X-plorer <--> SG Conversion and Painting

**adcurtin** · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 39

I hate the X-plorer with a passion, mostly the fret buttons, but the whammy bar and the part that gets in the way when I strum are also problems. I decided to get rid of all those issues by doing a total conversion. Since I do custom songs on PS2 and didn't want to lose the ability to do co-op on PS2 and didn't want to buy a new guitar, I decide to do a two-way conversion. Here are some pictures (I may eventually post some inside pictures):

http://adcurtinguitarheroscore.googlepages.com/closexplorer.jpg
http://adcurtinguitarheroscore.googlepages.com/cutoutxplorer.jpg
http://adcurtinguitarheroscore.googlepages.com/fullxplorer.jpg
http://adcurtinguitarheroscore.googlepages.com/fullsg.jpg
http://adcurtinguitarheroscore.googlepages.com/cutoutsg.jpg
http://adcurtinguitarheroscore.googlepages.com/closesg.jpg

Here's a rough outline of the shape that I cut out of both guitars:
http://adcurtinguitarheroscore.googlepages.com/cutoutlinesg.JPG

Basically, the whammy assembly and the strum bar (plectrum as it says on the pcb) are the same. (The plectrums are totally different, but the switches and screw holes line up). The fret buttons took a little bit more work, I had to trim a little plastic off the back of the neck on the xplorer because it pushed the buttons so they didn't feel right. The hardest part was the cutout. I made a rough template and drew it onto both guitars, then used a dremel and a special saw attachment to start, then a hack saw blade with tape over part of it so I wouldn't cut my hand. I used some plastic strips on the back and used JB Weld to make it stick. I filled the gaps with drywall compound, then sanded the whole guitar body, front and back on both guitars. The SG plays a hell of a lot better than the X-plorer does on the 360 (I still think there are some software issues, especially with the whammy bar), but the SG is not quite the same quality of the SG I use for ps2. I haven't used the X-plorer yet.

Edit:
http://adcurtinguitarheroscore.googlepages.com/xplorerinside.JPG
http://adcurtinguitarheroscore.googlepages.com/xplorercloseinside.jpg
http://adcurtinguitarheroscore.googlepages.com/sginside.JPG
http://adcurtinguitarheroscore.googlepages.com/fretbuttondifferences.JPG

So I swapped the rubber fret inserts because the ps2 ones are so much better. I had modded the back of the xplorer neck because the ps2 rubber inserts have so much more travel and take up more space, and I modded the front of the SG neck because the 360 has less travel, and now that I swapped them, the xplorer is fine, but the sg doesn't feel right. I'm gonna get a new neck front for it. I had to cut off the little back rubber things that hold the ps2 rubber inserts onto the board and I used electrical tape to secure them to the 360 fret pcb (the front and back of the neck hold it in place fairly well, so the tape isn't entirely necessary once the board is mounted. I have a feeling that the frets will fell just like ps2 once i get the new neck front, which was the main goal of this project. In the Xplorer close inside picture, you can see the shiny silver plastic I used to help secure the cutout. I used a fair amount of JB Weld to hold it on. I did the SG the same way, but it is hidden by the pcb for the most part. In the SG, I just put the pedal port on an open screw that holds the pick guard on. The headphone port i just covered in electrical tape to prevent shorts, and taped it to the back of the main pcb in the 360 guitar (I used yellow tape, so it is fairly easy to see in the picture.

**JediHero92** · Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 579

that's really cool

**anton** · Joined: 27 May 2007 Posts: 32

that looks nice.

i like that finish and the Rising Sun finish. i usually use one of those two in the game.

maybe i should paint my guitar?? (there's no way i could change the guitar body though)
.

**JediHero92** · Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 579

**Wil** · Joined: 15 Feb 2007 Posts: 132

I've been thinking about doing this myself.

So can you do me a favor and post a pic of the internals (at least of the SG).

I'd like to see how you arranged everything.

I have everything you mentioned that you used, and I'm fairly knowledgeable of stuff like this, so actually doing it won't be a problem.

I'm just curious about how you got everything to fit in there O_o
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**lukecantplay** · Joined: 01 Apr 2007 Posts: 835 Location: Salad, Saxet

Wow, man. Can't wait to see what you're doing with the SG I'm giving you.

**baseballboy565** · Joined: 22 Jun 2007 Posts: 45

wow cool. it looks just like one of the guitars on the cover of gh2

**BreakManX** · Joined: 29 Dec 2006 Posts: 953 Location: Vacaville, CA

My god...this is sex incarnate. Very professional-looking.
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**Toasty** · Joined: 10 May 2007 Posts: 228

I'm shitting bricks over that paint job. How did you do it?
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jim1029 wrote:

Tahmer wrote:

I can't even fucking play it. "Choose Your Combo" "Click To Select" CLICK TO SELECT MY ASS! I clicked every pixel of the screen and nothing happened.

I'm clicking, but I can't select your ass. Sorry.

**bjack** · Joined: 31 Jul 2007 Posts: 12

i know it's an old post but i just wanted to know if there was a way just to make the SG play on the 360 without tearing apart an explorer too. thank you.

**RLKDragon** · Joined: 06 Jun 2007 Posts: 2253 Location: Chicago, IL

Very interesting mod there. Nicely done, I must say.

**atreyurox** · Joined: 13 Jan 2008 Posts: 64

Wow im the kind of person who would never figure this kind of thing out thats insane dont kno how you would think of that good show!!
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**brayz** · Joined: 28 Jun 2008 Posts: 74

Im gonna try to make an x-plorer for myps2. this gona help tons dude. thank you

**sicx13** · Joined: 02 Aug 2008 Posts: 3

this topic was an inspiration and i just completed an sg of my own. its not done but it plays great!!!

**born2bounce** · Joined: 02 May 2008 Posts: 366 Location: SoCal

This also inspired me to do a 360 SG as well. You can check it out here

I make and sell these 360 SG's custom painted for you. PM for the details.