Guitar Modding 101 (Repairs and other projects) READ FIRST!!

**BriGuy** · Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 1894 Location: Boston

Is your guitar broken? Would you like to improve the performance of any of the guitar components? Would you like to do unnatural things to your guitar that breaks every known law of morality and thermodynamics??? You've come to the right place!
This is the one resource to find all the information you're looking for. See a mod you want to try? Click on all the links and read every post before starting your project. The mods described here may not apply to your specific guitar and these methods may need to be modified to suit your needs. Thanks to everyone who helped develop these mods!
So break out your screwdrivers and soldering guns and get modding!!

*This post is a work in progress and I will update and revise as I find the time to do so. If you think I missed anything (like better links, 3rd party specific construction, or unique mods that other people would like to attempt) let me know and I'll include them as well.

IWillKickU's Guitar compatability guide

Guitar Dissasembly:
Schecter (GH:WT guitar)
PS2 SG
XBOX X-Plorer
Les Paul
Wired Les Paul (store demo version)
Rock Band Stratocasters Dissected: RB1--RB2
The Beatles Rock Band Gretsch Duo Jet
Peak Starpex Guitar PS2/3
Ashley Rock Axe PS2/3
PS3 WarBeast
PS2- Regular vs wireless
Stripped screw repair

GH:WT Schecter
Strum switch replacement (fixes broken up/down strum units): 1--2
Strum Bar Tightening Guide

Guitar Hero Les Paul

Les Paul and Kramer detachable neck fixes: (For dropped notes/broken fret buttons)
Permanent Fixes
Hardwired neck wires -No solder
Hardwired fret buttons on detachable neck
Hardwired Les Paul (PS3)
Hardwired Kramer
Temporary Fixes
Hook and band
Rubber band --- Kramer Add-a-nub
Paper shim
Tape shim and solder reinforcement
Solder reinforcement (pic)
Neck PCB reposition
Dielectric grease

Les Paul G+R+Y=Strum fix

Rock Band Stratocaster

Replacement Stratocaster strum switches:
www.ByteArts.com -Mini microswitches
www.MaxAxxe.com -Strummer assembly replacement
GH type microswitches
www.guitarheroparts.com
Lever switch
Lever switch replacement video

RB Strat- Solo button swap
Mod-1
Mod-2
Mod-3 (with selector switch!)

Rock Band 1 (only)- Mute button for song selection screen
RB Strat fret button silencing mod
Rock Band 1st gen strum bar fix

MadCatz P-Bass
Strum switch swap mod - (For missed notes)
Strum bar tuning
Whammy knob spring adjustment

Stratocaster Hybrids
"The One" - Strat guts in a Les Paul body with solo buttons & effects selector.
The Ultimate GH/RB Fender SG
The SGcaster- Stratocaster guts in an SG
StratoGibson: SG strum bar in the RB Stratocaster
ExploroCaster- Strat guts in an explorer shell
DualCaster- Dual function PS2 wireless/360 wired
Stratocaster with GH strum bar and fret button cluster

Other Guitar Hybrids
PS3 Wireless P-Bass mod (white unpainted)
SG (red) and X-Plorer (red/black swirl) - Swap
SG360 - Xplorer guts in an SG
Les Paul/Xplorer- Les Paul (wireless) guts in an Xplorer (cherry/black swirl)----2
LesKramer- Les Paul guts in a Kramer (red arrows on black)
XBOX360 Les Paul guts in a SG (green with 6 headstock LEDs)
XBOX360 Les Paul guts in an SG (green/black fade)
SG guts in an XPlorer (red with white pick guard)
SGMan- Niko Frontman guts in an SG (red, unpainted)

DoubleNecks
Stratocaster DoubleNeck (orange)
Les Paul/RO Wireless doubleneck (gold)
SG doubleneck (Jimmy Page style, red)

Sticker removal:
To remove stickers from your guitar without leaving behind a sticky residue there, I would recommend only using Goo Gone.
Apply the goo gone to the sticker while it is still whole. Let it soak in for a minute or two and peel off the sticker. Wipe it down after.
It is also safe to use rubbing alcohol or WD-40 to clean up the sticky residue.
DO NOT USE: Acetone (nail polish remover), Goof Off, heat, gasoline, lighter fluid, paint thinner, turpentine, water, or razors.

GTJems Painting Guide

Custom guitar skins
www.herogear.net
http://www.wraptorskinz.com/
www.mytego.com
www.skinit.com
www.toomanymorons.com

Adding decorative hardware

Tilt Sensors:
Mercury switch replacement: 1--2
PS2 Versions
PS2 Sensitivity adjustment
Nyko Frontman:
Freedom V:
Rock Band Strat---2
X-plorer Adjustment / Disable Guide
Les Paul sensitivity tweak (low tech)
360 LP Tilt Sensor Adjustment / Disable Guide (high tech)
WT Guitar Tilt Disable Guide

Whammy bar:
Whammy bar modding (assembly, bar swaps, and limp whammy fix)- 1--2
XPlorer Fix
SG-Video fix
SG-Assembly (pics broken)
SG-Rubber Band
External rubber band fix
Fix (not rubberband way)
guitarheroparts.com
Broken Spring Repair Guide
Homemade Whammy Spring
Whammy foot pedal
Whammy and strum pedals

