Quick Tech Question "Lightning Round"

[ZJH]

Hey everyone, I'm new to the Jemsite forums. I hope to become friends with everyone I meet, so cheers.

Anyways, I've had my RGT42 for almost a year now, and I just have a couple of questions regarding mods I plan on getting done to it. Here goes!

1. I think the finish is very old; I only say this because a majority of the hardware is this really dark grey, worn-looking color to it, but some of it has this somewhat dark chrome color to it. It was originally Powder Cosmo. Any way I can restore the finish?

2. The Edge Pro II, while being an okay-trem, is really bugging me with extremely flat returns on the G-string, often throwing off the entire tuning altogether. I'm considering either getting locking studs from Rich, a tremsetter, or a new bridge altogether. Which option should I go with, and if it's to get a new bridge, would there be anything that would retrofit an Edge Pro II that's better?

3. I'm thinking about getting new pups for my guitar, preferably EMGs. Now, I've never worked a soldering iron before, so I'm kinda skeptical about trying to change the pups on my own. Any advice?

That's about it. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

~ Andrew

[jimmyfingersminion]

if you are gonna get EMGs, theres no real need to worry about solder as 99% of the connections are made with clip on wires, so you should be fine. Also if you're gonna replace both pickups, it might be wise to invest in a full wiring harness from EMG. I think they seem really good value for money, and it'll make installation really easy.

[jski7]

Here's my take , for what it's worth :
1.- I don't know of any way to restore PC hardware . It's a coating and when it starts to 'shine' that is a sign of wear . It's usually got a flat finish when new . I used a polishing cloth to buff mine and make it shiny , so all the hardware looks the same .
2.- Most , I believe , would recommend trying the locking stud mod first as a starting point . There's also the 'chapstick trick' for the knife edges .
3.- As stated by jimmyfingersminion , if you go EMG , you probably won't need the soldering iron . Just clip the old pups out , and install the new ones . If however , you use a different brand , get a decent iron . Idealy you'd get one with an adjustable temp. control . Alot of the irons you can get at the corner store just don't get hot enough to give a solid , clean solder connection . I learned that lesson when I used to build and race R/C cars .Adjustable irons are pricey , (mine was about 80 bucks) but well worth it . I hope this helps .
And BTW , Welcome !

[ZJH]

Hey, thanks for all the feedback, guys! Greatly appreciated!

[ZJH]

Originally Posted by jimmyfingersminion

if you are gonna get EMGs, theres no real need to worry about solder as 99% of the connections are made with clip on wires, so you should be fine. Also if you're gonna replace both pickups, it might be wise to invest in a full wiring harness from EMG. I think they seem really good value for money, and it'll make installation really easy.

Where can I find one of these full wiring harnesses? Do you have a link? Thanks.

[jski7]

Just checked the EMG site (www.emgpickups.com) and it looks like the harness is included as part of the deal , at least on the model that I would need if I was in the market (707) . Maybe for a future project ? Hmmm ....

[ZJH]

Ah, well it seems as though that's standard now. Thanks for the heads up.

[ryanb]

jski7 is right about the soldering iron. You probably don't need to go all the way to a good adjustable iron, but don't buy the crap they sell at the local store or Radio Shack. The tips oxidize so fast, you will never get a good connection. You need something like a 25-40W Weller (or similar), which can be had for the $40-50 US range.

[Tom Gilroy]

1. Keep the worn hardware. It gives a bit of character to a guitar.
2. Do the stud mod. If it doesn't fix it then it will help some anyway.
3. I wouldn't get EMGs. But do what suits you, not what I'd do.