A HotRod Wish Book

[Chickee]

Rain, snow, sleet and/or hail expected depending on where you call home along the eastern seaboard today.
Here’s some fun, light reading material to enjoy as old man winter does his thing outside.

I came across this quite by accident yesterday. CoolCats and Kitty’s will enjoy the content if you possess any affinity toward hotrodding electric guitars.
So break out those neck cradles and cushioned guitar pads, it time to turn some wenches!!!
frank d.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19YO...MejSUG42q/view

[jricc]

Thanks for sharing Frank! Looks like a fun read especially on a crummy day.
Hope you and the family are good!

[Chickee]

Originally Posted by jricc

Thanks for sharing Frank! Looks like a fun read especially on a crummy day.
Hope you and the family are good!

Hey Joseph,
Yes, all going good here with the fam.
I’m sorta hoping rockabilly69 puts up some pictures of his spectacular hotrods and mod jobs that he’s done over the years. I use his stuff as inspiration on my own work, though not even in the same galaxy!😂

Hope all is good down the shore with you and yours, Joe.
frank d.

[Glennwillow]

What a great article, Frank!

I will spend some time with this!

- Glenn

[Chickee]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

What a great article, Frank!

I will spend some time with this!

- Glenn

Come on Glenn, what electric do you hardly ever play any more? Wipe the dust and neglect off and get ordering parts😹😂😹 This is the perfect project for the last two months of winter in the Pacific Northwest!!!

frank d.

[rockabilly69]

Here ya go Frank...

First the Jaguar which started out as 70's Squire Jaguar...











replaced the neck with a pau ferro fingerboard, lacquer finished Fender neck
replaced nut with Tusc and also added Tusc string retainer
shimmed the neck (.5 stew mac full pocket shim) for better break angle at the bridge
replaced the pickups with EP Custom Jaguar pickups (original alnico Squire pickups sounded pretty good though)
made vintage style wiring harness with high quality pots and caps and switches
new Fender USA roller wheels and bracket for rhythm circuit
replaced tuners with Japanese made Kluson style vintage tuners
replaced bridge with Halon rocking aluminum base, brass saddle offset bridge
replaced trem with Halon trem
new pickguard
and added the singing bird sticker that came from my favorite uncle who I lost to Covid

I pretty much changed everything except the knobs, strap pins, and body. I bought the guitar to learn how to setup Jaguars (and other offsets) but then I really thought the poplar body was resonant so off I went.

[KevWind]

Pappy said son ya gonna drive me to drinkin' if you don't stop drivin' that Hot Rod ,,,,,,Fender. ---oh wait

[Chickee]

Dano,
Can you tell us some more about that Halon trem replacement please? My Jazzmaster just may like that!!!
fd

[rockabilly69]

Next up...

my Zemaitis A24SU















replaced tuners for 21:1 luxury engraved tuners by Gotoh
replaced pickups with Zemaitis Dimarzio DP103 humbuckers
chiseled and dremeled the control cavity so that I could add a germanium tone boost circuit and G&L style PTB (passive treble and bass cuts) tone control circuit, I used all high quality pots, caps, and switches.
replaced knobs with custom aluminum knobs made by 490 Hardware
replaced switchtip with custom tip made by Armadillo Guitar Parts

I had read somewhere about Ron Wood's, of Faces/RollingStones fame, Zemaitis guitar, which Tony Zemaitis had wired an active Germanium tone boost into. I also have a fondness for germanium range master circuits and I know that a little tone shaping before them really helps the tone, so I added the G&L circuit to idealize the circuit. The 21:1 tuners that I added look and feel great. And the heavier vol/tone knobs are heavy and al make for smooth turning with the upgraded pots I used,

[Chickee]

I think this is going to be my next project piece. A solid wood carved top and back maple semi hollow with a mahogany center block, circa 1996. Commissioned by ValleyArts in California from the Charlie Christian Estate, built at the Samick plant in Korea.
The pickups are so microphonic now i had to seal off the stylized f holes with gaffers tape to play it without it yelling at me!

The plan is all new hardware in Chrome with real Gibson PAF’s and ancillary USA electronics. If it didn't play as beautifully as it does(the neck is superb) i wouldn't do the investment. Maybe this spring i’ll start this.

E1C6E288-85A7-4DEC-BC89-E91451C3BF69.jpg

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by Chickee

Dano,
Can you tell us some more about that Halon trem replacement please? My Jazzmaster just may like that!!!
fd

It's just a much higher quality piece than the stock trem which had a weak spring and badly machined parts, but the stand out is the bridge, which to me is exceptional in quality, tone and function. The downside of the Halon trem is you lose the lock function, but you do gain and arm that can swivel into preset positions or be tightened to stay in place with no vibration.

If I was just going to change the tremolo system I would have probably used a Fender Panorama trem which seems to be a ridiculously well made trem. Although I heard it doesn't like heavier string gauges for deep dives.

https://darrenriley.com/homepage/fen...rm-0992071000/

[Chickee]

Geez Rocky, that Zemaitis looks like it belongs in a museum, its such a unique piece. The upgraded electronics and uprated hardware must make this one a supreme player for both stage and home, by all accounts. DannyBoy you do some serious hotrods!
fd

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by Chickee

Geez Rocky, that Zemaitis looks like it belongs in a museum, its such a unique piece. The upgraded electronics and uprated hardware must make this one a supreme player for both stage and home, by all accounts. DannyBoy you do some serious hotrods!
fd

It's more of a fun guitar. If you know anything about Germanium circuits they are a bit unstable with temperature, so sometimes I never know what I'm going to get. I can switch it out of the circuit if it doesn't sound great that day

As for playability, right out of the box the Zemaitis reissues have some of the best hardware and fretwork in the guitar world. They also come stock with a really nice cut bone nut. The upgraded tuners appeal to my sense of tuning perfection, although with a 21:1 ration winding new strings up takes more than a few turns!

[Chickee]

I stand corrected…..

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by Chickee

I stand corrected…..

well here's another guitar you would know much more about, the Japanese made 60's reissue Jazzmaster











mods...
new tortoise style pickguard (original was white) and aluminum ground shield
new white plastic pickup covers, switchtip, 60's style knobs
new wiring harness (CTS Pots/Switches/Jacks, new caps, cloth hook-up wire)
new Fender USA roller wheels and bracket for rhythm circuit
EP Custom vintage Jazzmaster style pickups (stock pickups sounded like a hot strat style pickup)
replaced bridge with Halon rocking aluminum base, brass saddle offset bridge
replaced stock trem with Halon trem
neck shimmed (.025 stew mac full pocket shim) for better break angle.