Not really a mod, but I guess this forum is best. Here's the final step in the "wooden dress" of the Zencaster:
I think the bubinga will be a nice match with the raw mahogany. But I'm not gonna do a wood pickguard. No way. Uh uh. Wouldn't be prudent at this juncture.
old grown bubinga? The new stuff kills tone
do I look like I know what I'm doing?
Dude, not only old-grown bubinga, but reclaimed from the bottom of an Asian river where it was accidentally dumped 300 yers ago... it drips both mojo and tuberculosis.
(Okay, they call it "bubinga,"... I suspect it's really mahogany/luan, but I'm just going for the color match.)
Well, I couldn't find the $485 Silver Rock Audiophile wood knobs. Apparently they've been discontinued.
Prices on the originals must be skyrocketing!
But, maybe you need these now for the Prince G.
http://www.audio-consulting.ch/Woodlenses.htm
Several guitars in different colors
Things to make them fuzzy
Things to make them louder
orange picks
I think wooden lenses would really dry my eyes out.
Jim- I've been meaning asking aboy the little doodad behind the bridge on your current Zencaster avatar.
What is that?
"Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
Elvis Costello
Woodlenses! Whoah... stylin'! And what's a little physical instability in the pursuit of metal-free tone?
Neo, that's a recent cosmetic thing, too. It's a cloisonne yin-yang symbol I've had on my bulletin board for about 20 years.
GJ, those look really nice. I'm sure they look fantastic on the Zencaster.
I think you still need that wooden pickguard, though. And...do they make wooden pickup covers?
As for wooden stereo knobs for improved sound and "woodlenses"...I've stopped being surprised at the snake oil hardcore audiophiles will spend their money on. Any market that can support $7,000 speaker cables is way out of control.
"I haven't slept for ten days...because that would be too long." -- Mitch Hedberg
$7,000 cables = insanity.Originally Posted by elicross
$7,000 interconnects = better sound.
Several guitars in different colors
Things to make them fuzzy
Things to make them louder
orange picks
I thought I could see the familiar black/white there.
How's it held in place?
Hyde glue?
Vintage slotted head screw?
"Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
Elvis Costello
Woodlens.
"I haven't slept for ten days...because that would be too long." -- Mitch Hedberg
Van der Waals forces.
Several guitars in different colors
Things to make them fuzzy
Things to make them louder
orange picks
It's Dan Erlewine-approved SuperGlue... the pin is one of those with a pin that comes straight out of the back that engages a separate clasp... drilled a tiny hole, put in a drop of Super stuff, and tapped it in place. It's not goin' nowhere.
I'm stopping with this. A strat needs a plastic pickguard. I think that all-wood look is nice when the guitar is rear-routed, but the wood guards look to me like it's not really a playable guitar, but a decorative item one made in one's home shop.
Hey GJ, got any more pics of the Zencaster?
Sure... here it is with its best pal before the Great Unpleasantness.... and just before getting its new Taoist badge.
Jim,
Those knobs should add some nice contrast to the pickguard. How will you survive without the numbers?
He's got sustainably harvested ears.Jim,
Those knobs should add some nice contrast to the pickguard. How will you survive without the numbers?
"Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
Elvis Costello
Literally LOL'd on that one.
Man, that's a gorgeous guitar.
"I haven't slept for ten days...because that would be too long." -- Mitch Hedberg
What were you doing at the bottom of an Asian river 300 years ago?
I know you dont want to do the wood guard on the Zen,but heres a possible alternative to the wood guard thing ..get a roll of wood veneer facing.Just apply adhesive and glue it to a regular pickgaurd and then dremel the holes and edges, sand and stain and you have your mahagony wood pickguard.I don't even know if it would work, but
The roll of veneer is still to expensive though at Parts Express, maybe it can be found cheaper elsewhere.
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=260-044
Is that a rub-on finish, GJ?
Yep. Watco Danish oil and beeswax.
