Kazwell Posted January 4, 2008 Posted January 4, 2008 ...I need to make a decision as to whether I change all or just some (most?) of the parts on my somewhat new H-150. Before I get started, here's the link to the page that describes the kit and all it's parts.... http://www.rsguitarworks.net/rsstore/produ...products_id=400 Based on what is listed and what folks here know about the quality of the stock electronics that go into the Heritage solid bodies like mine, the main questions or choices are: a) Should I just go ahead and replace everything? Just replace the pots and the caps and maybe the black grounding wires c) Replace the pots, caps, grounding wires and toggle switch? d) Replace pots caps, grounding wires, toggle switch and input jack? Any other combinations that I didn't decribe aside from "b" which is a given as far as I am concerned. Possibly the biggest question is: Does anybody know what brand of toggle switch Heritage uses? Obviously, if it is also a Switchcraft, then the toggle in the kit will be spared out. I would assume that the braided wire Heritage uses is not much different but I have to ask if quality varies on this type of material. I have another LP type guitar that I plan on moving the pots from the H-150 into, which has a bad toggle switch, so anything I have left over, is still going to be used for next weekend's project. Thanks in advance for your answers, suggestions and encouragement. Kaz
Kazwell Posted January 4, 2008 Author Posted January 4, 2008 Reckon I'll just smoke my pipe and ponder here a while..... yep..... just. a waitin here a while..... yep.....I reckon ..... that I will do.......
JohnCovach Posted January 4, 2008 Posted January 4, 2008 If it were me, I'd slightly lean toward installing the entire kit, since I think it upgrades the value of the guitar. I'm not sure some of those parts will upgrade the sound much, but if you ever get ready to sell you can say that you installed the RS upgrades, not just some of them. The most important parts are those pots and caps, and those mostly have to do with using the controls at settings other than 10. I have to say that I'm somewhat unrefined when it comes to fooling with the volume and tone knobs on my guitars, and tend to have them all at 10 all the time. When I do adjust a volume or tone, I inevitably then forget I did it as I wonder why the guitar sounds different.
Kazwell Posted January 4, 2008 Author Posted January 4, 2008 Doubt if I will ever sell this H-150. It's an amazing guitar, and I am looking forward to making it sound even better. I am looking forward to giving a report on the sound after I install the electronics. It might be easier in fact to replace the braided cable rather than trying to pull the solder off the old wiring. I have just enough skill to do neck adjustements and hardware replacements. When it comes to anything beyond that-which can cover a wide variety of skills, I'm going straight to a professional. Pondering installing a bone nut, but in the end $50 bucks is not that bad for a professional installation. That will probably be the next thing I will do to this guitar.
Thundersteel Posted January 4, 2008 Posted January 4, 2008 People on the LP Forum say a lot of good things about the RS kit. If it were me, I'd install the entire kit. I have no idea what brand of pots & switches Heritage uses. The RS kit couldn't make it any worse!
High Flying Bird Posted January 4, 2008 Posted January 4, 2008 Change it all out. Get it over with. I may be happy being ignorant, but I have never seen fit to change out my electronics. I imagine it being a bit more than I can handle with the hollow bodies and I was an R&D electronics tech for 15 years. It should be easier on the H-150. Cover that guitar good! Don't let a drop of solder ruin that finish. Let us know how it turns out. For the last few months I have been tinkering with blending the 2 pickups tone and volume controls. There is some really sweet tone hidden inside if you look for it. One of my favorite tones is with a clean amp and having the neck pickup volume at 5 & tone at about 4 and the bridge pick up volume at 3 & tone at 8. The amp is already turned up pretty loud for later in the night. Another is to have an overdriven amp and set the volume on both pickups at 10 and their tones at 0. Of course by this time more beer has been consumed and we are always louder right before we quit....but the feedback is sweeter. You can get some neat tones with a Rick by blending pickups, especially when you lean more toward the neck pickup. One night a long time ago I was playing a Rick 12 and had it sounding like an organ of some kind. There was liquor and a 64 Vox Wah-wah involved too so who knows?
jacques Posted January 4, 2008 Posted January 4, 2008 Scientifically ;D it would be better to change things one at a time and listen to improvements (or not) before going any further. Maybe Neil, you'll discover some defective or bad part in all our Heritages that we all can replace then. You'll be forever king of our forum and will be famous in guitar books. Our grandchildren's grandchildren will tell each other stories about the Legendary Shredding Neil Smazwell (you know, names and facts tend to get mixed up in legends and mythology). Be brave in this great human endeavour, like the Great American Pioneers before you. Remember this about HERITAGE (the sort of heritage you get when you google without the word 'guitar' added or when the real heritage guitar sites have run out). You stand alone now, Neil, but know that the thoughts of 305 HOC members are with you.
