SX Standard Series Strat-Style Left-Handed Conversion

The first thing I was asked to do on this right-handed SX Standard Series Strat-style was to convert it to a left-handed instrument. This basically meant flipping the nut and stringing it with the high E string closest to the ceiling. But as the existing nut was broken, it was best to simply install a new one.

The guitar had not been played in years and was full of grime, crud and rust. The electronics had crapped out altogether, and as for the hardware, well; the less said the better. I should also mention that the stock tuners were missing their nylon washers, would not turn; and were thus unusable.

However, the owner wanted these tuners retained because he really loved the "SX" logo stamped on the back. Yeah, I thought they looked cool too. So he went on a world-wide online search for replacement washers. Finally found them in a UK store; but they didn't ship to Malaysia. Major bummer!

Now, it so happened that I had a couple of used Vape device OCC (Organic Cotton Coil) sourced from a nearby Vape shop. "Sourced" meaning I got them for free as they were going to dispose of them anyway --- lucky me! Some of these OCCs had silicone ring washers which fit the SX tuners quite nicely; albeit after a little modification. Each tuner required 3 or 4 of these washers to get it turning again. Thank goodness! Realizing that these washers would need to be replaced somewhere down the road; I gave him all the extras I had fabricated.

The stock electronics were replaced with Alpha 250K pots, five way switch, 0.022uF tone cap; and Neutrik/Rean NYS229 output jack. Once I'd completed this, I discovered to my dismay that the control cavity was now too narrow to accomodate the full-sized Alpha pots. So out came the mallet, chisels and "Cremel" (Chinese Dremel knockoff). A few hours later, and I managed to get the pickguard on like it should.

When I was finally done, the only stock parts on this guitar were the neck, tuners, body, plastic control knobs, pickguard, back cover, pickups; and bridge plate. It had been a lot of work, but at least the owner now had a left-handed guitar to call his own.

Paul Beuscher Jazz Bass Copy

Preamble
The only information I was able to gather on this seemingly vintage sunburst Jazz Bass copy was that it was "made in Japan," thanks to an Audiofanzine review on a similar (albeit left-handed) instrument. The task before me was to get this baby back into working condition "at minimal cost" (an extremely common request).

For starters, virtually every metal component on this bass was rusted and/or jammed, thanks to years of neglect. The bridge was totally unusable,as was the neck pickup. Thankfully, I managed to get the tuning machines and truss rod nut to turn smoothly after a derust/lube job.

Almost every screw had either a worn-out head or was frozen in the wood. Attempts to unscrew these ended in many of them breaking off below the surface. This being the case, I had no other option but to use a homemade screw extractor drill bit and pliers to remove them, and plug the resulting holes with wooden dowels.

The electronics were shot, as one would expect from an instrument in this condition. I was planning to replace the stock jack with a Neutrik, but budgetary constraints did not allow for that.

Work Done
Bodywork
New chrome covers for bridge and neck pickup
Replaced bridge
Replaced "tortoiseshell" pickguard
Replaced neck pickup
Replaced all screws
Replaced tug bar
Complete Rewire
New Alpha A250K volume/tone pots
New generic mono jack
New 0.022uF capacitor
Nut reprofile
New strings and setup

Singlebucker String-Through Walnut Tele Mod

Nope, this is not a genuine Fender Telecaster. I thought I'd better make that clear from the start. Instead, it's yet another one of Kombatt's adventures in partscaster land. But it sure looks, plays and sounds like one, so in my book, it qualifies as a "Tele."

This guitar features a nice reddish-brown stained hardwood body, 3-ply black pickguard, maple neck with a 25.5" scale 22-fret rosewood fretboard, dark green quilted-maple headstock overlay, generic Tele neck and bridge single coils, vintage-style triple-saddle bridge, 3-way selector switch, master tone and volume controls. Yes, the bridge pickup says "Lines," but I doubt if that's of any significance.

