Before You Start…
Whether you need to fix something, or want to more dramatically change and ‘re-voice’ your instrument, you need a plan. What is it you want to achieve? What is it that you want to change in the first place?
It’s at this early stage that we can easily fall into a trap of believing that buying a new part will transform our guitar, when in fact a good setup and general clean might be all it needs. So, give your instrument a chance. Spend some time tweaking it to its full potential.
If you’re not experienced in setting up your guitar, ask a knowledgeable friend, or take it to a garage – that is your local guitar maker or repairer. You might find that what your instrument was lacking before its dose of TLC has now disappeared. Simple things such as changing the type of strings you use, going up or down a gauge, or dialling in your pickup heights, might do the job.
If you can, listen, play and evaluate a friend’s guitars. What do you like? What don’t you like? Be honest, at least with yourself. Quite often, ownership makes
us blind. everyone has their favourite local takeaway and, of course, it’s ‘the best’. The question you need to ask is simply, is there a better one just around the corner?
There is another fundamental question and that’s whether carrying out any mods will really get you what you want. The money spent on new parts (and perhaps getting a pro to fit them) could go towards a better guitar. Think before you mod!