Plastic film on Guitar and Bass parts: Leave it on?

I've seen this entry's question hundreds of times, and have been asked about it many times: "Should I leave the protective plastic on my guitar/bass pickguard, back plates, and covers?"

Let's look at both sides of the answer, then I'll share my own answers...

On the "yes" side
• It looks nice when the protective film is on the pickguard/part. Especially if someone has been shredding heavily on the guitar... that way I know that when I take the film off, the plastic will look nice and new...
• If the pickguard really is new (not "It's new, I swear on my old dog Yeller's grave!" new..) I want to sell it as new and give the customer the fun and joy of "that new pickguard look" when they pull the film
• It's there for a reason: to protect the pickguard/part while it is in shipment, and possibly while it is in the guitar/bass store - folks kind of expect not to have a scratched pickguard when they buy a new instrument.
• I like the information stickers, like "Made in the USA!" and "Pull the tone knob for more sounds!" or "Inspected by Fred!".


On the "no" side
• If you leave the film on long-term, it leaves a hard-to-remove residue on the part.
• In some instances, the cheaper PVC-based films will actually eat into the plastic and leave etching in the part... not pretty, and very hard to remove...
• Some folks think that if they play a guitar for a year with the film covers on, they can sell it as "new."
• Enjoy your guitar/bass! Just enjoy it and don't worry about pickguard scratches. That's why the old-timers call them "scratch plates."

My Opinion
I have spent hours trying to remove the residue and etching from three-year-old plastic sticky film. There have been instances where the part/pickguard can't have the film removed at all - it is fused to the part...

If I have a brand new pickguard or part in a factory-closed bag, or if I have a pickguard or part that has just recently been pulled from a new instrument, I will leave the plastic/pvc protective cover on before I sell an item.

If the part is not new, or is not in its original packaging, I remove the plastic film. If the item is from an inexpensive guitar, I definitely take off the film. I don't want to leave someone else with the task of scrubbing the part or potentially having permanent etching in the part.

Spring is here, and so are the new bone nuts

Working on a Stagg SG copy for a local fellow... The nut was backwards (we're converting from a lefty to a righty) for its new use.

This particular nut slot and height is not the usual thing, so using a pre-shaped blank didn't work... none of the ones I had from StewMac or GuitarPartsResource or others would work in one way or another...

So, what does one do? One starts with an oversize blank and cuts it down to the right size. Next, shape, slot, and polish.

Voila.

Here's our nut as it started out:




Here's our nut shaped and slotted, but before cleanup:

Not a mod post. Just a couple of interesting pictures...

There's a lot to like about Ibanez guitars. Sometimes the little details are pretty neat.

For example:

Black pearl double-sharktooth inlays on a rosewood fretboard... Nice.

Here we are in the low registers of the neck:




Here we are at the 12th fret...

Fun With Pot (well, really - Opening up a Potentiometer)

I recently received a new CTS/Fender 250kOhm potentiometer via online purchase through the mail. Unfortunately one of the ears was broken completely off and was nowhere in the package. This particular pot would have been of no use to me. (Customer service sent me a new one right away, with no fuss. It was a wonderful experience.)

P.S. Don't try this at home with a good potentiometer, it might not work when you put it back together - disclaimer and all that.

So, just for fun and to show everyone what's inside, I tore it open and took some pictures - I thought the parts were very interesting.

First, pull back the little ears on the pot body to allow the potentiometer to come apart:




Now pull off the top bezel and the ear contact plate:




Now with most of the inside assemblies pulled apart:




And now a look at the insides and the back of the pot (with manufacturer, and date code):





I really like CTS pots for guitar and bass work. There are other good ones, too, but CTS seems to be very reliable and even supplies some pretty great guitar manufacturers with OEM pots.

I hope you enjoyed this little voyage into tone and volume control. More to come...

Into each Jackson, a new sound must fall

I'm really fond of Jacksons - particularly unusual ones with shark-teeth inlays.


Moreover, I'm very fond of the feel, balance, and shape of the bodies. Although I'm a huge fan of LOTS of brands, Jacksons are just plain fun to mod.


I was lucky enough to snag a low-production-number (made for Guitar Centers) DXMGTSP - with original EMG HZ H3 pickups, and the 3x3 headstock (the string-through is a great sustainer!).





But, I wasn't looking for EMG sound on this one. The journey has begun. With the first experiment done, and the second on the way over the holiday season.



I started with a pair of epoxy-set, DEAD QUIET, German (pretty sure?) made of pickups with ESP labels (from my new ESP V200). I added push-pull coil tapping, top-line electrical components, Sprague Vitamin Q capacitor tone, a great switch and jack, and lots of grounding. As it is, my DXMGTSP is absolutely a dream to play and to hear.















However, if I can find a nice basic Jackson V-shape or Dinky shape (low-end, but in great shape - anybody got any dusty project Jacksons?), I'm going to move the current wiring and pickups to a new and shreddable home.


Phase two (and probably the final state) of my DXMGTSP is going to be with a pair of Seymour Duncan's excellent P-Rails pickups.



P-Rails give you REAL P90s, plus a blade - splittable to get just great grindy nasty dirty P90 sound or a great variation on the humbucker sound. Also, with a little mini-toggle, I'll be able to tap out the pickups to do P90 or just the blade or the humbucker sound (in neck, neck+bridge, bridge). Sonically awesome, yes:?

There will be some awesome music and recordings coming from my DXMGTSP. Gotta love a great-feeling guitar like my Jackson, with lots of excellent sounds all wrapped up in a well-grounded, high-quality-part package.

Stay tuned. I'll finish this particular phase II and share a peek at it with you all...