Tag Archives: DIY projects
ProCo RAT 2, rebuilt
As I mentioned in an earlier post, one of my favourite bits of guitar gear is my trusty RAT 2 distortion, which I’ve had for a number of years and was even used as my main dirt box when playing live. It was one of the reissues that had a different IC chip from the originals of the 80s and 90s though, and the control pots had bothered me right from the day I bought it so I eventually decided to have it modded to the ‘original’ spec.
the poor light at this time of day messes with the colour balance. My carpet’s green and the LED’s blue, honest
The gain, filter and volume were really sensitive at the lower end of the range but if I tweaked the knobs above around a third of the way I couldn’t get any changes at all. It didn’t alter the sound of the pedal, but it made finding the right settings tricky. Fortunately I tracked down a knowledgable UK-based pedal tech who mods and builds FX boxes in his spare time and after some helpful e-mail exchanges he agreed to work on it.
Getting an old companion restored
My recent attempts at resurrecting a knackered old second-hand guitar pretty much failed after I realised I couldn’t fit the bridge and keep the thing in tune. It’s a shame to throw a musical instrument onto the woodpile (not literally in this case…yet) so I turned my attention to another half-broken thing I had lying around.
This is a 1989 Korean-made Squier Bullet that has much more sentimental value: I bought it second-hand at the age of sixteen with money from a part-time job. It’s the good old First Guitar that you can never bear to part with, no matter what happens to it. Despite various things going wrong on it I kept the thing regardless with the hope of making it playable again some day. And y’know what, I finally did.
My guitar DIY modification project part 3: circuitry
Now I’ve decided to go for a Fender Jazzmaster circuit and pickups, I’ve begun to sort out the electrical components required. Since this is a first-time project I’m not very confident in my own skills; furthermore I have a smaller Squier Stratocaster body to work with, and don’t really feel the need to have the full Jazz circuit with all those separate rhythm and lead controls. It’s going to be a configuration of two pickups, a master volume and tone, and a three-way selector switch; similar to the Telecaster I suppose, but with those distinctive pickups (which will be the most expensive and therefore will probably be the last parts I’ll buy). With the structural aspect of the instrument up to a satisfactory standard (that annoying bridge screw exempted) I now feel ready to start the wiring.
My guitar DIY modification project part 2: replacing the bridge
Here’s a healthy tip for anyone who is thinking about replacing a guitar’s vibrato bridge: before you start, for your own sake check the dimensions of the trem block, string spacing and positions of bolt/screw holes. Not all companies’ parts are made to the same specs which I’m sure is obvious but even bridges made by the same company can vary. That’s right: my “All Fender’s parts are standard size and shape, from guitar necks to cutlery in the factory canteen” assumption was a bit optimistic. It’s a simple enough design but they can’t resist making variations on the theme…
The positions of the six screws that hold the bridge plate in place on my Squier Strat are actually a tiny bit closer together than the replacement, which I’m guessing is made to fit the bona fide Fender instruments. This made fitting the bridge plate a nerve-wracking experience, which I hope won’t affect the sound or tuning stability; fortunately everything else went (more or less) JUST AS PLANNED but it’s something I’m quite annoyed at myself about.
