Stock guitars. If you had to.

[jalbertochavez]

After having built a couple complete Warmoth guitars I can't look at stock guitars the same anymore. Long before I ever even knew I could build my own custom I would be excited to walk into a music store, look up at the nice, expensive guitars and think, "Wow". After having built my own guitars I now walk into music stores and see the expensive guitars on the shelf and think, "It's frets are too small" or "If I got this guitar I'd have to change the pickups to get it to sound closer to what I want" or "Pssh, I could build 3 custom Warmoths for the price of this single guitar."  However, sometimes I'll see a stock guitar that's only a few modifications away from being what I would want. So, my question for y'all is, if you had to buy a stock guitar what changes would you know you'd have to make for it to be something closer to what you would want?

 

[JamesL]

Pickups... ALWAYS, unless it's a carvin.

 

[slashgnr88]

Im pretty particular on neck back shape, fret size, and nut width! so those are three things you cant really change easily. (thank god for Warmoth)

A good set of locking tuners are always a 1st upgrade I do on less pricey guitars. I feel like this is an upgrade that really pays off!

 

[SustainerPlayer]

I'm pretty sure a White Falcon only would need my preference setup to be good to go.

But I know what OP means. 99.9% of stock guitars give me that close-but-no-cigar feeling. I have become such a guitar snob.  :icon_biggrin:

 

[JaySwear]

Pickups for me! I'm pretty particular about necks too, but if it's close then I'm usually ok with it.

 

[Disco Scottie]

PRS and Suhr are my brands of choice. Based on my experience with both, it would be highly unlikely that I would need to change anything to make them better. Suhr's pickups are awesome... I'm planning to use an Aldrich set in my zebra build.

 

[Doughboy]

Suhr & Tom Anderson would be the only guitar's I'd consider...although Carvin Les Pauls are pretty cool.

 

[anorakDan]

It's nice to read the Carvin love. I have a lovely flame-koa topped AE185. It sounds and plays like a dream. It should be the only guitar I could ever want...but it's not.

 

[NLD09]

I'd just want bigger frets. And i'd have to widen the nut slots cause i play with heavy strings. Then it's just a matter of seeing if the neck warps or not over time.

 

[kboman]

I have yet to own a Warmoth, but it's edging closer as I save up for it. The only real alternatives for me are Hagström guitars (amazing necks) and Greco/Burny/etc Les Pauls.

 

[big bob]

just about any Heritage or Robin would be fine straight out of the hands of brown.

 

[jalbertochavez]

Thanks for the replies. As for myself the first changes I know I'd have to make on a stock guitar would be the neck because I dislike small frets and round neck radius'. I'd also change the pickups because while some stock pickups are great I usually have my own idea for a set that would sound better. And I'd have the tone controls removed since I never use them. Please continue. What else would you change on a stock guitar if you had to buy one?

 

[Big V]

The only stock guitars I'd want, are ESP, and they're ready to go, except that I'll have to change the Seymour Duncans to EMGs on those models I like (like the blue hardtail Horizon).

 

[Kostas]

Things I don't like on stock guitars:
Thin necks
Small frets
Radius under 9 and over 13
Locking tremolos
Black vintage style tremolos
Strat guitar input placement
Strat volume knob placement
Single coil pickup rings

Hard to find a guitar without any of these...

 

[kboman]

Pickups, definitely. I've been making excuses for not installing my new neck pickup and I'm on a constant lookout for a good alternative to my bridge pickup. I have yet to decide on what I really want though... Another addition would be some kind of vibrato bridge, Schaller makes one I have my eyes on.

 

[luthierwaffle]

Probly change the pickups. Change the frets.

 

[ORCRiST]

The only stock guitars I'd want, are ESP, and they're ready to go, except that I'll have to change the Seymour Duncans to EMGs on those models I like (like the blue hardtail Horizon).

I agree with Big V. I don't think I've ever been disappointed with picking up an ESP or, for my money, a Jackson/Charvel off the wall (assuming
they're not 'entry' models of course).

Jackson's usually have EMGs stock, and I could just as easily change or keep what an ESP comes with.

ORC

 

[Superlizard]

Don't forget the strings!

I always use "pure nickel" (nickel-wrap) strings because I hate the thin, grating trebly tone of steel-wrapped.

 

[Jusatele]

pickups, I have changed out the pups in most Fenders I ever owned, but the PRS Ikeep stock, I like the old P90s of gibsons, gretch has nice pickups

but over all pickups

 

[m4rk0]

I never had the money to go the "bootique" route, that is why I got into Warmoth! (sure, I could have purchased one good PRS or Suhr or Anderson instead of 7 or 8 Warmoths)


If I had to go stock, I would go for used any time, preferably japanese, since I feel that those are the most value for money when it comes to 'vintage' guitars.

anyway, the only other interests (fetishes) I have besides Warmoth and Fender, are heartfields (which is also fender) of which I currently own 6, and Westones (Matsumoku), of which I own 5 at the moment. Both are no longer made, so I am really stuck with looking for used ones on Craiglist, Pawnshops, etc..