RGA Users Unite!

[#1son]

Yo JJ389

Your RGA's top is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen.

I really love how unique each RGA's top is.

[#1son]

Has anyone done any mods to cosmetics on their RGA's, like getting locking tuners, coloured pups (I'm thinking that zebras would look great in my VLF) or changing the Cosmo hardware to match the bridge, etc?

[Andelusion]

Originally Posted by jj0389

My RGA121 arrived today, and I can't put it down. It is so much fun to play. I got it from Evilbay for $600 shipped. It has SD JB in the bridge and SD Jazz in the neck position. I play it straight through a Peavey 5150 head. And the sound puts a big smile on my face. I love this guitar. The Strat, RG550 and the Jem7vwh are going back to their cases and under the bed.

Congratulations! I don't know how many times I've said since getting my RGA my Jem7vWH has had literally -no- love at all.

And yeah that's an AWESOME grain on the top! Really unique looking. Mine has a tiny bit of birdseye between/under the pickups

[Johnny Two Tone]

My RGA's (natural) top has these weird small waves here and there that make it look like its been bashed with something. It's kinda' neat, though it doesn't stand out much.

I haven't made any real cosmetic changes, though the changes I've made so far are: Changed my PUs to a DiMarzio Breed in the neck and X2N in the bridge; an RS Guitarworks Audio Super pot for volume (with added treble bleed cap.); CTS Audio tone pot; Hovland Musicap on the tone pot; and a Graphtech Trem-Nut (the nut that came with the RGA binded the strings when tuning which was annoying but I don't recommend changes nuts unless you feel you really need to).

[#1son]

Yo Johnny Two Tone

How did those pots change/improve your tone/options?
How are you finding the new pups? (in terms of brightness, clarity, tone, etc)

[jj0389]

Originally Posted by #1son

Yo JJ389

Your RGA's top is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen.

I really love how unique each RGA's top is.

Hey thanks. This is why I like natural, unpainted tops. Every guitar is unique.

[Vinco]

Johnny Two One is right!

Don't change your nuts if you don't really need it...

Sorry I had to...

[Johnny Two Tone]

Originally Posted by #1son

Yo Johnny Two Tone

How did those pots change/improve your tone/options?
How are you finding the new pups? (in terms of brightness, clarity, tone, etc)

The pots are great. The RS Guitarworks Audio Super-Pot is an absolute must in my opinion. It turns the volume down so gradually and evenly that you can play your guitar at any volume and have it still sound great. You have to get a .001uf treble bleed cap to slap on it though so that you don't lose the treble when you turn the volume down (you can just reuse the one on the old pot).

With the tone pot, though, I recommend getting a top quality "linear" pot rather than an "audio" pot like I got. Audio pots have a more dynamic taper that is meant for volume control because our ears don't pick up volume changes in a linear pattern, but with tone you want it to change gradually on an even slop - not dynamically - so a "linear" pot is much better. So, get a high quality linear pot for the tone.

As for the Hovland Musicap (which you slap on the tone pot) they are sweet. Capacitors aren't going to change your sound too much just from brand to brand - it's all about their rating and how accurate it is. The Hovland .22 cap helped smooth out the sound of my humbuckers and I definitely recommend it.

On to the PUs. The DiMarzio X2N is infamous for its ultra heavy sound. This PU is the hottest passive PU out there and is so heavy it's crazy. Hugely recommended for bone crushing metal tones. It sounds really good in my RGA. I wouldn't recommend it if you aren't a metal player, though. It's really good at clean sounds to which is surprising. The DiMarzio "The Breed" neck PU is a great match for the X2N. It's a tight modern tone so done expect vintage neck tones.


EDIT: Oh, one thing to be aware of is that the any pots that are made in America (like RS Guitarworks stuff) are a little bigger than the holes on these Japanese made RGAs, so you will have to take some kind of tool to open the holes up slightly. I took two drill bits (DO NOT USE A DRILL) that were one size bigger than the hole and the next size bigger than the hole (equaling the size of the American pot). BY HAND, I twisted the smaller bit through the hole (it shaves off a tiny bit of wood) than by hand twisted the next bit through - voila!

[#1son]

Cool, thanks for that.

[screamndemon69]

Originally Posted by JoshuaLogan

Roche Thomas Fretboard Oil... it's bore oil... it's the best thing you can put on wood... I just did it myself and it worked extremely well... it's also really cheap... I'd suggest you get that. it's supposed to be much better for the wood than lemon oil.

i was told bore oil is meant for the inside of woodwinds where hands never touch.
i don't think that would be the best choice. i use lemon oil every 6-12 months depending on the needs of the neck.

JB/Jazz installed with no issues (tight fit though). i haven't changed anything else electronically but did add strap locks but that should go without saying for anyone who uses theirs onstage

i going to try something heavier than the 10-52's i currently have on it as i use it for drop C tuning.

this guitar ROCKS. i'd like the flame maple version but i'm waiting for other colors.

[marianozz]

Man, id love to get an RGA, but the bastards here dont even import them....

[jj0389]

Originally Posted by screamndemon69

i was told bore oil is meant for the inside of woodwinds where hands never touch.
i don't think that would be the best choice. i use lemon oil every 6-12 months depending on the needs of the neck.

JB/Jazz installed with no issues (tight fit though). i haven't changed anything else electronically but did add strap locks but that should go without saying for anyone who uses theirs onstage

i going to try something heavier than the 10-52's i currently have on it as i use it for drop C tuning.

this guitar ROCKS. i'd like the flame maple version but i'm waiting for other colors.

You and I pretty much have the same setup. JB and Jazz. I have 48-10 drop D.

[Johnny Two Tone]

With all the pictures everyone is posting would anyone mind posting a pic. of their bridges with the guitar laying flatly? It's killing me to know for sure if the bridge poles on my bridge are normal (they tilt forward ever so slightly) or if they are irregularly positioned - I don't have any other means to compare.

I'll try to post a pic. of my RGA too.

[jj0389]

^^I will do it when I get home tonight.

[jj0389]

Alright. I hope this is the angle you're looking for.