Auto Whammy circuitry and SP foot pedal
Auto Whammy circuitry
Auto-Whammy for GH:WT Schecter (easy)

XPlorer Star power button and killswitch

XPlorer back button mods

Foot pedal star power/overdrive
Wireless overdrive foot pedal
1--2--3--4--5--6--7--8--9

Foot pedal strum and whammy
1--2

PS2- Remote control star power

Buckethead Killswitch
1--2--3--LP--XPlorer

Strum Bar Velcro Mods - (silence the strum noise)

Strum Bar Wiggle Removal

Strum Clicker Removal

Double Strum Fix

Light Beam Strummer (no more strum bar)

Fret Button issues
Fret button backing: 1 - 2
Fret Button Tuning with flat head screws
Button Lubrication
TAC Flying V fret button fix
Removal of yellow button ridge
RB1 Strat fret button silencers/sensitivity tweak

Tapping Buttons:
Tapping tutorial: 1--
2
XBOX360 X-Plorer: 1--2

"Hold green for me" Capo switch mod

Solo buttons:
Original idea
SG 1
SG 2
X-Plorer
Solo buttons-Video
X-Plorer w/microswitch buttons

Guitar string mods:
1--2--3a-3b
Touch sensor fret button circuitry

Wireless conversions:
SG - 1--2--3
Xplorer - 1--2

Removable Chord
SG
Rock Band Stratocaster 1--2

Adding weight to your guitar

LED Mods:
1--2--3--4--5--6
"Light Organ" mod - LED/foot pedal/electronics-X-plorer
LED light up fret buttons-SG

Custom molded fret buttons

Bondo (body filler)

Full size guitar conversion:
1--2--3--4--5

Toy Conversions
Full size - Lego guitars
(all 3 Lego Guitars)
Brutal homemade Frets on Fire guitar w LED fret buttons
"Fun Years" toy Guitar mod for PC
"Kidz Beats" toy guitar mod for PC
Toy guitar mod for PC
Tennis Racket Bug Zapper Guitar

3-10 Player Party Play Mod

GH: On Tour - Full size guitar mod

Guitar Zero's- Real instruments using GH guitars
The Zero Guide - How to make real music with your controller

PS2 guitar mod for GH3 PC

MidiHero- Play GH/RB with any midi instrument

Lefty flip mods:
1--2

Stubby SG (no pics)

Homemade guitar controller: Cost $1

PS2 Guitar controller from scratch

Les Paul with touchscreen

Shredz64 - GH on the Commodore 64

Drum Hero mod

Portable Turntable Controller (ala DJ Hero)

Guitar Playing Bots
Guitar Heronoid---2
Cython - Video and pneumatics
www.AutoGuitarHero.com
SlashBot

Guitar Displays
The Great Axe Stand - Holds 10 guitars
Improving the React guitar stand
Wall Hangar

dcos15's Drum Fix/Mod Index

F**K the warranty!!

**Hackelmania13** · Joined: 25 Dec 2006 Posts: 1121 Location: Wisconsin

Awesome, definitely deserves a sticky.

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Awarded to the competiters with the lowest ever score differential in a single play-off bracket. During the semi-finals of the Season 3 playoffs, Hackelmania defeated NineInchNails by 1 point (284,654 vs 284,653) on Rock This Town (Hard) to advance to the finals.

**Zillatron** · Joined: 24 Feb 2006 Posts: 1703 Location: Warren, ME

Good job on this Briguy. I think it's sticky-worthy.

**househippo** · Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 178

any thoughts on adding a painting guide? (not for me tho)

**BriGuy** · Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 1894 Location: Boston

**OmicronPersei8** · Joined: 01 Apr 2007 Posts: 42 Location: McHenry, IL

Great work!

Have you thought about links for reviews/ repairs for some of the popular 3rd party equipment?
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**Sephiroth530** · Joined: 12 Jun 2007 Posts: 109 Location: Michigan

If this dosent get stickied I'll be mad.

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**DocMartin** · Joined: 24 Apr 2007 Posts: 71 Location: Grand Forks, ND

**tma** · Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 1414 Location: Australia

I very recently put up another Xbox 360 Back Button mod thread, you might want to add it to the list:

http://www.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17478

**househippo** · Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 178

**nathan81194** · Joined: 19 Jun 2007 Posts: 99 Location: Dexter, MI

cool. thnx
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**Komatoze** · Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Posts: 20

The link for Mod-2 under Fret Button Backing seems to be broken, goes to a page of a guy with Dale Earnhardt stickers on his guitar?

**GP69** · Joined: 21 Jul 2007 Posts: 1177 Location: South Florida

Nice, thanks for posting this. When I go back to the US to reunite with my guitar, I'll add some LED lights, a switch to turn the lights on/off, and probably a killswitch.
The thing is, this will be my first time soldering, where can I find junk circuit boards to practice on?

**LifeSlash** · Joined: 12 Jun 2007 Posts: 5

This helped me TONS. Thanks!

**lukecantplay** · Joined: 01 Apr 2007 Posts: 835 Location: Salad, Saxet

Nice one, BriGuy, should help some of the newbies out a ton.
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Back on hiatus. Will only post if something REALLY enrages me...