NGD: 2003 TV Yellow Gibson Melody Maker Project Guitar

[RAILhead]

UPS delivered the newest addition to my fold today: a TV Yellow Gibson Melody Maker, born January 29, 2003, in Nashville, TN. :aok

Previously owned by Mike (here on TGP), when I saw it for sale, I couldn't resist! It was wonderfully beaten up and in need to some TLC, and I thoroughly enjoy taking in-need guitars and making them the best they can be.

For starters, the frets are in BAD shape! Dents and dings all over the place -- so I'll for sure do a complete fret level and dress. The nut is in decent shape, but I'll finesse it (or replace it) after I get the frets done. The electronics are fine, of course, as this guitar's only 9 years old. I don't like Nashville bridges, so I'll be replacing it with an ABR-1 -- probably with an extra Callaham steel tailpiece and bridge I have laying around in the shop. Tuners are fine, though I may replace them for full size tuner keys with an extra set I have. There's a dent in the back of the neck that I'll either leave alone, fill-in, or sand smooth. Not sure yet.

All in all, I can already imagine I'll be spending just under, or right at, what I paid for it to fix it up -- but I'm okay with that! My goal is to get this sucker to be a main player, and I love project guitars.

Until I get started, here's a single pic of her. As I progress through the renovation, I may throw pics up here if anyone is interested in my fret work methods, etc.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMaker01.jpg

[guitaristanyc]

Hmm....might want to mod that with some strings!

[Last]

I've always been a fan of the P90 loaded MM's. Especially when it's a factory install.

I've not tried a TV Finish just yet but I do have the product & a guitar in mind if I ever catch up to doing my own guitars again.

If you're the same member here I'm thinking of you've had some amazing transformations to be sure!

Can't wait for the updates.

[RAILhead]

Hmm....might want to mod that with some strings!

Hah, for sure. Yanking strings is always the first thing I do when I know I'm going to work on the guitar -- I should have taken the pics before I did that, though! :D

[RAILhead]

I've always been a fan of the P90 loaded MM's. Especially when it's a factory install.

I've not tried a TV Finish just yet but I do have the product & a guitar in mind if I ever catch up to doing my own guitars again.

If you're the same member here I'm thinking of you've had some amazing transformations to be sure!

Can't wait for the updates.

Yep, I'm looking forward to hearing this puppy -- I didn't even plug it in and try it yet, because I want to fix it up first. I'll be doing the fret work tomorrow, and I'll snap some pics here and there. :aok

[DrumBob]

I played one of those in red a couple weeks ago, and it was very snappy, as you would expect a Melody Maker to sound. I think that snappiness had something to do with the thin body. In any event, it played well.

[vortexxxx]

Is that really a Melody Maker? If I didn't know better I would have thought it was a LP JR.
TV Yellow rules!

[omfg51]

It ain't got no strings mate........ how d'ya play it......

[craigoslo]

I almost bought that guitar. I had dreams about it but my wife helped me decide that I don't need a new guitar right now (cries a single tear).

[RocksOff]

I've got a black one that I bought the year they issued them. Really cool guitar!

[RAILhead]

Starting the fret work today! Here are a few process shots, some of which I took after I had already taped (sorry).

1. The first thing I do is get an idea of the height of the frets. I do this for a couple of reasons. One, I like to know where I start so that I can compare it to where I end up after sanding all the frets level. On this guitar, there are several really deep dents, so I'll be removing quite a bit of wire. Second, I base my nut slot depth on the final fret height, and I can use the start height to determine if I'll need to replace the nut in case the slots are already too deep. I don't have to know that at this point, but I've just gotten into the habit of doing it in case I need to order a nut.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno01.jpg



2. Next I confirm the radius. This is a pic where I forgot to take the shot when I checked it. Obviously you check on the bare wood, not over tape, but at least you get the idea. I need to know the radius so I know which sanding block to use so the frets conform to the fingerboard radius.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno02.jpg



