SE Mods

Draconomics said:
I rather like stoptails myself. Didn't start using a trem equipped axe regularly till last year.
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New to terms, but I think it comes down to, how do you like to bend? With fingers or bar; one or two notes or whole chords. A seminar tone to three or like a dive bomber. Nothing wrong with either option. Just a matter of preferences.
 
Draconomics said:
Typically you just block the side facing away from the bridge. I suggest setting up the trem to be in a decked configuration (no float). I do want to ask before we go crazy on the trem, why do you want to block it? Are you having intonation issues?
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No good reason whatsoever. Tuning is good, intonation seems fine. I just kinda want a hard tail. This particular guitar did have some issues that lubing the nut seemed to fix. It’s trem is ever so slightly more finicky about staying in tune when the trem is used, as compared to the S2. Honestly I seldom use the trem on either.
 
theDeepender said:
New to terms, but I think it comes down to, how do you like to bend? With fingers or bar; one or two notes or whole chords. A seminar tone to three or like a dive bomber. Nothing wrong with either option. Just a matter of preferences.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I agree. Reminds me, I had an old injury on the middle finger of my left hand that caused bends to pull the finger meat away from the nail, such that I'd start bleeding. With the trem I've learned to use that to help take some stress off my bending finger. Its been fun too learning how to do all the Satriani esque trem tricks.
 
aamefford said:
No good reason whatsoever. Tuning is good, intonation seems fine. I just kinda want a hard tail. This particular guitar did have some issues that lubing the nut seemed to fix. It’s trem is ever so slightly more finicky about staying in tune when the trem is used, as compared to the S2. Honestly I seldom use the trem on either.
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Right-o. I only asked because I had similar problems on my 35th SE, and was actually somewhat regretting buying a trem equipped guitar. I swapped the nut for a self lubing Tusq and swapped the saddles for Mannmade ones. Those fixed everything and now its stable and works like a charm. Now I like using it.
 
Draconomics said:
Right-o. I only asked because I had similar problems on my 35th SE, and was actually somewhat regretting buying a trem equipped guitar. I swapped the nut for a self lubing Tusq and swapped the saddles for Mannmade ones. Those fixed everything and now its stable and works like a charm. Now I like using it.
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Thanks - I was afraid I’d end up going that route. I’m sure I’ll replace the nut a some point. Otherwise, all good as long is a don’t do slack string dive bombs. The S2 is a studio, and it sounds cool with the trem, so the CU22 seems the choice for hard tail. I suspect I’ll end up leaving it alone though.
 
aamefford said:
Thanks - I was afraid I’d end up going that route. I’m sure I’ll replace the nut a some point. Otherwise, all good as long is a don’t do slack string dive bombs. The S2 is a studio, and it sounds cool with the trem, so the CU22 seems the choice for hard tail. I suspect I’ll end up leaving it alone though.
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Its a pain, but I do recommend replacing the nut...any major dude on here will tell you I dont like the SE nut material. It plays grabby with strings too much and is too soft. Switching to a Tusq nut has always solved most intonation issues I've had with SE's. Strangely on my 35th, the saddles were doing screwy stuff with the intonation. My A string had the stock saddlle backed all the way to the edge of the bridge plate, and it was still sharp. :(
 
I bought a new Santana SE this year from The Guitar Vault with a great flame top that sounded good stock.
I ended up having @John Mann install one of his Mann Made brass bridges… big difference in all tones
then I installed a pair of PRS 245 pickups..
I also installed a set of locking tuners I had from Planet Waves….
then a set of cream knobs that go to 11..:p
and a treble bleed resistor& cap on the volume control . Perfect highs when you roll the volume down….
now a great sounding guitar that stays in perfect tune when using the vibrato trem…….
 
Draconomics said:
Yeah, seems no matter what I do the machine heads start lifting the vinyl. I guess just have to do it slowly while pushing the vinyl in.
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On this latest one my son suggested smearing the slightest bit of petrolium jelly under the nut before tightning, it worked, not sure if it was dumb luck of if thats the answer we've been searching for, just wipe away any excess before you restring it.
 
My Bernie's mod list:

Gotoh locking vintage style tuners (easy drop-in)
New USA PRS pots
New USA toggle switch
All new wiring (the good cloth covered variety)
Suhr Doug Aldrich pickups

This thing is rock solid, and "My LP"
RbKrQW7.jpg
 
Rod Welles said:
I bought a new Santana SE this year from The Guitar Vault with a great flame top that sounded good stock.
I ended up having @John Mann install one of his Mann Made brass bridges… big difference in all tones
then I installed a pair of PRS 245 pickups..
I also installed a set of locking tuners I had from Planet Waves….
then a set of cream knobs that go to 11..:p
and a treble bleed resistor& cap on the volume control . Perfect highs when you roll the volume down….
now a great sounding guitar that stays in perfect tune when using the vibrato trem…….
Click to expand...
What style of treble bleed did you use. I tried out three different types and settled on the Kinman type.
 
theDeepender said:
What style of treble bleed did you use. I tried out three different types and settled on the Kinman type.
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It was the values for humbuckers listed on the Seymour Duncan site. Can’t remember them offhand.
I’ve tried many and these values perfectly lowered the pickup frequencies. No harshness, no loss of bass.. no fancy orange drops.
 
I don’t want to derail - yet this seems a good spot for the question:

If a guy wanted to troll the used market for an SE single cut, what model(s) should one look for, especially if he wanted to try out the shorter LP / McCarty type scale length? And, to keep it in the spirit of the thread, what mods ought he consider? (Yes, referring to myself in the third person past tense. Not sure wtf for)
 
Draconomics said:
Yeah, I agree. Reminds me, I had an old injury on the middle finger of my left hand that caused bends to pull the finger meat away from the nail, such that I'd start bleeding. With the trem I've learned to use that to help take some stress off my bending finger. Its been fun too learning how to do all the Satriani esque trem tricks.
Click to expand...
Try bending with your 2nd finger instead of your middle finger.. lot more control that way and you can put your middle and first finger in back of it while bending it further add strength
 
Rod Welles said:
Try bending with your 2nd finger instead of your middle finger.. lot more control that way and you can put your middle and first finger in back of it while bending it further add strength
Click to expand...
I need to learn to do that more. I dunno why, but the middle finger always ends up being the primary bend finger.
 
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