraded.

Components to Be Upgraded

  

I was also informed that the original bridge-position Seymour Duncan JB had died somewhere along the way; and another tech had replaced it with a nondescript "Zebra" humbucker. This gave rise to a new problem, though, as the Zebra was way too powerful, and completely overwhelmed the stock Yamaha neck humbucker. 

Nondescript "Zebra" Humbucker

Now, Izzat had recently acquired a used Gibson humbucker. Might it be a better match for the Zebra than the stock Yamaha humbucker? With this in mind, we proceeded to measure the DCR of all three pickups. Our readings indicated that neither the Yamaha [9.08K] nor Gibson [8.06K] would be a suitable match for the Zebra [16.36K]. The only solution, then, would be to discard the Zebra, install the Gibson [8.06K] in the neck position, and relocate the Yamaha [9.08K] to the bridge. 

Zebra Humbucker DCR - 16.36K

Gibson Humbucker DCR - 8.06K

Yamaha Humbucker DCR - 9.08K

The Zebra was desoldered and removed without much difficulty, but the Yamaha was another story. The bottom two pickup ring screws were frozen in place, and the heads were so rusty that there was no way to remove them with a screwdriver. Thank goodness I was able to remove the pickup itself, leaving the ring in place. 

Then, using careful taps with my smallest chisel, I was able to dig into the wood and pry out the two screws from the side. This, however, left two gaping holes. The obvious solution was to plug them with dowels, wood dust and super glue; and recoat any bare areas with conductive shielding paint.

Damaged Pickup Ring Screw Holes Plugged

Another point of interest was that while installing the Zebra, the tech responsible had modified the stock control configuration of Neck Volume/Bridge Volume/Master Tone to Master Volume/Neck Tone/Bridge Tone. Izzat preferred this new configuration; and requested that it be retained. "Okey dokey," said I.

And so, the AES620 was rewired as per Izzat's specs using three Alpha A500K Long Shaft pots, an Epiphone three-way toggle switch; and new barrel jack. Caps of differing values were installed, 0.015uF for the neck and 0.022uF for the bridge.

Epiphone Toggle Switch Wired In

Epiphone Toggle Switch Installed

Alpha Pots and Barrel Jack Wired In

Electronics Upgrade Completed

Meanwhile, the AES620 was also stripped of all hardware so that everything could be cleaned, derusted and serviced. Parts too far gone to be saved were simply replaced. The fretboard was cleaned with naphtha and reconditioned with lemon oil; while the frets were degrimed and polished. Last but not least, the trio of ill-fitting set screw dome knobs was replaced with white transparent speed knobs.

Hardware Awaiting Servicing

Bridge Servicing - Sodium Bicarbonate Bath

Bridge After Servicing

Tuners After Servicing

String Anchors After Servicing

Strap Buttons After Servicing

Fretboard and Frets After Servicing

White Transparent Speed Knobs

Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Ibanez GRG470 Restoration: Part Two

Related Posts 
Part One | Part Two | Part Three

This is the second post on an Ibanez GRG470 that has fallen into ruin from sheer neglect. As the guitar's barely playable and produces only intermittent sound, I've taken her apart for a thorough diagnosis and remedial action. Parts that are too rusted to be saved have been replaced, and those that can be salvaged have been de-rusted, cleaned; lubed and polished. 

The pickups are still working, but I've had to junk the electronics. These have been replaced with, amongst other new components; Alpha A500K pots and a Neutrik/Rean NYS229 output jack. And yes, I've also reconditioned the fretboard and polished the jumbo frets.

Greco EG550B Restoration: Part Three

Quick Links: Part One | Part Two | Part Three

This is the third and final instalment concerning a restoration job carried out on a lovely Greco EG550B. I'm thankful to report that this guitar now plays and sounds as good as it should. Now, let's get down to the nitty-gritty.

I'll start with the electronics, then. Everything was replaced, period. Among the upgrades were Alpha A500K Long Shaft pots, K40Y-9 0.015uf and K73-16 0.022uf tone pots; plus a Neutrik/Rean NYS229 jack socket. Wiring-wise, the original pickup leads were retained, while the rest was replaced with Gavitt Vintage Stranded Core Push-back Wire and Alpha RG174 Coaxial Cable (longer runs).

Next, hardware. Let's see now. The bridge and tailpiece were replaced, as were all pickup screws and springs. I managed to find a suitable replacement neck pickup ring, and added a new Gibson PRPG-020 Les Paul Custom Pickguard. Making the Gibson pickguard fit properly was a real challenge; as there was a lot of filing and sanding involved. Last but not least, the cracked output jack plate was replaced with a shiny new StewMac Plastic Jack Plate for Gibson® Les Paul® (the real deal, folks).

After the fretboard and frets were reconditioned, this Greco EG550B was strung with Ernie Ball Super Slinkys (10-46), tuned, set up; and put through its paces. I first tried it unplugged, and was surprised by the lively acoustic tone. I'd observed similar tones playing Strats unplugged, but this was the first time I'd ever heard a solidbody LP-style sing like this. Anyway, here are three YouTube videos I uploaded in honor of this guitar:

Greco EG550B demo - Unplugged

Greco EG550B Demo - Clean

Greco EG550B demo - Overdrive

Hope you enjoy the videos, as well as the pics I've posted below. Working on this Greco EG550B has been an unforgettable experience, I tell you. There's just this unmistakable build quality you sense with vintage Japanese instruments that's missing from their modern-day counterparts. They sure don't build 'em like they used to! Take care, and do drop by again soon :)