Yamaha ERG121C Makeover: Part Two

Quick Links: Part One | Part Two | Part Three

In Part One of this series, I'd put down about a half dozen coats of Tru-Oil; and this included a light scuffing with 0000 steel wool every 3 coats or so. Well, after 20 coats of Tru-Oil, I lost count and just concentrated on achieving the desired finish thickness. After the final coat, the body was set aside for a week to allow the finish to cure. Then it was time to take care of the conductive paint shielding and grounding tabs.

Following this, the pickups and electronics were installed. Now, since a complete rewire was on the cards, I decided to do a minor upgrade and put in a Russian K73-16 0.022uF tone cap, Gavitt cloth-covered pushback wire for short runs; and Gavitt single-conductor braided shield wire from the volume pot to the output jack. I felt that it was only fitting as the owner had already spent his hard-earned money on bona fide Seymour Duncan pickups, CTS 500K pots, CRL 5-way switch; and Switchcraft #11 jack.

As I type this the rewiring's been completed, tested; and everything checks out okay. What's left is to reattach the neck, string her up with 10s; and do a complete setup. Do stay tuned for updates on this Yamaha ERG121C. Till we meet again in cyberspace, stay home, stay safe; and avoid crowded spaces.

1991 Ibanez JEM77 BFP

This is a genuine 1991 MIJ Ibanez JEM77 BFP (Blue Floral Pattern). I'm certain it's a 1991 based on the six-digit serial number engraved into the neck plate. It still has the original blue pickups, namely a trio of DiMarzios in a HSH configuration. Unfortunately, one of the bridge humbucker's coils has shorted out internally; effectively cutting its output by half. As such, the neck humbucker is way more powerful. Now, the owner wants these pickups retained, and so I'll be isolating the broken coil from the circuit; and swapping the neck and bridge humbuckers.

The electronics are totally shot, save for the barrel output jack; which appears to be brand new. I'll be putting in Alpha 500K pots, a CRL 5-way switch, K40Y-9 tone cap; and Gavitt wire. The over-sized black machine screws someone had used to secure the pickguard and cavity covers will be replaced with ones of a more suitable size. This means that I'll have to plug the old screw holes and drill new ones, but it's all part of the job. The original blue volume and tone knobs do not fit the Alpha pots, so I'll be putting on a pair of  black metric Strat-style ones; which should match the black CRL switch tip nicely.

All hardware, including the Lo-Pro Edge tremolo and locking nut; will be cleaned and lubed for optimum operation. Finally, this guitar will be set up with a set of 10s. You might have noticed that I have not included detailed specs concerning the JEM77 BFP in this post. For more information concerning this fine instrument, do check out the Guitar Chimp and Ibanez Wiki websites.

YouTube Videos: Demo One (Armz-3D) | Demo Two (Armz-3D) | Demo Three (Armz-3D)

Squier California Series Stratocaster Upgrade

This strat was bought used for a mere RM250, according to the owner. Besides needing a full refret, it was suffering from years of neglect. Work done on this guitar included the following:
1. De-rusting and polishing the bridge plate
2. Replacing the bridge mounting screws and saddles
3. Replacing the tremolo claw and springs
4. Repairing a previously-botched fretboard "repair job"
5. Replacing the output jack plate
6. Replacing the stock 18-spline control knobs with genuine Fender 24-spline ones
7. Full shielding
8. Upgrading the electronics/wiring
(Gavitt wire/CRL 5-way switch/CTS 250K pots/Sprague "orange drop" tone cap/Switchcraft output jack)