Fender Richie Sambora Strat - "Upgrade"

LucasKotzen · #1 03-06-2002, 05:57 PM

Hi there. I´ve got a Mexican Fender RS model and recently decided to make it better. It´s got a Poplar body, Stock Floyd Rose II and a rosewood neck (the crappy one, not the one with the star inlay). I saved some money and I´m thinking of replacing it´s pickups, getting the trem "backboxed" (that´s strange, it only goes 'down') and maybe a new neck. The problem is that I don´t know if it´s cool if I do that, or if I need to replace something on this kind of upgrade. I know the RS comes with a DiMarzio pu at the bridge and I simply HATE it. I´m putting a Seymor Duncan JB instead. The neck I´m thinking of buying is a Warmoth one, with the Ibanez Wizard back profile (of course

). Does it fit the RS? I know that the people at Warmoth can do almost everything, but I´m a bit insecure about tunners, radius, etc. OK, I saved the worst for last. I think I´m going to backbox the Trem. Does it affect the guitar? I know f***s up its sustain and setting it up is gonna be 100% harder, but what about its sound? Is there an audible difference? I hope you can help me. Thanks

jay ratkowski · #2 03-06-2002, 06:33 PM

The trem - making it a full floating trem might affect the tuning if anything as you trem will now not rest against the body as I'm assuming it does now... but it will have to support itself with the string tension. *I don't know who makes the FR on that guitar, but chances are it's not the best one. *You may want to look into getting a nicer one. *That's the only possible problem I see.

The neck - Warmoth necks are built to fit ONLY (ONLY!!!) Fender bodies or Warmoth bodies. *They have how to measure the neck pocket to be sure on their site... check it out. *It should fit your guitar fine.

As for tuners... just get some used fender ones probably. *If that guitar has a locking nut as I'm sure it does, the tuners aren't gonna be HORRIBLY important.

Warmoth also has good descriptions of neck radiuses if I remember correctly. *If you want an Ibanez feel, go for one fo the flatter ones.

However (you probably saw this coming)... by the time you're done with this... couldn't you have sold the guitar that isn't what you want, taken the extra money, and just buy one that is what you want? *It's gotta be close.

LucasKotzen · #3 03-06-2002, 07:06 PM

Yep, I saw that coming

. The problem is that I already tried to sell it for a million of times but it´s kinda hard to sell that "mid-range" signature guitars around here (I live in Brazil), and even if I did, I´d have to pay a *little* more to purchase the Rg-550 I want at Musician´s Friend. You see, I could sell this RS for about R$1200, which is about US$500. But if I purchase anything from another country, like Musician´s Friend in the USA, I have to pay the government 67% of its value. If the 550 costs US$609, I would have to pay R$2240! I´ve looked around for this RG used, but I couldn´t find the 550, only the 570s, that are more common. Anyway, thanks for posting.

jay ratkowski · #4 03-06-2002, 11:47 PM

Can't you buy off ebay and maybe have it sent as a "gift" or have the declared value be next to nothing? *There's always a way around that stuff...

Anyways, good luck

lgascoig · #5 03-07-2002, 12:16 PM

If you modify that axe you might wind up "Wanted: *Dead or Alive".

LucasKotzen · #6 03-07-2002, 12:58 PM

Why? Don´t get me wrong, but It´s my axe, I´ll do whatever I want

... I know it doesn´t sound like a good idea, but I was just wondering... Why not? Maybe it ends up totally modified, maybe (if I have an oportunity) sell it untouched. But that´s too late now, I replaced the bridge pu this morning. The guy said that it was a DiMarzio "X2N" or so. Replaced it with a SD JB. It sounds wonderfull, pretty much Reb Beach. And by the way, thanks Jay, but I think I´ll call my uncle that lives in the US and ask him to send me the RG.

kirk · #7 03-07-2002, 06:06 PM

I say go for it. *You can get inlay material and cut it into stars too.

lgascoig · #8 03-08-2002, 11:16 AM

I was just kidding, that was a Bon Jovi joke.

crossjem · #9 03-09-2002, 01:52 AM

Go for it, dude! *You are totally right. *It's your axe and it sounds like your options for buying new from America are limited by the Government. (I hate taxes!) *I have modified almost every guitar I've ever owned and was always happy with the results. *Good luck.

LucasKotzen · #10 03-09-2002, 04:43 PM

Quote:

lgascoig on 10:16 am on Mar. 8, 2002
I was just kidding, that was a Bon Jovi joke.

Ohh... the song! Sorry, man, I didn´t mean to be rude

.

Tigerstripe · #11 03-09-2002, 05:05 PM

Quote:

LucasKotzen on 11:58 am on Mar. 7, 2002
Why? Don´t get me wrong, but It´s my axe, I´ll do whatever I want

... I know it doesn´t sound like a good idea, but I was just wondering... Why not? Maybe it ends up totally modified, maybe (if I have an oportunity) sell it untouched. But that´s too late now, I replaced the bridge pu this morning. The guy said that it was a DiMarzio "X2N" or so. Replaced it with a SD JB. It sounds wonderfull, pretty much Reb Beach. And by the way, thanks Jay, but I think I´ll call my uncle that lives in the US and ask him to send me the RG.

I'd say the JB covers a lot of 80s tones well but not Reb Beach. The "Winger" tone is EMGs man. I know for his Dokken stuff Reb is using Dimarzios in his custom Suhr guitar to closer approximate the Lynch sound. *But all the Winger stuff was EMGs. *I have talked to a guy in Pittsburgh (Reb's originally from Pittsburgh) who used to be Reb Beach's guitar tech for a good part of his Winger career. *He said even though Reb endorsed Ibanez and sometimes used Kramers on stage, mostly all the Winger stuff was recorded using a custom made strat w/floyd that John Suhr had built for him. Pickups were EMGs and it was plugged into a Bradshaw preamp. Reb is one of my favorite players from the 80s, no one respects his amazing tapping skills anymore!

carlos seo · #12 03-10-2002, 10:05 AM

Quote:

LucasKotzen on 1:58 pm on Mar. 7, 2002
The guy said that it was a DiMarzio "X2N" or so.

Actually, it was a PAF Pro. Check the Fender Frontline magazine for more specs about your guitar.

BZ Beetle · #13 03-11-2002, 06:30 AM

Quote:

lgascoig on 10:16 am on Mar. 8, 2002
I was just kidding, that was a Bon Jovi joke.

I noticed, I was just hoping i could blink, click my heels, and never have hear it.
lol

LucasKotzen · #14 03-11-2002, 04:33 PM

Quote:

carlos seo on 9:05 am on Mar. 10, 2002

Quote:

LucasKotzen on 1:58 pm on Mar. 7, 2002
The guy said that it was a DiMarzio "X2N" or so.

Actually, it was a PAF Pro. Check the Fender Frontline magazine for more specs about your guitar.

Cool, I´ll check it out. Oh, you´re from Brazil!