Started here:
I bought this Yamaha for cheep and played it for a while, noticing how much I loved the neck, which also quickly appeared to be ultra straight and rigid. SO I wanted to rebuild it.
First I removed the trem and replaced it with a block of wood and then shaved the top flat, removing some material. I later sent the trem for some dude in Scotland who needed one - luckily I kept the thing, you never know when someone needs it.
Anyhow, while at it I shaved off the 'waddle' from the headstock and fixed up the frets well, full recrown and all, painted the headstock after I had removed the locking nut of course.
Then I clamped and glued an aluminum sheet on top, and installed a bridge, now a Schaller fine-tuner bridge, on some pics here it still has a Badass bridge by BC Rich but that was crap. Followed by installing a single EMG-85 pickup and an SPC controller as well as a PA-2 onboard preamp. Later added some bolt inlay stickers too.
Polished the aluminum and lacquered it, and then used Tru-Oil to condition the wood on the backside.
Note I left the springs there, hooked at both ends, because I like the way they tingle gently when played unamplified.
Now it's really sweet a guitar, and the neck has proven to be spectacular - in several years I have NEVER had to adjust the truss for instance at all, despite having strings ranging from 12-60 to nines on it. Superb action and very versatile sounds as well. This guitar just kills now. The only thing I could imagine improving on it would be adding an EMG SA neck pickup. Maybe some day!
