Modified Monday

[justmund]

In the spirit of Private Stock Friday and Ten Top Tuesday, let's get a thread going dedicated to modified PRS guitars and amps. It doesn't matter if it's a pickup ring swap or a complete refinish, just as long as it's different from the day it left the factory!

Post pics of before and after, with descriptions of the mods (and reasons if you wish), and bonus points for works in progress shots.

I'll get the ball rolling with my PTC modified DC3, it ended up with 3 x narrow 408s (actually 2 x bass 408s and 1 x Paul's Treble to be precise), a 3-way blade to select bass, bass/treble or treble, a push-pull to activate the middle pickup, plus 3 x mini switches for the coil "tapping" of the 408s. That adds up to 24 different pickup combinations, hence the nickname "624". Skitchy did all the work :adore:

Before:

After:

At the PTC all taped up prior to routing:

I took a peek under the bonnet...

That's a lot of wires!

and of course the most important mod of all...

Ok let's see 'em!

 

[gush]

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Hope I did it right but here is my modified monday entry. 1997 CE24 with 5708 squabbins, new fulcrum screws and phase II tuners. It also has push/pulls on vol and tone to split pickups by themselves. I played it quite a bit at our gig saturday night.

 

[CJM3175]

My first PRS... an SE Paul Allender. From this picture you can see I added metal volume&tone knobs (cuz metal > plastic), and handmade pickup rings from Germany that really add to the character of the guitar (not to mention blend nicely with the EMG's).

Next I added a TUSQ nut and Schaller Locking Tuners... german made, heavy, always stayed in tune!

My final mod was predictable, since I never use my tremolo I put in a Tremol-no. The sustain lasted for days... o how I miss Talia.

 

[CoreyT]

All of my SEs have been modded with new tuners, the Planet Waves Autotrim tuners, with the exception of the Zack Meyers, it has the Gotoh Locking Tuners Vintage 3x3 Nickel tuners, and the Tone Pros locking studs for the bridge.
And all of my guitars have Schaller Strap Locks on them.

The 408 I put the Ebony tuner buttons on it, very easy to do, almost easier than replacing the strap buttons.
Stock on the right, the ebony ones on the left side in the first pic.

Another shot of half and half.

I like the looks of them on the 408 over the nickle ones.

Now when my Kingfisher bass arrives, it is staying stock with the exception of Schaller Strap Locks, and a drop tune tuning peg for the E string.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I'll never understand why some people insist upon ruining their guitars with modifications :iamconfused: ... The negative effects on resale value alone is enough for me to keep all of my PRS stock from the factory as Paul intended!

If you want to tinker with pickups or something just get a kit guitar or a partscaster to mess around with. Once you break that first solder joint or install a TRC with a non-factory spec screw the guitar is worthless... you might even scratch something.

 

[gball]

Here's mine:

A 2013 S2 Mira that's had DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge and PAF Pro neck pickups installed. Since this pic was taken I had to put a new volume pot in the guitar and at the same time changed the knobs to black barrels because I like the way they look on it better. I also think my original pot was defective from day 1: The guitar sounded great right out of the box and was much improved with the pickup swap. Of course I thought it was pretty strange for a volume pot to die in less than a year of ownership. I dropped a new volume pot in there and cleaned up some of the wiring while I was at it (the S2's are a bit sloppier than other US made guitars) and when I fired it up the difference was staggering. The sound just opened up and became more complex, rich and expressive. My already great sounding Mira became something truly special and I was really pretty shocked by it. I used a Gibson historic 500k pot that I already had on hand, just reused the cap from the original. The taper is a great match for the DiMarzios.

 

[wardog]

all i can say is "DESIGN ON A DIME" lol

 

[László]

I'll never understand why some people insist upon ruining their guitars with modifications :iamconfused: ... The negative effects on resale value alone is enough for me to keep all of my PRS stock from the factory as Paul intended!

If you want to tinker with pickups or something just get a kit guitar or a partscaster to mess around with. Once you break that first solder joint or install a TRC with a non-factory spec screw the guitar is worthless... you might even scratch something.

