Epiphone DR-100 Acoustic - Part 1

Part 2 ▶

January 5, 2025. CA Guitar Repair. Taman Impian Ku, 25200 Kuantan.

The owner of this Epiphone DR-100 Acoustic has requested a string change and tuner upgrade.

OLP MM1F Restoration: Part Three

Related Posts

Part One | Part Two | Part Three

As I write this third post, the OLP MM1F has already been fully restored to gig-worthiness, thank goodness. I should mention that the guitar came fully shielded from the factory, courtesy of conductive shielding paint in the body cavities and metal foil on the underside of the control cavity cover. Here are three YouTube videos of this OLP MM1F being put through its paces by local crunchmeister Ku Ma and the owner himself:

OLP MM1F Demo – Clean

OLP MM1F Demo - Overdrive

OLP MM1F Demo - Locking Trem

Well, folks, that's about all I have to share about this wonderful guitar. Thank you so much for dropping by, I really appreciate your doing so. Till we meet again, stay safe, stay healthy; and keep on rocking the free world :)

 

 

OLP MM1F Restoration: Part Two

Quick Links: Part One | Part Two | Part Three

In the previous post, we took a brief look at what needed to be done in order to restore this OLP MM1F to gigging condition. And so, this post outlines just that. We'll begin with the pickups, then. A brand new DiMarzio DP151 PAF Pro® (neck) and DP155 The Tone Zone® (bridge) were wired in; coil splitting enabled by an NKK (Japan) DPDT switch. 

Complementing the upgrade were an Alpha A500K pot, three-way toggle switch; and Neutrik/Rean NYS229 output jack. Gavitt® single conductor braided shield cable was used for the master volume-output jack run. Other repairs/enhancements included a thorough cleaning and lube job for the hardware and Floyd Rose-licensed trem, a new "football" jack plate, hole plugging and sealing, fret dressing; and additional trem spring.

 

 

OLP MM1F Restoration: Part One

Related Posts 
Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Howdy folks :) This post is the first of three regarding the restoration of an OLP MM1F electric guitar. Now, according to Reverb, the OLP MM1F features a "basswood body, maple neck, jumbo frets, sealed die-cast tuners, Floyd Rose-licensed tremolo, dual humbuckers, single volume knob, 3-way switch, maple fretboard; and chrome hardware." I'd like to add that truss rod adjustment is at the heel, via a "spoke wheel" nut.

Which brings us to this particular MM1F. The owner says that it had been put aside for nearly ten years and was now in a sorry state. However, as he was planning to gig again; he needed the guitar back in shape as soon as possible. A previous owner had swapped the stock "zebra" humbuckers for a pair of DiMarzios: a DP151 PAF Pro® (neck) and DP155 The Tone Zone® (bridge). He'd also wired in a DPDT toggle switch for coil splitting.

There was lots that needed to be replaced and/or fixed on this guitar. For example, the electronics were badly corroded and basically unusable. Then there was the Floyd Rose-licensed trem ~ both pivot posts were in danger of disintegrating! Besides this, the frets needed to be leveled and recrowned (fret dressing). 

There was also a gaping hole on the top horn, marking the spot where the strap button had originally been. Perhaps the saddest discovery was that only one coil of the DP151 PAF Pro® was functioning; while both coils of the DP155 The Tone Zone® were dead and buried. Well, certainly time for new pickups. That's it for this post. Thanks for checking in. Stay safe, stay healthy; and I'll see you soon :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

2010 American Special Stratocaster® | Part 6

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Part 6

Photo Shoot

All good things must come to an end, and it's time to say goodbye to this 2010 Sunburst American Special Stratocaster. Now that the guitar's ready for some long-awaited action, good buddy Syed Azizi has revealed that he's gifting it to his son, Syed Aziq. The boy's overjoyed, as expected. What I did not know was that he's an aspiring jazzman. As soon as they got home, father and son did not waste any time recording audio and video; some of which you may enjoy below:

2010 American Special Stratocaster - Demo One

2010 American Special Stratocaster - Demo Two

2010 American Special Stratocaster - Demo Three

Hope you enjoy the videos, and the mini photo shoot pics below. I'll be missing this guitar, for sure. There's something about the look and feel of an American Fender Strat that's unforgettable. And so, till we meet again; peace on earth and goodwill to all men :)

 

 

 

 

2010 American Special Stratocaster® | Part 2

1 | Part 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Stratocaster Taken Apart

In the previous post, we took a look at the external features and specifications of this two-tone sunburst American Special Stratocaster®. Now that it's been taken apart, I've noticed a couple of things. For starters, the normal Switchcraft #11 output jack socket has been replaced with one that's "Made in Japan." 

Brass grounding plates have also been added to the undersides of the pickups, and a treble bleed circuit to the master volume. Besides these mods, the pickup and control cavities have also been shielded with copper foil; which is a rather nice touch.

2010 American Special Stratocaster® | Part 1

Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Specifications

Model Name: American Special Stratocaster®
Series: American Special Series
Finish: Two-Tone Sunburst
Body: Alder
Neck: Maple/Modern “C” Shape/Satin Urethane Finish
Fretboard: Maple/9.5” Radius (241 mm)/Black Dot Position Inlays
Frets: 22 Jumbo
Scale Length: 25.5” (648 mm)
Nut Width: 1.6875” (43 mm)
Hardware: Chrome
Machine Heads: Fender® Standard Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines
Bridge: Vintage Style Synchronized Tremolo
Saddles: Vintage-Style Stamped Bent Steel
Pickguard: Three-Ply Parchment/Black/Parchment
Pickups: Texas Special™ Strat® (Neck/Middle/Bridge)
Pickup Switching: Oak Grigsby Five-Position Blade
Controls: Master Volume/Tone 1 (Neck)/Tone 2 (Bridge)

Noteworthy Features

Large ‘70s Style Headstock
Large ‘70s Style Decal
Greasebucket™ Tone Circuit (Rolls Off Highs without Adding Bass)

Acknowledgements

This guitar has been authenticated by Fender Consumer Relations, who were also kind enough to provide me with the specs shown above. Thank you, Fender :)