Grateful Dead Music Forum

Have been wanting to Jerrify a guitar for a while now. The discussion in the equipment forum regarding modifying cheap guitars was pretty interesting. So now I'm wondering whether I might want to find a cheap one and change out the electronics, or try to do some mods on the G&L ASAT I have (basically a tele).

Has anyone modded a Tele and been happy with the results? If so, what did you do?

Get A CHEAP GUITAR!!!! To chop up a G&L would really be a bad idea.

I would suggest a Squire or something out of a pawn shop, that way you can figure out what to do and you won't mess up a nice guitar.

Yeah - I've been leaning that way. The ASAT I have plays like butter, so I've been reluctant to do any drilling. Will probably keep searching for a cheap Ibanez Artist or PRS SE.

Heavily conditional on what defines "Jerrification". The 3-Dimarzio pup set would be out, but the OBL would be fairly challenging but fully doable, switching in your mods on a cheap replacement control plate.

Yea I'd hang on to the G&L as is. My PRS EG cost me $200 on craigslist and it sounds and plays great with the Garcia set up.

Well, my bother gave me his late mid-late 80's MIJ Strat for Christmas, so hurdle number one is out of the way. He had someone install a Floyd Rose when he bought and they botched it - hasn't been playable since them. I'm having a hardtail bridge installed right now - once I determine that the guitar doesn't have major playability issues, I'll start some mods.

Jester has some great picks in the equipment forum that have provided great inspiration. I'll probaly put the buffer in the trem cavity as well.

I'm going to assume for now that I don't have swimming pool routes on the guitar and that I'll either need to cut wood, or look for single space humbucker that can approximate a split coil Super 2.

I've seen other threads that have referenced Dimarzio Fast Track and Choppers. Also seen Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates mentioned.

Has anyone actually installed one of these in the middle position and, if so, what did you think? And is it necessary, or even possible, to run these pups in split coil?

What era Jerry tones are you going for? I suppose you could get similar Alligator neck and bridge tones on a Tele

I'm really shooting for late 80's in terms of tone. Was hoping that a split coil Super 2 in the middle of a Strat would get me close.

bcresci wrote: I'm going to assume for now that I don't have swimming pool routes on the guitar and that I'll either need to cut wood, or look for single space humbucker that can approximate a split coil Super 2.

Is it bad form to quote myself?

I decided to email Dimarzio and put it to them. They didn't realize Jerry was running the Super 2 in split coil - initially they pointed me towards the SDS1 - but after I referred them to Dozin.com we go that sorted out. Their recommendation was the Evolution ISCV2 - used by Steve Vai in the middle position of his Jem series.

"A Super 2 in split mode is very bright. The closest single-coil in terms of sound and output level is the ISCV2."
Dimarzio Tech Support, 2010

I'm concidering Jerry-fying this one (niether pic is my actual guitar, but I have this model here at the house):

Pete B. wrote:I'm concidering Jerry-fying this one:

Looks like a good candidate to an Alligator!

This outfit Rio Grande Pickups has split-coil replacement pickups for those big HB'rs.
'Maybe put a Jerry pickup in the middle (see blank body above). I have a friend who can route it out for me.
http://www.riograndepickups.com/scart/S ... S+for+TELE
Here is a pic of one of the colors they offer in split-coils:

Does anyone have any experiences doing a Jerry mod (3 HB) with an Ibanez Artist-style guitar. I have a lower line Ibanez ARX. Its currently has a neck and bridge HB. I am seriously considering taking the leap and carving it up by adding a middle HB. Its more like a Les Paul top... carved, not flat. The neck and bridge rings are angled like a LP. I would be finding a qualified tech to do the work- I am not going to tackle the challenge myself. But are there any concerns about routing a middle cavity on this type of top?

Gracias!

~Brut

After three months of waiting for the bridge to arrive, I finally have the strat back with a hardtail. Played it at practice last night and like it quite a bit. Will give it a couple more runs and then perhaps start some work.

Hi all,

I don't know how you feel about this idea but but I've been having HUGE fun with an ACME blender in conjunction with the WALDO buffer and OBEL in a 3 single coil configuration. What this does is blend the neck PU when the PU selector is in POS 4 & 5 (mid/bridge and bridge only). I'm not impressed by POS 4 but POS 5 with the neck blended in at about 75% is completely amazing sounding (IMHO). It is very glassy yet a little quacky, cuts through the mix and makes for a nice compromise for a tele/strat tone without being twangy. For everyone that likes the guitar between positions (POS 2 & 4) you'll love this new POS. I really like the bell like tone that gives me. I use it for the Bobby China parts (mild effects) and also for Birdsong Jerry parts with some TS-808 with OD turned all the way down (using as a boost). That sound kinda reminds me of the really late 93+ sound that Jerry got (Autzen: http://ia311010.us.archive.org/3/items/ ... 06_vbr.mp3)