Modding guitar, need help!!!

[stennukas29]

Hi everyone!
I´m doing a little guitar refinishing project and i have lots of things to ask. I havent done any kind of modding before so im not at home on this topic. Hope you all can help me out. I´ve watched lots of body finishing videos on youtube to get the idea.
Now lets talk about my project. I bought a Harley Benton R-457 BK with the intention to mod the s**t out of it Here is the link where i bought it: Harley Benton R-457 BK Progressiv Series - Thomann UK
Im planning getting rid of that paint and finishing it natural with veneer glued on top. Finish will be somekind of oiled.
So the questions:
1) How do you glue the veneer on top if you dont have vacume bag? i want to glue the top only on the middle flat part of the body, so the beveld edges are natural bodywood.
2) In what order i should work with the body? First of, I know that i need to remove paint, then i need to reshape some parts of the body to my liking. After that i comes the veneer glueing part. Then Finishing it. Give me your opinions how i should finish the body( sanding, raising grain, grain filling with darker dye, oiling, etc.)
3)Is it possible to lose pickup rings and direct mount my new pups? How should i do it?
4) Installing luminlay sidedots? Difficult job? Any how to?
5) Refinishing neck. I want to put veneer on to to match body, possible and how? Also i want to refinish the back of the neck to natural satin. Only sandpaper and somekinda oil will do it?
6) What tools i definitely need? drills, oils, sandpaper, etc. And what gauges of some things lige sandpaper.

I´ve already gotten some answers from youtube but the whole picture is still confusing. The main thing is in what order i should do things???

Big thanks in advance to them who can help!!!
Sten

 

[Dana]

i think putting veneer on the top is gonna be tough. from the pics it looks somewhat carved and not flat. that can be tricky. if i were trying, i would use contact cement, considering its pretty much an instantaneous bond. apply cement, let sit for 10 minutes, then press pieces together.
lumilay side dots need to be installed before fretboard glueing if I'm not mistaken.

pickup rings. yeah you just don't put them back on the guitar.

it sounds to me like you may be a bit ambitious with your plans, considering you don't even know what tools you need.
jmtc

 

[stennukas29]

The body has beveled edges, center part is flat, so glueing veneer should be doable. I think I know what I need for modding my guitar but maybe I forgot something and you can remind me what's needed the neck is bolt on also

 

[metale]

Take this from the guy who spent some 750 euros modding a Squier: Yes, it is fun. Yes, you'll learn alot. But even if the end result is stunning (and it in my case it is), you will always left wondering about the great guitar you could have bought with the money spent.

So feel free to take my suggestion or ignore it all together

1. Strip the paint
2. Fill the pickup routes to the desired size, if needed, to direct mount without rings. If you want to also fill a potentiometer hole, now is the time
3. Choose a cool opaque/sparkle color. Check Aristides guitars for cool ideias
4. Get a pair of new or used Seymour Duncans, Dimarzios, or even spec some custom humbuckers from Oil City, it's not that expensive
5. Give it a good setup
6. Play the heck out of it!

Even if you could execute the top veneer nicely, the body wood may not be the most beautiful for a natural finish (sides/back). It will probably be a multi-piece arrangement of basswood. Bit strip it first and see what you find. Heat may be easier for stripping than sanding.

Any route you choose, have fun!

 

[stennukas29]

I'm on a tight budget, looking for good pups for cheap. Considering warman 7 string pups or ibanezi stock pups from rg7621. Are they any good?

 

[metale]

They are not amazing (Ibanez stock), but they do their job. You may be able to find some used SDs or Dimarzios here on the classifieds or on ebay. If not, go for used ibanez oem, or even schecter.

 

[domsch1988]

I'm on a tight budget, looking for good pups for cheap. Considering warman 7 string pups or ibanezi stock pups from rg7621. Are they any good?

I'm another one who modded a squier to death (pups, scalloping, paint, bridge, frets...)
If you're on a tight budget, everything apart from Pickups is a no go. What ever you want to do, there is a production model with the features you want for less money than materials will cost you.
For the fun of it? Do it. For budget reasons? dont...

If you want to do it:
- Veneer is nearly undoable properly without professional equipment. Sand it down and see how the wood underneath looks. My Epi LP Custom turned out great. Veneer on the Neck is not doable imho. the Radius is way to tight. I never saw a production or custom guitar with a neck veneer. If it would be possible there would be a hole lot of "flame maple neck" guitars for cheapish money in production...
- Luminlay: A drill press, high quality drills, the luminlay material and some courage. If you slip, you're screwed. So, drill a hole where the current side dots are and fill it with the new material. Hope that the Fretboard doesn't splinter or crack. Make yourself a porper mount for the neck as any movement while drilling could result in damaging the Neck.
- Pickups: For Cheap go with used SD or Dimarzio. It's not worth it to safe 10 bucks on cheap Ibby pups imho.