3. Next I make sure the neck is as level as I can get it. Again, I forgot to take the pic when I did it, so here you see me doing it over the tape. Sorry! I should also mention that you don't do this with the guitar resting on it's neck as you see in the pic -- you hold it up so there's no pressure on it.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno03.jpg



4. Now I start taping the fretboard to protect it...

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno04.jpg



5. Here's the neck totally taped up. I also tape along the length of the neck and all around the back because the fret dust can leave residue that can sometimes be a huge pain in the butt to clean off. Notice, too, the tape over the pickup -- you only let steel wool and fret shavings stick to a pickup once, then you learn your lesson. :aok

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno05.jpg



6. And now I start blacking-out all the frets with a Sharpie. Once I start sanding, I'll keep sanding until I remove the Sharpie from the top edges of all the frets -- that's how I know I've sanded down to all the lowest dents while maintaining the proper radius. I'll show that in the pics to follow once I get started later today.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno06.jpg



More to come...

[theruley]

I remember looking at this guitar in the for sale section one night, and was within an inch of snatching it. I figured Id better sleep on it though, next day it was gone.

Good to see it getting some lovin' though. I'll be watching this.

[RAILhead]

Starting the sanding now, continued from above...

7. I run the whole length of the neck with my 12" radius sanding block until the tops of every fret come clean. In this pic, you can see a portion of the deep dents in the frets.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno07.jpg



8. I've continued to sand until I have sanded enough of the tops off the bad frets to where I know I can still create a nice rounded fret top and side. In this pic, you can see some of the black ink still visible in the dents -- but that will be taken care of when I start crowning and rounding, so I'm not worried about it.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno09.jpg



9. This is a little trick I learned from Earlewine that I did once to try, and now I do it all the time -- especially on angled necks. Since the upper register is always the worst for fret rattle, I spend extra time falling off those frets so that they're just a little bit lower than the rest. I do this by taking 3 sheets of paper, folding them in half, then putting them between the 14th and 15th fret. As I run my sanding block over these frets, the paper slightly angles the stroke of the block so that a little more material is taken off.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno10.jpg



10. Once I've done the fall off, I re-black all the tops, and lightly hit everything again just to ensure I have all the tops hit the way I like. After that, I use my fret rocker tool to do a preliminary check to make sure I did, in fact, properly level all the frets.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno11.jpg



11. Now it's time to start crowning the frets so they're nice and round and smooth. There are a million tools out there to do this, but after dozens of guitars, I find that my favorite tool is the good ol' sanding stick.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno12.jpg



More to come...

[Clapton is God]

Very cool! Keep the pics coming.... Where'd you get the sanding stick? What grit do you use?

[OM Flyer]

I've owned two of those P-90 MMs, and regret selling each of them. Great way to get your "Junior" on, with better intonation and less weight!

[RAILhead]

Okay, the fret job is finished for the night. Continuing from above...

12. I use my sanding stick with 3 different paper grades: 320, 400, then 600. I sand the sides, rounding the fret, leaving only about 1/64 of a stripe in the center (some people like a flatter fret, others like even smaller). After doing this with 320, I re-black the frets, and do it all over again with 400. Rinse repeat for 600.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno13.jpg



13. After this is done, I use my 600 grade to sand off the top stripe, exposing the last of the rough spots on the crown, as seen in the first pic below. I take care of this with the tip of the stick and 400/600 grade paper, getting things to what you see in the second pic.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno14.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno15.jpg



14. Now the monotonous part of the process really kicks-in. From here on out, I use my 600 grade sanding stick, 800 grade paper, and 1000 grade paper to smooth each fret by hand. I hit the sides, fret ends (no sharp fret ends, please), and the top. The finer grade paper will reveal any areas that are still too rough, so I just spot-touch as needed. After the paper, I use micro sanding pads ranging from 1500 to 12000 grade on each fret. Lastly, I hit the frets with 0000 steel wool.