An update:
These knobs arrived today and they do not fit a regular split-shaft pot as advertised. I might be able to get them on with a block of wood and a hmmer, but I'm not doin' that.
Can't you drill the hole out and use em that way?
BTW they look like a great match to your strat, which looks flipping sweet. Ever think about having custom made wood pickup covers? Might call for a custom guard but it would look cool as hell!
Actually, Lisa says they look stupid, so drilling them out isn't an option.
Also, I'm too old to remanufacture anything ever again. I've had it with junk that says it fits and then doesn't.
Yeah, I hate when that happens.
I had the same trouble with ordering kluson-type tuners to retrofit without drilling into American Series instruments. I ordered two different sets from two different companies who alleged they would fit, and they didn't. Sucks.
OK, I recant....
Today I had a half hour to kill, and I decided I thought the knobs looked cool (despite Lisa's warnings), so I drilled them out and installed them. It took five minutes....
But here's the weird thing. I figured that I choose the right size drill bit by finding one that the stock Fender knobs slid on to tightly, just like the pots. But that bit didn't removed enough stock from the new knobs... that is, i actually had to make a slghtly larger hole in the plastic bushing inside the bubinga knobs than the hole in the Fender knobs to get the same fit.
So, maybe the plastic knobs flex more or something?
I dunno. Anyway, the Z-caster is even more hippie-fied than before. If anybody tells me they look Deadhead-ish, they're coming right off.
Maybe if you had done the finish in patchouli oil instead?
Several guitars in different colors
Things to make them fuzzy
Things to make them louder
orange picks
Oh, wowwww, man....
... you just blew my mind.
Don't be too quick to rule out hemp oil....
"I haven't slept for ten days...because that would be too long." -- Mitch Hedberg
hey man you got pics of the new knobs? I wanna see what these look like if I ever decide to build my own warmoth type strat in the near future. :)
joob, I'll grab some tomorrow.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
There's plastic within the bubinga?
What th...?
Umma...
How, how can that... ?
Your knobs have a plastic soul.
No.
Just no, man.
"Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
Elvis Costello
Here are the knobs:
I dunno. I kinda like them, but because of the color they almost feel too big. So, I might try one more thing before I declare the guitar finished... ebony mini-knobs, just plain, straight barrels with a white dot indicator.
But then I'm done. Fretting over details like this makes me a little tired.
I was just joshing about the plastic inside those earthy knobs.
On one hand, I think ebony would look great against the gray pearl.
Better? I dunno.
On the other hand, the bubinga is a real close match to the mahogany.
On another hand, I just captured the phtoto and checked it out, largely
You really got it right.
From this point on knob choices will just offer tiny degrees of nicerness.
How do they feel, grip-wise, versus the trad Strat knobs.
"Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
Elvis Costello
I knew you were joshing, dude. And I know I've gotten to the hair-splitting point with this thing... tiny degrees of nicerness, for sure.
They actually feel really good under your fingers... a nice curve, and the smoothness feels good, too.
Thanks for the "got it right" comment. I've developed a weird "bond" with this guitar. I've never really been emotionally attached to a guitar, but this one, now, is just so completely mine that i really have lost desire for other guitars. Those are somebody else's guitars. This is one mine.
Deep down, I really am disappointed that there is plastic in them thar bubinga knobs.
Just doesn't seem natural.
It's almost like learning there's a coating under a sonically magic lacquer finish.
"Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
Elvis Costello
I think ebony would be cooler..... Jes saying.
Tommy.
Then comes the Abalone...
you're a just a few steps away from a guitar that could be called something like "Wolf"
NO abalone!
The dots are abalone, and that's all.
I'm not taking those final steps toward lycanthropy.
i think I'll probably end up with the ebony.
I'm certain that many long years ago, I've sustainably harvested a guitar or two that were underneath bongwater.
Several guitars in different colors
Things to make them fuzzy
Things to make them louder
orange picks
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