These are just some thoughts on that project... What ever you do, have fun and keep us updated

 

[Señor Voorhees]

A good alternative to luminlays is a paint called "glow on," or something to that effect. It's meant to be used for gun sights, but I put some on my side dots. It will leave a bump since it is just paint, but it's sturdy. Mine hasn't rubbed off in months so far, and it's reversible. You can pick it off like a scab if you end up not liking it. Best of all, it glows just as nicely as legit luminlays. I have the aqua colored stuff, and it's pretty damn bright, and goes on white. (The glow is distinctly blue though.)

I'll have to see if I can't get some pictures of it.

 

[androponic]

This is cool stuff.. Im going to have to get a few colors of this.. Thanks ^
Glow-On

 

[Hywel]

1) How do you glue the veneer on top if you dont have vacume bag? i want to glue the top only on the middle flat part of the body, so the beveld edges are natural bodywood.

It'd be impossible to do the carve top but since your going for the flat bit only you might be able to do it with something flat and heavy pressing down on it. I'd glue the veneer on oversize and then sand it flush with the top bevel to give a neat transition. Not sure how well it'd work but if you want to give it a go it might be interesting.

2) In what order i should work with the body? First of, I know that i need to remove paint, then i need to reshape some parts of the body to my liking. After that i comes the veneer glueing part. Then Finishing it. Give me your opinions how i should finish the body( sanding, raising grain, grain filling with darker dye, oiling, etc.)

Finish depends entirely on what you want it too look like. What look are you going for?

3)Is it possible to lose pickup rings and direct mount my new pups? How should i do it?

Fill the pickup ring screw holes with toothpicks and wood glue. Sand them flush with the top when they've dried and then put the veneer over the top. How good it looks will depend on how neat the original pickup routes were. #2 wood screws and foam for the mounting

4) Installing luminlay sidedots? Difficult job? Any how to?

Easy while building a neck, a pain in the arse on a finished neck. If you have access to a drill press you could probably do it but you'd need to be careful when you clamp the neck to make sure its perfectly in line with the drill bit. Punching a small indent in the centre of each old dot will help line the drill bit up. Otherwise it's just a case of drill out old dots, glue in and trim new luminlay, sand/file flush.

5) Refinishing neck. I want to put veneer on to to match body, possible and how? Also i want to refinish the back of the neck to natural satin. Only sandpaper and somekinda oil will do it?

You could veneer the headstock in exactly the same way as the body. I don't think you can veneer the whole neck.

For the back of the neck, sand to wood up to 600 grit or so, apply a couple of coats of danish oil, buff with wax such as renaissance wax.

6) What tools i definitely need? drills, oils, sandpaper, etc. And what gauges of some things lige sandpaper.

So many tools. If you're doing this to save money, this is where the plan will fail. You're gonna need a lot of stuff and it won't be cheap. Sandpaper wise, 80-600/1200 grit is useful

 

[pondman]

The body on that guitar is Basswood which is too delicate for an oil finish.
The veneer is doable if the top is totally flat but the surrounding timber is going to look really dull being Basswood.
Like others have said, you'd be better doing a cool paint finish.

 

[stennukas29]

Thanks for the input everyone.
Sorry that I expressed myself wrong before about some things. I don't want to put veneer on neck, just in the front of the headstock I was thinking of using black or dark brown grain filler to bring some life to the back of the body. Will it have any effect? Or does tungoil and danish oil give the same effect or any effect? Someone mentioned that oil finish isn't good for basswood body, is it true? I think I've seen basswood bodies with oil finish but I'm not sure. I have to go to local timber jard to see what veneers they have. Any suggestions for top choice? I'm considering ebonizing fretboard also but not sure atm cause I don't know if I can get everything needed for doing that. Should I go for contrasting wood, like something brighter color or something dark like walnut or wenge etc.

 

[pondman]

What I meant was that Basswood needs a more durable finish like clear coat.
Its a very soft wood and an oil finish will not protect it.

 

[stennukas29]

Any other suggestions any1?

 

[metale]

Just go at it, man

Strip the paint and go from there.

 

[Doc Plus]

8 years later, can we please see the finish product ?
How did the basswood look ?
Did you stain or paint the body ?

 

[Rubbishplayer]

8 years later, can we please see the finish product ?
How did the basswood look ?
Did you stain or paint the body ?

I think he would've posted it by now if it went well.

Sleeping dogs and all that...