SE Mods

I've done quite a few mods to my SE Custom22 semi hollow, but I'll have to wait to accumulate enough posts here before I try posting pics. More to come!
 
Okay, I've made the requisite 3 prior posts, so methinks I can share some pictures of my modded SE?

Meet my Angry Angel. Under the covers the pickups are the stock 85/15 "S" and the new bridge is a TonePros. I had the truss rod cover made by an artist in Canada and the locking tuners are from Mann. Ebony knobs and buttons from various eBay sources. Schaller strap locks.

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Okay, I've made the requisite 3 prior posts, so methinks I can share some pictures of my modded SE?

Meet my Angry Angel. Under the covers the pickups are the stock 85/15 "S" and the new bridge is a TonePros. I had the truss rod cover made by an artist in Canada and the locking tuners are from Mann. Ebony knobs and buttons from various eBay sources. Schaller strap locks.

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Great job.
 
Thanks, guys! I had a lot of fun with this. I tried to stick only to appearance mods, as the tone of the 85/15s is great out of the box and so easily shaped with effects pedals, but the solid bridge had to go. I know PRS engineered it to the nines and it was probably silly of me to replace what is undoubtedly a masterful design but I had to have a bridge I could intonate per string. Just a quirk. ;)
 
I can see the pics on every device I view here on. I assume others can see them?
Your pictures link to a googleusercontent.com URL, probably your Google account photos folder - which, I suspect by definition for default privacy, no one else can see them.

I don't know how easy it is to enable public access, or perhaps you can upload to Photobucket or Flickr or similar.
 
Your pictures link to a googleusercontent.com URL, probably your Google account photos folder - which, I suspect by definition for default privacy, no one else can see them.

I don't know how easy it is to enable public access, or perhaps you can upload to Photobucket or Flickr or similar.

Strange, my pics have worked from my google photos account before. See here...

http://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/exotic-top-ses-in-europe.22644/

No options I could see in google photos to change public/private access. I'll try photobucket.
 
Okay, I've made the requisite 3 prior posts, so methinks I can share some pictures of my modded SE?

Meet my Angry Angel. Under the covers the pickups are the stock 85/15 "S" and the new bridge is a TonePros. I had the truss rod cover made by an artist in Canada and the locking tuners are from Mann. Ebony knobs and buttons from various eBay sources. Schaller strap locks.

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Looks great! Everyone loves a blackout!
 
@Spinland

I suggest to put a piece of thin black felt into the f-hole. It will get stuck with the wood without any glue and can easily be removed. Just more black for your black guitar! Here's mine with felt attached:

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Unfortunately, this is not recommended for guitars with other colors. With a black f-hole, my Trampas Green SE Zach Myers does NOT look very sexy..
 
I just grabbed an SE Soapbar II last week and have started modding it. While my main band is hard rock/classic metal, I also have a recording band that does "Americana" type music - think Tom Petty meets John Cougar with some Skynyrd thrown in. During my great gear purge of last year, I foolishly sold my Gretsch Duo jet. That "great Gretsch sound" is crucial to the core tone I like to have for those songs. I have had a couple of Velas, thinking they would get me there, but they don't - at least not stock. I was looking at modding a Vela with some TV Jones pickups, but that's a project for later on. I figured I would try a "budget" project first, so....

I installed some GFS Nashville Minitron pickups. That right there got me about 95% there. I ordered the "vintage" output set and they are just enough too weak to where I am thinking about ordering the "hot" Nashville - but I haven't decided. I will be ordering some of the Mann Made SE phase II style tuners and amber lampshades. I need to replace the nut (first time ever on an SE) because the high E slot is too deep. I want to replace the bridge because it seems to be tilting forward. Is this "normal" for SEs? I had a Bernie a few years ago and don't remember that happening....

I am considering getting the guitar refinished in a flashy Gretsch-style sparkle, but at that point the guitar will no longer be a "budget" project, lol - plus the sunburst looks pretty sweet as is.

I have no pictures yet since I just got the guitar Thursday. Once it is done, I'll take a few and post them up.
 
I want to replace the bridge because it seems to be tilting forward. Is this "normal" for SEs?

From what I've read the solid stoptail does have that tilting issue. Mine had a bit of tilt even after only being a few months old. Not sure how large a tone problem it introduces, opinions vary, but in my case I swapped mine out for a TonePros with locking studs. I already wanted a bridge that lets me set the intonation per string, and I know there are other sources (Mann, PRS itself) but I got a killer deal on the TP from someone unloading a US model on eBay (TP sent me the needed metric studs, no charge, so props to them) so I jumped.
 
This is the one I believe you'll want:

http://www.tonepros.com/avt2m-tonepros-wraparound-set-wmsprs-locking-studs-for-prs-santana-models/

I got the AV2P and the studs were US threads so I had to get the metric replacements. Note that the one I got was a crap ton cheaper than that, which is why I jumped on it. Might be worth looking for some bargains rather than getting it from TP direct.
The TonePros locking studs are good. The bridge is a huge pain in the ass to string, and the break angle means the strings slide around on saddles (even well notched). I am back to the stock SE non-adjustable bridge using the TP studs.
 
The TonePros locking studs are good. The bridge is a huge pain in the ass to string, and the break angle means the strings slide around on saddles (even well notched). I am back to the stock SE non-adjustable bridge using the TP studs.

I agree, stringing the TP is curse-worthy—but not quite as bad as with a Floyd Rose. ;)

I just pop the bridge off and run the strings through it then pop it back on, which works well for me. On the sliding I haven't personally encountered that with mine, at least not yet, but I expect a lot of variables come into play. I've retained all the original hardware because, well, you just never know. o_O
 
2017 SE Ltd Edition Custom 22 Semi-Hollow Zebrawood.

I decided I didn't like the Amber knobs when as soon as the guitar arrived so i replaced them with Gold Speed knobs instead.

I then thought that some brushed pickup covers would look much better than the stock Zebra pickups. For anyone interested, I bought some raw nickel covers, polished them up, then brushed them using 3M pads to get the subtle brush effect. (worth noting on the S85/15 pickups the pole spacing is 50mm on both neck and bridge pickups)

I think the only other mod I may do will be to fit some locking tuners. Not sure it'll make much difference with a fixed bridge though.
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That looks awesome (now that I can see it)! That zebrawood has fantastic coloring and grain.
 
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