Retrofitting a CU22 with Graphtech Ghost?

[jeztone]

My new band is very much Skunk Anansie meets Fleetwood Mac. I'm starting to need piezo sounds. Have tried the pedal simulators & think real Piezois the way to go.

Anyone have experience of modding one?

 

[Dusty Chalk]

PTC said they'd do my 7 string as soon as I give them my guitar...sorry, no experience, but I appreciate the need and I trust the PTC.

 

[justmund]

Yes, did a trem on a CE22 and a stoptail on a SE CU22 Semi-hollow.

What do you need to know?

 

[wardog]

i did the graphtech ghost on my se zach meyer semi. best mod i have ever done. if you are good with wiring and schematics go for it. i would go to graphtech site first and see what size the circuit board is and figure out if you can get it and a battery in the control compartment. the se zm had plenty of space. i also got the push pull tone pot for the graphtech. nice darker sound on the piezo for added options. i also modded it with a mira base and tremonti bridge pickup and coil tapped them. with the zm having 4 pots i switched the controls to a master tone and volume for the magnetic pickups and then used one hole for the 3way switch for mag, both mag/piezo and piezo. last control hole was used for the vol/tone pot for the piezo.

her are picks of the mod, don't have one with recent pickups installed

in this pick you see the leads from the bridge, i have since drilled a hole under bridge and then into bridge pickup pocket to make this a permanent mod

 

[justmund]

Here's the CE22, pretty bad pic... I drilled 6 holes in the trem and ran the wires down from the saddles, into the trem cavity and into the electronics cavity. Everything fit but it was pretty tight from memory. I ran a stereo output on this one, a 3-way mini-toggle replaced the original 3-way, and the other mini-toggle is mag/both/piezo.

The SE semi was a bit easier, I just made 6 small notches (with a dremel) in the bridge pickup cover and ran the wires through there. I didn't go any switching and just ran a stereo output, and the piezo volume replaced the tone pot (this is my Dad's, and he doesn't use the tone knob). If you plug in mono, the volumes just work like a blend.

 

[Whitz'End]

i did the graphtech ghost on my se zach meyer semi. best mod i have ever done. if you are good with wiring and schematics go for it. i would go to graphtech site first and see what size the circuit board is and figure out if you can get it and a battery in the control compartment. the se zm had plenty of space. i also got the push pull tone pot for the graphtech. nice darker sound on the piezo for added options. i also modded it with a mira base and tremonti bridge pickup and coil tapped them. with the zm having 4 pots i switched the controls to a master tone and volume for the magnetic pickups and then used one hole for the 3way switch for mag, both mag/piezo and piezo. last control hole was used for the vol/tone pot for the piezo.

her are picks of the mod, don't have one with recent pickups installed

in this pick you see the leads from the bridge, i have since drilled a hole under bridge and then into bridge pickup pocket to make this a permanent mod

I've got a ZM on the way and am planning this same mod. It appears that the ghost saddles will fit the ZM bridge so I may swap them into it. Great job on yours. That cavity is nice and tidy. The other mod I might do with it is making a new cavity cover with a battery box in it.

 

[wardog]

I've got a ZM on the way and am planning this same mod. It appears that the ghost saddles will fit the ZM bridge so I may swap them into it. Great job on yours. That cavity is nice and tidy. The other mod I might do with it is making a new cavity cover with a battery box in it.

Not sure on the saddles fitting the zm one. U will need to drill holes in bridge for saddle wires. I think is is why I got the graphtech bridge.

 

[Liquidsunn]

The SE semi was a bit easier, I just made 6 small notches (with a dremel) in the bridge pickup cover and ran the wires through there. I didn't go any switching and just ran a stereo output, and the piezo volume replaced the tone pot (this is my Dad's, and he doesn't use the tone knob). If you plug in mono, the volumes just work like a blend.

I'm actually planning to add graphtech ghost to the exact same guitar. Does it look like it'll have enough space to add the 3 way switch and a piezo volume pot in there?

 

[justmund]

I'm actually planning to add graphtech ghost to the exact same guitar. Does it look like it'll have enough space to add the 3 way switch and a piezo volume pot in there?

Hmm can't remember sorry!

 

[studiobill]

I also added the ghost piezo bridge to my Zach Myers. I rewired the pickups to have 2 volume and one tone control. I then used the spare tone pot as the volume control for the piezo. That way the guitar looks completely stock.

 

[Jazzedout]

I have done this to a Custom 24 I had.
I have tried to give as much details for the way I have done in this thread here:
http://www.vintagerocker.com/forum/showthread.html?18918-Custom-24-Graphtech-piezo-install
Sorry to put a link to another forum, but this is to much to copy/paste here...

 

[sixstringspaz]

I just completed the Graph Tech Ghost installation on my 2005 Swamp Ash Special. Since I still had some questions (about things not covered in existing posts), I documented the mod, start to finish here: