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Joined:
September 2011
Posts: 47
Location: Mobile, Bama! | Hi ... new member that's curious about something here ...
I recently discovered the UK IIs, and have been fortunate to acquire two of them (black and nutmeg).
I honestly consider these to be among the best electrics I've ever played anywhere.
While I normally am flexible in regard to gear mods, in the case of these UKs, I find myself being cautious, and respectful. They're vintage, and limited in production numbers. So I don't want to change them *too* much ...
For instance, I'd never try to put other pickups in them, or alter the electronics. To me that would basically nullify the entire guitar, since everything about the UKIIs was designed from the ground up to work together.
I would like to put strap locks on them, change the knobs ... and I have some locking tuners here that would fit the head stocks perfectly using the existing holes. I also have some Sperzels, but they would require additional holes, which i'm not certain I want to do ...
:-) Any ideas?
I once made the mistake of joking about painting a Les Paul neon green on the Gibson BBS ... and got a *ton* of email strongly urging me to reconsider ...
I also have a labeled bag where I would keep the original parts in case I would ever have to (shudder!) sell them.
Just curious how this would be perceived by the Big O brotherhood here.
(oh, the tuners are chrome ... ok with hardware color changes?
:D |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | go ahead and paint the les paul
Strap locks would work fine, just make sure you use a real long screw, like at least 1 1/2", a shorter one might pull out of the foam.
Locking tuners are ok, but why?
The original hardware was gold, you got chrome? or did you mean the locking ones are chrome. |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6992
Location: Jet City | I've had my UKII since 82ish and...
a) I've never needed locking tuners
b) I put on Schaller straplocks shortly after I bought it. I picked those specific ones cuz I heard Schaller made the big cool f'n meaty tailpiece. There's never been an issue, but if it were now I'd do Dunlops since all the acoustic Ovations come stock with the buttons.
c) I changed the knobs shortly thereafter too and now I wish I hadn't. The numbers come in handy. As a matter of fact, I need to post a request for knobs.
Those are the only 2 mods I've done to my original UKII. And yes, the UKII is among THE BEST electrics ever. And I've played a bunch of them.
c) |
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Joined:
September 2011
Posts: 47
Location: Mobile, Bama! | I know ... previous owners have used this guitar and never 'needed' locking tuners, why this guy? :-)
I just like them .. spoiled I guess, but they do make changing strings speedier. plus the gold is really funky worn on one set of the originals.
regarding the strap locks, I was able to use the original screws for the black one, so it should be ok .... just tried it ...
I have to get some Brasso or something for the jack plate too ... it has some serious black discoloration on the lower side .
yeah, the locking tuners I have handy are standard chrome ... dunno if it would look 'ok' or not. |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 1112
Location: NW Washington State | Any mod is OK if it's your guitar and you like the change. I'd stick with things that don't make extra holes. But I have wondered about the shape of the aluminum (?) frame inside the UKII body and if it could be routed for a Strat pickup in the middle.
Did UKIIs have a brass nut, and is that really the best?
-Steve W. |
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Joined:
September 2011
Posts: 47
Location: Mobile, Bama! | My black one has brass, the brown one has a white bone nut on it. It still has a lot of glue around it though, so I think it might have been replaced recently.
Both sound good, but a little different. But they have different gauge string sets, the black came with a .010 set, while the brown one has a .09 set. That could be a lot of the difference.
I have owned and played a lot of 80's Carvins over the years, and they had brass nuts. They all sounded great. |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6992
Location: Jet City | UKIIs had brass nuts.
Steve shame on you for even thinking of adding a Strat pickup! |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 1112
Location: NW Washington State | Originally posted by Damon67:
Steve shame on you for even thinking of adding a Strat pickup! Ha! Thought that would get a rise out of someone... but I would be interested in the size/shape of the internal frame. Do you think it's necessary to wear a dust mask and goggles when routing urelite? |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7211
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | "Do you think it's necessary to wear a dust mask and goggles when routing urelite? "
You will be sorry... period. I had a beat up Urelite body so I messed with it to see what was actually inside. The foam is FOAM!!! Once you get through the outer "crust" it's essentially like old Styrofoam that's been left in the sunlight. As far as the strap lock screw, again.. follow Beal's advise above or you will regret it. It may be holding for now, but the straplock is larger than the standard strap giving the strap more leverage to pull. If it gets loose, even the slightest amount, the standard screw will rip right out. Remember you are screwing it into foam. It gets grip because there is no real place for the displaced foam to go, but it's still foam. |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | what miles said. |
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September 2011
Posts: 47
Location: Mobile, Bama! | The straplocks I use aren't the big Dunlop ones, its the smaller Schaller ones. I've always preferred those. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7211
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Originally posted by CKKeller:
The straplocks I use aren't the big Dunlop ones, its the smaller Schaller ones. I've always preferred those. FWIW the first thing I do when I run across a UKII is replace the stock screws with longer ones even if I don't replace the strap button. It's the weakest link on an otherwise perfect instrument. Remember, no matter how clean the guitar is, it's 30 years old. Unlike wood, you really can't tell what kind of life it's had. |
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Joined:
September 2011
Posts: 47
Location: Mobile, Bama! | Originally posted by Damon67:
c) I changed the knobs shortly thereafter too and now I wish I hadn't. The numbers come in handy. As a matter of fact, I need to post a request for knobs.
oh, btw ... I'm pretty sure at this point that I won't be putting the original knobs back on my Uk's, so if you'd like a set of one of them, just pop me off a address in a private email and i'll send them to you.
:cool: |
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'Acceptable' UK II mods?