Kazwell Posted January 4, 2008 Author Posted January 4, 2008 Scientifically it would be better to change things one at a time and listen to improvements (or not) before going any further. Maybe Neil, you'll discover some defective or bad part in all our Heritages that we all can replace then. You'll be forever king of our forum and will be famous in guitar books. Our grandchildren's grandchildren will tell each other stories about the Legendary Shredding Neil Smazwell (you know, names and facts tend to get mixed up in legends and mythology). Be brave in this great human endeavour, like the Great American Pioneers before you. Remember this about HERITAGE (the sort of heritage you get when you google without the word 'guitar' added or when the real heritage guitar sites have run out). You stand alone now, Neil, but know that the thoughts of 305 HOC members are with you. WOW...jacques....that really puts things into perspective!!!!! Its NOT about JUST about a guitar and hardware anymore, but the pursuit of the American dream!!!! Now a whole new set of considerations have come to light. Will have to desperately search the net for red, white and blue volume/tone knobs to complete this scenario or my project will be a failure...uhhhhh I can already feel the pressure mounting and I haven't even heated up the soldering iron yet!!!
Dick Seacup Posted January 4, 2008 Posted January 4, 2008 When I was reading Jacques post I could hear the Battle Hymn of the Republic being hummed softly in the background.
Thundersteel Posted January 4, 2008 Posted January 4, 2008 I felt like I had to stand and salute while I read that!
tulk1 Posted January 4, 2008 Posted January 4, 2008 I'm must be the odd one out. All I could hear was the Lion in Wizard of Oz going : "if I could be King of the Forrrrruuummmm!!!"
Cryoman Posted January 4, 2008 Posted January 4, 2008 Finish up your patriotic duty and go intall your own bone nut, too. They are $2.50 a blank and you'll get it perfect in two attempts if not the 1st. That American sense of self-sufficiency is fed, you save $45, you've taught yourself still another skill.... God bless America and Americans who tweak their own guitars. Cheers, Cryoman
Kazwell Posted January 4, 2008 Author Posted January 4, 2008 Finish up your patriotic duty and go intall your own bone nut, too. They are $2.50 a blank and you'll get it perfect in two attempts if not the 1st. That American sense of self-sufficiency is fed, you save $45, you've taught yourself still another skill.... God bless America and Americans who tweak their own guitars. Cheers, Cryoman I'd be happy to, however, I hear that the job requires about $70 worth of tools. Of course the American way would be for me to invest in the tools and start my own bone nut installation business. After taking out a second mortgage my house to put up I store front,I lose my shirt the first year. Unable to pay my debts, they foreclose on my house and put me and my family on the street to seek refuge in a homeless shelter. Family services "redistributes" my kids due to the fact that I can no longer feed or clothe them and my wife runs off with the State appointed social worker. Yeah, that's what I'll do Proud may she wave!!!!!
AnH555 Posted January 4, 2008 Posted January 4, 2008 Topics like this are what make this place worthwhile. Kazwell, if you feel like snapping a few pics of the surgery I'd like to see them. Just remember that sometimes small parts tend to vanish into utter nonexistence.
jacques Posted January 5, 2008 Posted January 5, 2008 I'd be happy to, however, I hear that the job requires about $70 worth of tools. Of course the American way would be for me to invest in the tools and start my own bone nut installation business. After taking out a second mortgage my house to put up I store front,I lose my shirt the first year. Unable to pay my debts, they foreclose on my house and put me and my family on the street to seek refuge in a homeless shelter. Family services "redistributes" my kids due to the fact that I can no longer feed or clothe them and my wife runs off with the State appointed social worker. Yeah, that's what I'll do Proud may she wave!!!!! Personally, Neil, I find you HAVE to endure this. Legendary forum status can only be achieved through suffering. Like our fathers before us we will have to face misfortune and disaster. Remember this is all about tone, dude.
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