During this process, I sand the length of the fret, not the length of the neck. On tough spots, I hit an area in a circular motion, but I always correct the scratches to the fret length.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno16.jpg



15. Here's a shot during the final stages of the fine sanding/polishing process. At this point, any imperfections are so superficial that you won't feel them -- but from here, one could hit each fret with a polishing compound on a dremel pad just to really shine things up. I did that once, then I used that guitar over the weekend -- and a lot of my hard work had been diminished because my strings were dulling the pretty shininess. Hah. Also, the "scratches" you see on the frets are actually fibers from my terry cloth -- I hadn't wiped things down when I took this pic.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno17.jpg



16. And here she is, all wiped down with naphtha!

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno18.jpg



Next on the agenda:
- Check out the condition of the nut
- Replace the Nashville bridge with an ABR-1
- Replace tuners (potentially)
- Address the ding in the back of the neck
- ???

Stay tuned for more tomorrow or Monday! Glad some of you seem to be interested, so I'll keep posting on this. :aok

[televox]

Thanks, this is very informative. Looking forward to more!

[vortexxxx]

I would leave the tuners because they look vintage correct and they look great with that guitar. Most vintage JRs, Melody Makers, Specials had those type of tuners.

[RAILhead]

I would leave the tuners because they look vintage correct and they look great with that guitar. Most vintage JRs, Melody Makers, Specials had those type of tuners.

Yep, I know that, but I'm not worried about it being vintage correct -- I just prefer the larger keys for function's sake. We'll see, though. :aok

[arcey]

Great post! Please continue to the final result.

[RAILhead]

Continuing from above, and starting preliminary work on the string nut...

17. Now that frets are all level and dressed, I can get to work on the string nut, checking to see how the slots are in relation to the new fret height. Before I leveled the frets, they were .050 tall. After leveling to remove the deep dents and dings, they now measure out to be right at .047 (first pic). I have a set of nut slot files from Stewart MacDonald, and I have one file for each nut slot -- all matching (fairly closely) to my preferred string gauge of 10 (second pic).

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno19.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno20.jpg



18. I like my action to be pretty low, and here's how I set my nut slot depth...

I know my frets are now .047 high, so that's my starting point. Since my high E is the smallest string with the most shallow slot in the nut, I always start there. So, I take my fret height (.047) and add .01 to that, which gives me .057. I'm lazy and only have even-numbered feeler gauges, so I round that down to .056 -- and .056 becomes the target nut slot depth for my high E string. If I want to get even lower action, like on my guitars with shorter and wider frets, I'll only add .007 or so, rather than .01.

I use the stacked feeler gauges to serve as my depth stop, and then I slowly and carefully start filing into the existing slot until the file hits the feeler gauge. Sometimes the file goes straight to the gauge because the slot is already too deep -- and depending how bad it is, the whole nut may need to be replaced. I'll deal with that later, though. :D

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno21.jpg

As I move toward the bass side, I add .02 to the depth stop, so, in this guitar's case, my target nut slot depths become:

E = .056 (.009 over 1st fret)
B = .058 (.011 over 1st fret)
G = .060 (.013 over 1st fret)
D = .062 (.015 over 1st fret)
A = .064 (.017 over 1st fret)
E = .066 (.019 over 1st fret)

That's pretty low action -- lower than Gibson's specs, but as I said, I like low action. If the frets, neck, and bridge are setup properly, you can get low action with no issues. And again, even lower action is possible.



19. Once the filing is done, I smooth the slots with 1000 grade sandpaper. This is a bone nut, so I have to make sure I don't cut the slots any deeper -- even 1000 grade will eat away bone with no problems. I'll sometimes use my feeler gauges to make sure I don't sand too deep, even.

