Guitar Hard-modding?

[Sic]

well, i find myself in posession of an electric guitar that doesn't have a future. It's a Peavey Predator Plus 7, and it used to play like a dream (it probably still would, save for a few 'features')

It has 4 things that i find undesirable in a guitar, but i bought it before i knew what guitar was right for me.

• floyd rose tremolo
• 3 pickups that don't work

so, i'm looking for a new project and have decided to try and breathe new life into the old dog, and am looking for advice from any budding luthiers out there.

first off, i want to know if it's possible to rip out a floyd rose and replace it with a static bridge. i've had a quick google, but nothing conclusive. secondly, i want to know where i can buy a standard fixed bridge to screw (?) into my guitar to replace the FR. thirdly, i'd like some nice pickups (2 'buckers and a single coil, to be precise) and i don't know what i'm looking for. preferably some of those gems that are really cheap, but still really good

really appreciate any advice/links anyone can offer.

 

[Bigpops]

Don't take out the floyd rose. If you hate it so much, block it off (so it doesn't move) with some pieces of wood by the block where the springs are. You can then remove the locking parts of the nut, and the only Floyd like function that will remain, will be the way the strings fix at the bridge. Plus, this way you don't leave an massive unsightly hole in the guitar

The pickups should be an easy swap. You just have to find some you like (i'm not too "up" on pickups currently). Unless you have some very tricky wiring, even a novice at soldering should have no bother.

 

[Northwind]

Pickups... Older Gibsons, like the 490s etc that come in SG Specials, are pretty cheap but undistinguised. I'd say go for 2 good pickups rather than 3 cheapo ones. I'm assuming you're playing rock, maybe a used Duncan Distortion in the bridge and a Hot Rails in the neck.

Having said that, I bet you a pound it's your wiring, unless there's been some actual trauma to the guitar... Pickups don't often fail, and for all 3 to fail is incredibly unlikely, even with Peavey build quality being what it is. Bin it all, it was rubbish even when it worked Get CTS or CGE pots for preference, both good brands. Nothing automatically wrong with far-eastern electronics but those brands are reliable, and it doesn't cost much more to use good parts.

What I would do myself, if I had a guitar with a factory floyd that I didn't use, would be to block it like the previous poster.. 5 strings held tight, and a block of wood under the bridge. It'll still have the tone issues that floyds give you (especially licensed pot-metal ***** like is probably fitted to that Peavey) but at least it'll not take you a week to change strings

Or...

This is tons of work, and'll cost you for materials. Makes practically no sense, in other words. It's one thing with a ****ed guitar that'd have some value repaired, quite another when you're completely destroying the value of a guitar that you could sell to help fund a new one. But I know the appeal of the daft project

Just had a wee look, and it's a flat top from the looks of things... You could block the tremelo holes with suitable timber (don't use sawn pine from B&Q The only time I ever did this, I used kiln-dried mahogany from a modelling shop, to undo a horrific Floyd Rose install into, of all things, a Les Paul Special) Just basically means cutting and sanding as few pieces as possible till they fit as tightly as possible, cleaning out the paint, and fixing the new wood into the hole. This will never be as good as original wood, but if done right it'll be solid. I used some toxic-smelling glue that the old repair guy had left in the shop

Then, sand the whole thing back to the wood- use a machine, detail sander if you have nothing better- and respray- for obvious reasons, if you don't you'll have a horrible patch of wood, and sanded through finish all over.

Then, drill and fit bridge- you need to be absolutely certain it's going in the right place, I'd use something like one of those one-piece Tele bridges for preference as Tune-o-matics and the likes are sods to fit, you really need a pillar drill. Warmoth are a good place, or Allparts.

I do not recommend you do this, it's insane. But, you know, you can if you want...