First time modding advice

Hayden

Hey everyone!

After a couple of years sabbatical from electric guitar after my beloved les paul got stolen. My wonderful girlfriend bought me this....

its a very pretty hollow body PRS replica. I love the finish as well as the weight and tone of the guitar. However, some of the components feel quite cheap and tacky and the action is way too high for my liking.

I would like to do the following to it:

1.) finish the F holes a bit better (it was cut a bit rough and is not in character with the rest of the guitar which is quite beautiful)
2.) Replace the pickups (the ones on there are really awful)
3.) Install some sort of passive acoustic pickup.
4.) replace all the potentiometers (these ones do not feel nice and are crackly.
5.) replace the machine heads
6.) replace the bridge (also, cheap and tacky)
7.) dress the frets and generally setup the guitar so that the action is lower.

Being a bit of a tinkerer, I would like to do all of this myself.

Where would the best place be for me to buy components from? (best being good quality components for less money)
Is there a good setup guide that you could recommend?

Cheers!
Hayden
P.s. if anybody wants a free epiphone les paul hard case you can come and collect it from me whenever you want. its taking up a lot of much needed space and nobody wants to buy it.

Chocklit_Thunda

Where are you located? I'm in need of a LP case for my Les paul repair project.

As for cheap parts, you can use EY guitar parts or GFSonline but I wouldn't recommend skimping on some parts.
Pickups, I'd say, depend on the price of the instrument. No use spending 1300 a pickup if the guitar is worth 3000 bucks. If it's cheaper (and you're not willing to splurge), look for a set of Toneriders, artecs, Duncan designed. If not then get the best you can afford without being forced to eat noodles for the next month.
For machine heads you can do the same. (I'm partial to wilkinson EZLoks)
Potentiometers, choose the one whose taper you most prefer. They're cheap enough that you can get one of each major brand to compare (Bourns, Alpha and CTS)
As for passive acoustic pickup, I'd steer clear. I'd rather get something along the lines of a fishman or LR Baggs or Graphtech piezo bridge and one of those small onboard preamps. Acoustic tone at the flick of a switch (or close enough) ? and that's also your bridge replacement done in one go

Also, I'd invest some cash in a good setup after. Get your nut cut properly, intonation set and action lowered and you're all set ?

AlanRatcliffe

Is that a Cort M800? Worthwhile guitar to upgrade - I'd go the whole hog - most things can be swapped back if you sell the guitar later. Also archtops are lots of work to rewire, so it's worth doing it once and doing it right. Switchcraft Switch and jack, good pots, pickups and wire. Also bear in mind, if you put in new pots, you're going to have to change the knobs for the coarse US spline ones.

On the piezos, passive is the way to go unless you want to rout control cavity/battery access in the back of the guitar - the small bodied archtops are bad enough to work on without trying to get an active system through the F-holes too. You'll still need a preamp/DI, but you can use a floor or belt unit. Graph Tech Ghost - specifically the wrap around NW-1. That'll also be a significant improvement on your bridge too (I have one on my PRS Singlecut and they're great bridges).

Tuners I'm a Schaller or Gotoh fanboy. Preferably locking.

Also add a Graph Tech nut to your list. Significant improvement over stock. Or at least get a proper bone nut. Also add Schaller Straplocks.

As to where to buy, you can try Music Connection who are the local Allparts dealers. Some stuff like pots you can get from a variety of sources locally. Otherwise find the best sources overseas - I buy direct from the manufacturer whenever possible.

Chocklit_Thunda

Are the Cort M800's not rear routed?

AlanRatcliffe

Chocklit_Thunda wrote: Are the Cort M800's not rear routed?

Nope. I think the M900 is, but not the 800.

Hayden

Chocklit_Thunda wrote: Where are you located? I'm in need of a LP case for my Les paul repair project.

As for cheap parts, you can use EY guitar parts or GFSonline but I wouldn't recommend skimping on some parts.
Pickups, I'd say, depend on the price of the instrument. No use spending 1300 a pickup if the guitar is worth 3000 bucks. If it's cheaper (and you're not willing to splurge), look for a set of Toneriders, artecs, Duncan designed. If not then get the best you can afford without being forced to eat noodles for the next month.
For machine heads you can do the same. (I'm partial to wilkinson EZLoks)
Potentiometers, choose the one whose taper you most prefer. They're cheap enough that you can get one of each major brand to compare (Bourns, Alpha and CTS)
As for passive acoustic pickup, I'd steer clear. I'd rather get something along the lines of a fishman or LR Baggs or Graphtech piezo bridge and one of those small onboard preamps. Acoustic tone at the flick of a switch (or close enough) ? and that's also your bridge replacement done in one go

Also, I'd invest some cash in a good setup after. Get your nut cut properly, intonation set and action lowered and you're all set ?

Hey, thanks for the reply. I will check those sites out.

I am based in Emmarentia, joburg if you are keen to come and pick up the case.

Hayden

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: Is that a Cort M800? Worthwhile guitar to upgrade - I'd go the whole hog - most things can be swapped back if you sell the guitar later. Also archtops are lots of work to rewire, so it's worth doing it once and doing it right. Switchcraft Switch and jack, good pots, pickups and wire. Also bear in mind, if you put in new pots, you're going to have to change the knobs for the coarse US spline ones.

On the piezos, passive is the way to go unless you want to rout control cavity/battery access in the back of the guitar - the small bodied archtops are bad enough to work on without trying to get an active system through the F-holes too. You'll still need a preamp/DI, but you can use a floor or belt unit. Graph Tech Ghost - specifically the wrap around NW-1. That'll also be a significant improvement on your bridge too (I have one on my PRS Singlecut and they're great bridges).

Tuners I'm a Schaller or Gotoh fanboy. Preferably locking.

Also add a Graph Tech nut to your list. Significant improvement over stock. Or at least get a proper bone nut. Also add Schaller Straplocks.

As to where to buy, you can try Music Connection who are the local Allparts dealers. Some stuff like pots you can get from a variety of sources locally. Otherwise find the best sources overseas - I buy direct from the manufacturer whenever possible.

Hi Alan.
I am actually not sure what it really is. It says PRS on it, its a similar shape to a PRS Hollowbody II. its got a whole bunch of garbage at the back saying custom shop and the PRS signature.

BUUUUT. I dont think it really is. I am pretty sure it actually came from a chinese luthier. the build quality is lovely. but because of the low quality parts and the poor finish around the F-holes I am convinced that it is a knockoff.

However it is still a damn nice guitar which has been beautifully built and has wonderful tone and sustain (and my girlfriend bought it for me so you would need to pry it from my cold dead fingers) So i think I may go whole hog with the thing.

There are no access panels at the back for a pre-amp. but if there is enough space inside for a small pre-amp then going with a piezo bridge may be the best option.

thanks for the advice!

Chocklit_Thunda

Great! I'm in benoni so it's not too far off. I'll send you a private message and we can organise a time.

A bit of my advice was under the assumption that this was a rear routed guitar so it isn't really applicable. I'd follow Alan's advice especially regarding the passive piezo and floor or belt preamp. It will save you having to do irreversible mods to your guitar.

Norman86

I have seen those copies online..
Does it have the carved back as well like the real prs, or a flat back?

but yeah, that not a cort!
the cort m800 / 900 / m custom have the 2 piece bridges, not wraparound bridge on them.