The goal here is to make a smooth floor in the slot, as well as slightly widen the slot toward the top to avoid pinching the strings. The height of the nut over the the string has a huge impact on this -- but I'll save that for the next installment once I get my bridge installed.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno22.jpg


In this pic, you can see how wide I like to make the slots -- just barely wider to where the string moves freely:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno23.jpg


After a little bit of work, the whole nut is sanded smooth, and she's ready for a final polish! Notice, too, how I slightly bevel the edges of the slot wall so there aren't any sharp corners. This is just another way to help fight string pinching. :aok

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno24.jpg



NEXT...

- I'll replace the Nashville bridge with a proper ABR-1. I'll be using a Callaham conversion ABR-1 which will require I pull the studs -- and there's a horribly simple way to do that, which I'll show. The bridge may not arrive until the 29th, though...
- Once the bridge is on, I'll check the nut clearance over the strings and file accordingly.
- With the bridge on, I can set the proper action, neck relief, and intonation.
- There's a nasty little bugger of ding in the back of the neck I want to address, as well:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno25.jpg



Stay tuned!! :aok

[RAILhead]

And we're back! I installed the ABR-1 and did the action and relief. Here we go...

20. I'm going to skip ahead for a second to after I have the bridge installed and the guitar strung-up. I mentioned about checking how much the the nut extended above the strings, and that I would address it if needed after I had strings on, etc. In this iPhone pic and from this angle, you probably can't tell -- but the D G B and E strings are all below the top of the nut. Personally, I don't like this because that can lead to string binding. HOWEVER, if the slots are wide enough and the edges not sharp, on angled necks like Gibson uses, this isn't an issue.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno32.jpg



21. Now onto the bridge. I just really hate Nashville bridges...too big and bulky...cheap looking... so I usually replace them with ABR-1s. I've been a Callaham user for years, and I use his ABR-1 Conversion Bridges when I do this (I'm also using his new steel tailpiece on this guitar).

To install this bridge, I have to replace the Nashville studs with the conversion studs, which means I have to pull the old ones out of the guitar. This sounds worse than it is, and here's a painfully simple way to do it. Notice the little piece of scrap screw I have cut, sitting next to the Nashville post in the pic below? That's the secret. Cut yourself one to be about the same length as the threaded area on Nashville post.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno33.jpg


Now, drop it into the post hole...

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno34.jpg


Now start screwing the Nashville stud back into the post hole. Do this slowly and with even pressure, making sure to NOT wiggle around. As you get tighter, the post hole sink will begin to magically rise out of the guitar, like so:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno35.jpg


Repeat for the other side, and you're in business! Here's a pic of the the bridge that came with this guitar (it had aftermarket saddles) next to the installed ABR-1.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno36.jpg



22. Now we get to extra fun part of seeing how low we can get our action, which lets us know how well I did on my fret job. :aok

I string up the guitar, stretch the strings a bit, and lower the bass side of the bridge until I am right on top of 4/64". I do the same for the treble side.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno37.jpg


Next I check to see how my nut filing left my string clearance. Did I nail it? YOU BET! I'm right on top of 1/64" on the bass side, and dead-on 1/64" on the treble side, just where I want it. :aok

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno38.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno39.jpg


The next thing I do is set my neck relief to where I like it, which is almost flat. Since I don't have a third hand, I couldn't take a pic -- but here's what I do on my guitars:

1. Capo the first fret.
2. Hold the bass E string down at the last fret.
3. Adjust the truss rod until I measure .010 at the 8th fret.

If I did my work properly, I should be able to play all over the neck without any fret-out, buzz, etc. And for the record, I NAILED IT. :dude



23. The last thing I do is tweak the stop bar, because I like my strings to be as slinky as possible. A simple way to reduce the stiffness just a tad is to flatten-out the break angle between the stop bar and the bridge. So I just play around with it until I find the sweet spot for my playing style and comfort, and here's where this guitar ended-up (for now):

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno40.jpg


It's worth pointing out, as well, that you have to make sure the break angle doesn't let the string to hit the back edge of the bridge. The string should go directly from the stop bar onto the saddle. If you find your guitar has the string hitting the bridge edge, just raise the stop bar until it clears.