The requested mods were:
1. A new 6-saddle humbucker-ready string-through bridge
2. No neck pickup
3. Single bridge humbucker
4. Tinted clear plastic pickguard
5. Dark walnut stained top with "faux binding"
6. Clear matt refinish

After carefully determining the location of the new bridge, holes were drilled for the string-through mod. I determined that the most efficient job sequence would be to:
1. Mount the bridge and mark the location of the six holes on the front of the body
2. Drill the holes for the 1st and 6th strings right through to the back
3. Drill the holes for the 2nd - 5th strings halfway through
4. Flip the body, remount the bridge using the 1st and 6th holes as location guides
5. Mark the location of the 2nd - 5th string holes
6. Drill the holes for the 2nd - 5th strings (they'll meet the holes drilled from the top in the middle)
7. Measure the diameter and length of the string ferrules
8. Widen the holes with a larger drill bit to a depth slightly deeper than the length of the ferrules
9. Insert the ferrules and carefully seat them with a plastic-tipped hammer

Having settled that, the existing bridge pickup rout was widened and deepened to fit a full-sized humbucker. I must say that the reddish hardwood body proved most difficult to work on, and I had to sharpen my chisels a couple of times to get the job done right.

Next, the exposed wiring channel from the neck pickup to the control cavity was filled using a small piece of hardwood, and the neck pickup cavity painted black.

Following this, I taped off the sides of the body, leaving about a quarter inch all round the top edge exposed. Then, American Jel'd Walnut Gel Stain was applied to the top and sides of the body. This was to create a darker-colored top and the "faux binding" effect.

Once the stain had dried, the entire body was sprayed with a few coats of clear poly. I then used fine grit sandpaper and 0000 steel wool to dull the glossy top coat and give the body a matt finish.

The tinted clear pickguard was a custom job by the one-and-only Eddie of Archsign. Muchas gracias, Eddie. He first stuck tinted plastic film (the kind used to tint car windshields) on to the back of a sheet of clear plastic, and then band-sawed it into the shape of a Tele pickguard.

And that's how this "singlebucker string-through walnut" Tele came into being.

Kramer 610 Restoration | Part Four

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four

Finally, it was time to install the electronics, put the 610 back together again, slap on a fresh set of 009s, take care of action and intonation; and set up the VS100N for optimum performance.

The electronics consisted of a CRL five-way switch, three DiMarzio EP1201 500K pots, a Sprague 0.022uF cap, and a DiMarzio EP1301 mono jack. The original brass "football" output jack plate was retained, as it looked rather spiffy after derusting and polishing. After a lengthy discussion with the owner, we decided to go with the "Jimmy Vaughan Wiring Scheme." 

This scheme provides a master volume and separate tone controls for the neck and bridge pickups. However, the middle pickup is "wide open" as it's not connected to any of the two tone pots. I'm rather fond of this wiring scheme because (1) you get a dedicated tone control for the bridge pickup, and (2), you're not loaded down by two tone pots when using the neck and middle pickups together (switch position 2).

Pickup-wise, a used DiMarzio DP155 Tone Zone humbucker was installed in the bridge position, the stock "Made in Korea" middle pickup retained; and the gnarly neck pickup replaced with an old Ibanez Blazer SB single coil. After juggling around with various pickup heights, I was able to achieve a pleasing balance between the three. Last of all, a new back cover, strap buttons; and Gibsonesque speed knobs were installed. Although it took a really long time to complete this restoration; I'm happy with the results.

Kramer 610 Restoration | Part Three

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four

As mentioned previously, the owner of this Kramer 610 intended to replace the stock Floyd Rose II trem with a Wilkinson VS100N. Lo and behold, he turned up one day with his dream trem -- minus the pivot posts, bushings, trem claw screws and hex keys that should have been part of the package. Suspecting that he'd gotten a raw deal, I urged him to contact the seller and demand that the missing items be sent to him ASAP. However, being the mild-mannered Clark Kent type, he never got around to doing that. Instead, he asked that I do my best with what I already had; meaning the Floyd Rose II pivot posts and bushings had to be reused.

And so the old bushings were removed and the holes filled with wooden dowels. As a locking nut was not part of the deal, I laid out plans for a non-floating trem setup, i.e. it would lie flat against the body when not in use.

The existing trem cavity was filled with a carefully-positioned block of nyatoh. It was a case of measuring 10 times and cutting once, so to speak. The nyatoh block was glued in with Titebond III and clamped for a day. After sanding the block flush with the top of the body, it was time to drill the holes for the bushings and cut a slot for the trem block. I'm sorry that I forgot to take pics of the slot cutting process. 

In any case, you might like to know that Cremel (China-made Dremel clone) mini circular saw and resin cutting wheel attachments were used to do the job. Having taken care of the drilling and cutting, the VS100N was installed for a test run. I'm glad to say that despite my reservations about reusing the old bushings and pivot posts; the new trem worked as it should. In Part Four, you'll see pics of the completely restored Kramer 610; ready to be delivered to its owner.