Serg, it goes way beyond that.

Modding a guitar is an antisocial act that undermines societal norms and is a first step toward the collapse of civilization.

Research has shown that the collapse of the Roman Empire was caused at least in part by the modification of musical instruments (which the Romans referred to as cithara modificatio), and not as some believe, by such causes as a burgeoning Germanic population that was pressured to migrate in its turn by tribes like the Huns, or having its own population weakened by plagues and a malaria outbreak in the 4th Century.* The result of this cithara modificatio? nearly 1000 years of reversion to subsistence farming, dependence on primitive beliefs instead of a strong central authority, and chaos.

It is also unsettling to note that in chaotic periods of history the masses do not dress well. I would suggest going into any Wal-Mart or shopping mall today and comparing how people dress with photographs of similar places merely 50 years ago to see with your own eyes how our society is falling into disorder.

The mere fact that we, a presumably civilized society, tolerate our own cithara modificatio is clear evidence that the world is going to Hell in a hand basket, and we should have none of it. The first step in restoring a truly civilized society to glory is to refuse this practice.

Don't even get me started on the deleterious effects of tolerating Rock and Roll or Jazz. Or the wearing of blue jeans, T-shirts, and (especially) sweat pants in public!

A musician should wear a suit, tie, play only classical music on a stock instrument, and show a little respect!

*Effects of Cithara Modificatio and the Collapse of Roman Civilization, LSchefman, University of Northwestern Detroit Press (1993).

 

[John Beef]

All four of mine have some sort of modification. I don't have time to go into all of them right now, but maybe I can do one per week.

We'll start simple: the Mira. This is the only guitar I have not changed a thing except the strings and strap locks. However, I bought it second hand and the previous owner put pickup covers on the stock pickups.

 

[László]

All four of mine have some sort of modification. I don't have time to go into all of them right now, but maybe I can do one per week.

We'll start simple: the Mira. This is the only guitar I have not changed a thing except the strings and strap locks. However, I bought it second hand and the previous owner put pickup covers on the stock pickups.

And you see the wicked result!

 

[Chris528]

Stock

[/URL]
Upgraded all electronics & nut to USA, PRS \m/ pickups, mini toggle for cool tapping and a kill switch.

 

[toothace]

This is bad...very very bad! I have to agree with Sergio and Les...if this doesn't stop, and SOON, I am afraid civilization as we know it will cease to exist. Anarchy will rule the streets. Cats and dogs living together...Pet hysteria!!!

 

[László]

This is bad...very very bad! I have to agree with Sergio and Les...if this doesn't stop, and SOON, I am afraid civilization as we know it will cease to exist. Anarchy will rule the streets. Cats and dogs living together...Pet hysteria!!!

You see what I'm sayin' here!

One has to resist the temptation to do such devilishly attractive mods!!

 

[sleary]

Prs S2 cu24 with Emg JH pickups .

 

[László]

Prs S2 cu24 with Emg JH pickups .

"I wonder what he used the wrench for?" thought Les.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I'll start from the beginning, out of seven PRS and SE's I don't have a single one that hasn't been molested.

1993 CE Maple Top.





Metal rings 'cause I don't like plastic, sour-switch instead of tone knob, Extra-Jumbo frets and the remainder of the flaking neck finish removed all done by Frank Falbo of SD and Falbo guitars, Graph-tech saddles, Vintage Rip-Grip in trem cavity to quiet those springs, lampshades, and a big ol' scratch.

No before pics because that was before I started taking pictures of guitars.

 

[justmund]

No before pics because that was before I knew how to take pictures of guitars.

Fixed it for you! (I know, Bastid!)

That's the spirit guys, I'm hoping for a brand new installment next week! It had better be done because I'm heading away for 6 weeks on work/holiday then.

 

[Tim]

Modified Munda-day!!!

 

[sleary]

"I wonder what he used the wrench for?" thought
Les.

Killing spiders because that wrench wouldn't touch my guitar lol

 

[justmund]

Modified Munda-day!!!

I see what you did there!