NEXT...

- I have replacement pickguards on the way: a new, think black, and a new, thin cream. We'll see.
- I'll fire her up and see if need to make any electronics changes.
- I'll do something about the ding...
- What else? Thoughts? Ideas?

[Clapton is God]

Superb work and flawless write-up. I'm looking forward to what you do with the ding. Carry on!

[Peteyvee]

Where did that pickguard come from? I have one of those and it never had a pickguard on it. Ms Vee found it for $200 with this 90s Cali girl case...sorry for the crappy cell phone shot.

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz18/peteyvee/IMG00014.jpg

[RAILhead]

Superb work and flawless write-up. I'm looking forward to what you do with the ding. Carry on!

Thanks! I'll keep posting as I tweak!

[RAILhead]

Where did that pickguard come from? I have one of those and it never had a pickguard on it. Ms Vee found it for $200 with this 90s Cali girl case...sorry for the crappy cell phone shot.


This year's model shipped with a Les Paul Jr. pickguard, and my replacements are coming from WD Music.

[megawzrd]

Nice workm thanks for all the informative freatwork photos.

They are awesome guitars?
I love my red one...guess I will have to take her out of the case tonight.

[Mr. Bliss]

Stupendous work :bow. I really like what you've done with the nut in particular - lost count of how many lower end Gibsons I've seen with a shoddily cut nut.

Love the stud removal trick too.

[RAILhead]

Thanks! More to come soon!

[RAILhead]

Slight update! I got the replacement pickguards in today, and my wife and I are indecisive as to which we like better. As I've mentioned before, I'm not worried about being "accurate" or adhering to any old or current look -- I'm just trying to get the guitar how I like it. She's leaning toward the cream and so am I -- then 2 seconds later, I like black. Haha.

Thoughts? Maybe I should start a new poll thread...

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MMPickguard.jpg

[Jura]

I'd go with the black.

[Clapton is God]

Black, to match the knobs and pup cover.

[RAILhead]

Back again! I decided to go ahead and fill-in the ding in the back of the neck since I knew it'd bother me -- it was right behind the 7th fret, right where my thumb slides. I should say up front that this is a TOTAL hack job, and nothing I'd do on one my expensive guitars -- or a client's guitar. I am NOT a finish repair guy by any means! If this was just a dent in the clear coat, that's an easy fix -- but this ding was pretty deep into the wood, and the wood was smashed hard enough to flatten the fibers to where I couldn't steam the dent out. AGAIN: my goal was removing the dent, NOT making it look cosmetically good! With that said, here's what I did to get the neck smooth...

20. I first tried steaming the dent out by swelling the fibers. You do this by wetting the dent, then using a soldering iron against a wet cloth on top of the dent. It only marginally helped around the outer edge -- but the dent, which looked like the tip of a phillips screwdriver, just wasn't going to budge.

After trying that, I decided to drop fill it. My wife paints with acrylics, and just so happened to have a bottle of Empire Gold paint, which was actually pretty dadgum close to the TV Yellow color. I cleaned out the dent, then applied the paint to the crater:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno26.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno27.jpg



21. To drop fill, I used good ol' Super Glue. Not only is Super Glue easy to sand and polish, it sticks to just about anything -- and it would hold the paint in the crater. I used gel on this, adding enough to make a little bump I'd have to sand down after it dried.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno28.jpg



22. A few hours later, it was dry, so I got started on sanding it smooth. My main goal was eliminating the dent, not repairing the finish, so I didn't do any masking -- I just went to town on it until I got it smooth. As a result of not masking, I removed paint from the surrounding area. Again, I wasn't worried about this on this guitar -- and this isn't something I'd do on an expensive guitar, or a client's.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno29.jpg



23. I then used the acrylic paint applied by jamming it into the grain, wiping it off, jamming it into the grain, wiping it off, repeat, etc., etc. That got me to the point:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno30.jpg



24. I then used various and sundry sanding pads and polishes to smooth everything out, and in short order, the dent was now virtually impossible to feel. Here's how it ended up:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno31.jpg



She looks pretty bad, but that wasn't my goal -- my goal was eliminating the dent on the neck, and that was accomplished. I almost didn't post this for fear the outcome of this would negate all the rest of my work, haha. That said, 5 minutes of color mixing and I could have gotten the yellow more accurate -- and masking would have kept me from having to touch-up such a huge area.

