SE Mods

[dbonanno]

hey guys, i was curious about how you guys got the headstock done with the eagle/signature-on-rosewood veneer/decal? Where'd you guys get that stuff? I guess my SE's headstock's looking pretty fine now, but damn, that PRS signature on my headstock will be like a dream come true for me! :cheers:

I found a couple gold vinyl signature logos on the internet and refinished the headstocks on my Tremonti SE Custom and SE245. After prepping the headstocks really good, I taped them up and sprayed black acrylic urethane, applied the vinyl decals and buried them with a 2k acrylic urethane clearcoat. Then I wet sanded using a sanding block and buffed them out to a nice factory finish. I think they turned out really good.

 

[Chris528]

Does anyone happen to have a black cap off 3 way toggle switch? PRS store has them, but you get whatever color they send. Have a cream one now and need a black one.

 

[lgk1208]

Does anyone happen to have a black cap off 3 way toggle switch? PRS store has them, but you get whatever color they send. Have a cream one now and need a black one.

Reads on PRS store that for $6 you get one of each.

 

[Chris528]

Those are forth the us ones which I though were different.

 

[maxtuna26]

I found a couple gold vinyl signature logos on the internet and refinished the headstocks on my Tremonti SE Custom and SE245. After prepping the headstocks really good, I taped them up and sprayed black acrylic urethane, applied the vinyl decals and buried them with a 2k acrylic urethane clearcoat. Then I wet sanded using a sanding block and buffed them out to a nice factory finish. I think they turned out really good.

wow man, that's some great stuff and lots of work! did you refinish the front and side of the headstock only or the whole thing? If you've done the back as well, what happens to the neck colour? do you just spray the whole neck as well or keep the original colour? How much did you pay for the headstock decals?

 

[maxtuna26]

Does anyone happen to have a black cap off 3 way toggle switch? PRS store has them, but you get whatever color they send. Have a cream one now and need a black one.

how bout you spray it black by yourself? anyway, i thought they will send you the black ones or cream ones as per your order?

 

[CoreyT]

http://www.plastidip.com/home_solutions/Plasti_Dip

 

[Norseman]

Where do you guys order these pre-slotted PRS US nuts or TUSQ ones? How much should I expect to pay? I've watched some videos on YouTube on how to replace a nut. I'm pretty handy and I enjoy doing my mods/work on my guitars myself ...makes me feel like I'm more a part of the guitar and vice/versa, so I want to try replacing the nut myself.

I don't have files, though, so you're sure I can get one pre-slotted for my PRS SE Custom 24? Can I get one slotted for 10's? The factory nut is slotted for 9's, and that is the problem I have with it.

 

[maxtuna26]

Where do you guys order these pre-slotted PRS US nuts or TUSQ ones? How much should I expect to pay? I've watched some videos on YouTube on how to replace a nut. I'm pretty handy and I enjoy doing my mods/work on my guitars myself ...makes me feel like I'm more a part of the guitar and vice/versa, so I want to try replacing the nut myself.

I don't have files, though, so you're sure I can get one pre-slotted for my PRS SE Custom 24? Can I get one slotted for 10's? The factory nut is slotted for 9's, and that is the problem I have with it.

yeah stock ones are slotted for 9's but i still put 10's on it, let it naturally wear down itself i guess, though it might not be ideal to do so. Some time ago i'd even put on 11-54 and 12-56 gauge strings! Since then, i've never encountered any major problems from the nut. I left it stock and went back to 46-10's and it played smoothly, only having minor nut binding that is only noticeable when i pick up my guitar for the first time every day. The thing never stays in perfect tune for more than a day, but i've learnt to live with it.

 

[Norseman]

My low E string is like sticking out of the nut - it's that tight. And I can't even look at the trem arm before the guitar goes out of tune. I don't know ...I was expecting more out of this guitar. I was hoping if I modify this nut for 10's it would stay in tune and I could be happy with it lol

 

[maxtuna26]

is it a 10-52 gauge or 10-46? I'd be surprised if it were the latter, mine fits in the nut snugly. you could use the fatter gauges for a couple months and after it wears down the nut wider, it'll fit nicely. the stock nut's materials aren't too stiff and solid so i'd say you could try it that way. could someone chime in on this? I'm not sure if it's an appropriate way to do so :/

 

[Norseman]

No they are 10-46. When I get home I can snap a pic of it and post it for you. I'm going to call Guitar Center and see how much their luthier would charge to just file the slots out to 10's for me.

 

[Victek]

I'm thinking of swapping out the cream colored pickup mounting rings on my SE Custom 24 (zebra HFS?) for black ones. Can someone give me a link? Thanks! By the way are these standard so any humbucker mounting ring set would work?

 

[maxtuna26]

No they are 10-46. When I get home I can snap a pic of it and post it for you. I'm going to call Guitar Center and see how much their luthier would charge to just file the slots out to 10's for me.

i see...well good luck with it anyways i do agree that the nut was pretty troublesome to me too at first.

 

[maxtuna26]

I'm thinking of swapping out the cream colored pickup mounting rings on my SE Custom 24 (zebra HFS?) for black ones. Can someone give me a link? Thanks!

not sure what link are you talking about, but oh well :dontknow:

if you mean the links to black pickup mounting rings, there are plenty of retailers out there, most popular choice would be GC, Musician's Friend and Allparts.

http://www.guitarcenter.com
http://www.musiciansfriend.com
http://www.allparts.com

if you're talking about links to pics of how it'll look like:

http://www.dawsons.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/926291.jpg
http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/smorgdonkey/media/ESP/IMGP0096-1.jpg.html
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-judGpPVTjrs/TiXQz0wDoVI/AAAAAAAABLs/BKoKoHfAs60/s1600/photo-734339.JPG
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qs2R0csC4wc/T_FkUAY10iI/AAAAAAAAGEE/33Q7JOQcMAs/s1600/decfmtbz.jpg

i'm only judging from your display pic that your guitar's in cherry sunburst, so I looked up for the sunburst ones, which are closest to that colour :/

 

[Victek]

"if you mean the links to black pickup mounting rings, there are plenty of retailers out there, most popular choice would be GC, Musician's Friend and Allparts."

It looks like they are a standard size so I'll probably be able to get them off the shelf at my local GC, thanks.

 

[maxtuna26]

It looks like they are a standard size so I'll probably be able to get them off the shelf at my local GC, thanks.

The standard generic ones will work, but the bridge pickup mounting rings need to be a thicker one. But mostly they come in a set unless you buy them individually.

 

[Norseman]

Here's a pic of my nut showing how the 10's are too big:

 

[maxtuna26]

Here's a pic of my nut showing how the 10's are too big:

i see it's only the low e string, how bout some diy work? you could try nut files or even sandpaper. Use the rougher grit paper (maybe 600 grit) sparingly, until the string slips in nice, use the finer grit ones (1000 grit) to smoothen the string channel.

 

[Norseman]

The other strings fit down in the nut grooves, but they are tight or something because if I even think of using the trem arm, they go out of tune. I was looking into nut files, but it looks like I'd end up spending around $70 on set. I called Guitar Center and one other Luthier I know and they want around $65 for this!!???

I really want to do it myself, but I don't feel comfortable doing it with like sandpaper or something. I guess I'd have to shell out the money for the files because I'm not giving a Luthier that kind of money for what should be an extremely easy job for them.