Turning a cheap strat copy into a gig-worthy axe - GFS Style

[Turbo7MN]

So a lot of you guys probably saw my thread about the GFS Boston Blues in Tools so I won't get into that here, I'll just post some pics. Here's the original thread (with my opinion on the mods towards the end).

http://jsguitarforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65928

Here's how it looked originally, next to the Bogen K15 I convereted for my dad and the homemade 112 cab.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/Turbo7MN/1.jpg

The sun was out so I got a few more of the guitar before I tore into it. This one does a good job showing the true color and woodgrain.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/Turbo7MN/2.jpg

Different angle.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/Turbo7MN/3.jpg

One more.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/Turbo7MN/4.jpg

Here's the original pickguard from the back. I don't think you could possibly get cheaper components than these.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/Turbo7MN/5.jpg

Here's the body after I removed the pickguard and before any modifications.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/Turbo7MN/6.jpg

Another

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/Turbo7MN/7.jpg

[Turbo7MN]

I didn't get any pictures of the routed body because honestly it looks pretty crappy under the pickguard. I also forgot to get one of the new pickguard after I finished wiring it. Here's a few of the finished product though.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/Turbo7MN/8.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/Turbo7MN/9.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/Turbo7MN/10.jpg

Finally, a closeup of one of the pickups. They look pretty cool, a very good match with a black pickguard.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/Turbo7MN/11.jpg

What do you guys think? Does it look better/worse?

-Darren

[Vizzue]

Tortoise shell would have looked good, I think, but you're right about the pickups. The color is pretty good looking on the black pickguard.

[Exothermia]

Looks pretty cool. Now you should get a nice allparts neck, that headstock is blinding my eyes with ugliness.

[Raycing]

Wow, I think the black pickguard is a great compliment for that blue wire shining through.
But the headstock does look lke a long boney finger

[ShiggityShwa]

That looks awesome, but IMO would look better with gold hardware. I like the black pickguard though.

[Turbo7MN]

I was kind of thinking gold hardware too. I wanted to make sure the tone was there before I decided to replace any of the hardware. After I get those 500k pots replaced with the proper 250ks I think a new trem, tuners, etc will be next.

[Peeb]

How's it sound? Looks nice..

[Turbo7MN]

The clean tones are some of the best I've heard. This is where the added brightness of the 500k pots is nice. Unfortunately with distortion the harsh overtones really start to come out. It's probably something that most people would be OK with but I'm obsessed so I have to fix it :). I just picked up some 250K CTS pots, and tonight or sometime this week I should have time to finish it.

[Sixstring]

Great looking axe! I like the mini toggles. I've got a guitar that has those and they can produce some cool combos you can't get with the 5-way. Nice job. :)

[Sloppy J.]

Those pickups look pretty nice with the clear covers, very unique. :006:

[Bean_Doodle]

I dig the pickup switches :D
Can you play with all three pickups simulraenesolsy? (that doesnt look right)

[FndrNO]

Awesome Darren! It looks much more beautiful now:)

[Turbo7MN]

Yeah, I can have all three on at once, as well as the bridge/neck combo and loads of different out of phase sounds.

I'm actually thinking my next upgrade for this guitar might be a 1-piece rosewood neck, PRS style :). It'll be pretty expensive but it would definitely make this a one of a kind strat and probably smooth out the sound a little more.

[Peeb]

How did the 250k pots do?

[Turbo7MN]

How did the 250k pots do?

An improvement for sure, but still not all the way there. I talked to the set up guy at the local guitar store and he said the harsh overtone could be a result of the wood or maybe the cheap hardware. Eventually it's getting a good vintage-style trem with a Callaham block, but all the upgrades to this guitar will come after I buy my tele, which probably won't happen until I finish a couple amps, which certainly won't happen until I fix my car :).

[AcesHigh]

An improvement for sure, but still not all the way there. I talked to the set up guy at the local guitar store and he said the harsh overtone could be a result of the wood or maybe the cheap hardware. Eventually it's getting a good vintage-style trem with a Callaham block, but all the upgrades to this guitar will come after I buy my tele, which probably won't happen until I finish a couple amps, which certainly won't happen until I fix my car :).

says in ur plrofile ur 17 and im 18 so i think we both have the same problem here....
i want everything and i want it now as soon as possible.... well not everything but alot of stuff. i have my car to keep running and i just bought a nice guitar(witch i eventually is going to mod. however its alway the samething once u have ideas.... both time and money is always catching up and hindering ideas.

and i think personaly if a guitar isnt to old(and fine at same time) they are worth modifying to be more personal.

chek out my ideas in this thread http://jsguitarforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=70159

[spoonbadger]

now there's a shameless plug if ever i did see one :rolleye:

just out of curiosity turbo, do those gfs pickups stand up to MIA fender stocks? im thinking about getting me some of them for my old encore.maybe put in some overwounds and get some tone going! rosewood neck sounds nice, you have got to post oodles of pics if you get one! good luck!

[Turbo7MN]

now there's a shameless plug if ever i did see one :rolleye:

just out of curiosity turbo, do those gfs pickups stand up to MIA fender stocks? im thinking about getting me some of them for my old encore.maybe put in some overwounds and get some tone going! rosewood neck sounds nice, you have got to post oodles of pics if you get one! good luck!

Ehh, kind of. They've got a bit different sound from what I can tell, but I've never played an MIA strat through one of my amps so I can't say for sure. I know the clean sound is pretty darn good, quality is certainly comparable to MIA if a bit different, the overdriven sound is great besides the nasty overtone thing. I may have to throw this stuff in a different body just to see if that's really the problem. I don't really care about this guitar for the time being anyway so it'll be a while before I get anything figured out.