[Adcandour]

I've borrowed a guitar I gave to my dad until my Danocaster is finished. I actually borrowed a JP6, but my dad's feels better, so I'm keeping it.

It was a $150 musicman Sterling. It's outplaying everything and the feel is incredible. I don't want to like it, because it's ugly and cheap. What can I do though? It's un-fuckin-real. I'm going to cancel my Dano order, if I can sort out the following:

It needs a pick-up swap (at the bridge at a minimum)

The tremolo knocks it right the f' outta tune. The bridge is setup weird, but the action is perfect. The adjustment screws tear into my hands.

What I want to do:

• pup swap
• nut upgrade
• bridge upgrade
• switch to locking tuners
• upgrade the pickguard - not sure what goes with red nicely.

My main concern is the bridge. What the hell else do I do to keep this thing in tune?

 

[cboutilier]

Once you have the bridge dialled in, you can file the screws down shorter, from the bottom side. To me it looks like the neck should be shimmed to allow the saddles to sit higher.

Most vibrato tuning issues come from friction at the nut or saddles. Try putting some pencil lead in the slots.

 

[Merlin]

That really looks like the neck angle needs to be corrected with a shim. That’s the first order of business.

 

[Wardo]

It was a $150 musicman Sterling. It's outplaying everything and the feel is incredible. I don't want to like it, because it's ugly and cheap. What can I do though? It's un-fuckin-real. I'm going to cancel my Dano order, if I can sort out the following:

It needs a pick-up swap (at the bridge at a minimum)

The tremolo knocks it right the f' outta tune. The bridge is setup weird, but the action is perfect. The adjustment screws tear into my hands.

What I want to do:

• pup swap
• nut upgrade
• bridge upgrade
• switch to locking tuners
• upgrade the pickguard - not sure what goes with red nicely.

My main concern is the bridge. What the hell else do I do to keep this thing in tune?

If it's doing all that you say it is then sort out the bridge if it needs to be and leave the fuckin thing alone. Maybe hit with black tremclad but nothing else.

If it's workin don't mess with it.

A $150 guitar layin it down is what it's all about.

 

[Adcandour]

If it's doing all that you say it is then sort out the bridge if it needs to be and leave the fuckin thing alone. Maybe hit with black tremclad but nothing else.

If it's workin don't mess with it.

A $150 guitar layin it down is what it's all about.

It's doing everything I want except staying in tune when I use the trem or go hard on the bend.

I have some nut sauce I can throw on. I really don't want to mess with the tension of the strings. They're so slinky without even being down tuned a 1/2 step.

 

[Wardo]

It's doing everything I want except staying in tune when I use the trem or go hard on the bend.

I have some nut sauce I can throw on. I really don't want to mess with the tension of the strings. They're so slinky without even being down tuned a 1/2 step.

Yeah, that's why I was saying get the bridge / tuning sorted but do you really need the trem. Bends are another thing though and that needs to be sorted.

You could do the mods yer talking about and always go back if necessary. And I'm a loud mouth southerner but the point I was getting at is if you find a shitbox that has some serious mojo don't fuck it up ... lol