:aok

[RAILhead]

I am now, officially, calling the TV Yellow Gibson Melody Maker Renovation project complete. :D

Today I swapped the stock P90 for a Lollar Standard, and I added a set of knob maker bezels. For the foreseeable future, I will leave the pots and cap just they way it came to me, as it sounds fine the way it is.

She's killer! :dude

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno41.jpg

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MelodyMakerReno42.jpg

[arcey]

Black, without a doubt...JMHO

Slight update! I got the replacement pickguards in today, and my wife and I are indecisive as to which we like better. As I've mentioned before, I'm not worried about being "accurate" or adhering to any old or current look -- I'm just trying to get the guitar how I like it. She's leaning toward the cream and so am I -- then 2 seconds later, I like black. Haha.

Thoughts? Maybe I should start a new poll thread...

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20078/MMPickguard.jpg

[Jdstrat]

What a great thread to read through. Thanks for taking the time to document your steps. I need to invest in some fretworking tools...

[RAILhead]

Black, without a doubt...JMHO

I settled with black for now. Thanks for the input! :aok

[RAILhead]

What a great thread to read through. Thanks for taking the time to document your steps. I need to invest in some fretworking tools...

I appreciate the words! It's great to be able to work on your own guitars. :aok

[theruley]

change the pickup cover to white too and I think the white guard would look sweet.

[Ed Alvarado]

Nice job RAILhead and thanks for sharing with us!

[Stringrazor]

Really enjoying your detailed pics and descriptions, please continue!

[jacksonburn]

I have this exact guitar that I got in a trade from another forum member. It's all stock except the previous owner put an RS wiring kit in it. The way the guitar cleans up with the volume knob is incredible, even with the stock Gibson P90. Such an array of tones with the twist of a knob. It has become one of my favorite guitars. The RS kit might be a mod to consider...

[ASATlove]

Bought one of those for my son a while back, great little guitar! Tone monster. I bought it off of the "Scratch and dent" sale at Sam Ash for $120.00. The tone circuit didn't work. Got it home, took the back cover off and reattached the wire that came undone.

[RAILhead]

I have this exact guitar that I got in a trade from another forum member. It's all stock except the previous owner put an RS wiring kit in it. The way the guitar cleans up with the volume knob is incredible, even with the stock Gibson P90. Such an array of tones with the twist of a knob. It has become one of my favorite guitars. The RS kit might be a mod to consider...

I will probably swap the electronics, though I run this guitar on 10 for everything. Haha :D

[vortexxxx]

Regarding steaming, you usually wet the cloth and not the wood and then use something hot to get the steam to go into the dent.

[RAILhead]

Regarding steaming, you usually wet the cloth and not the wood and then use something hot to get the steam to go into the dent.

The key is to generate steam, and either way will work if the fibers aren't too damaged. I always wet the dent, then use a wet both with a soldering iron.

[vortexxxx]

The key is to generate steam, and either way will work if the fibers aren't too damaged. I always wet the dent, then use a wet both with a soldering iron.


I'll give your method a try next time I need to do that.

[RAILhead]

Slight update...

I went ahead and replaced the stock pickup with a Lollar Standard Wind P90, but didn't mess with the electronics (and I don't think I will). I took her to rehearsal last night, and HOLY CRAP, I couldn't get enough of the gain-tone I was getting from the guitar + my Shiva. It was absolutely beautiful! Haha.

This just solidified my new love for P90s all the more! :dude