Do you find guitar surgery therapeutic?

[Matt300ZXT]

Who actually enjoys tearing their guitars apart to solder in new pickups, or put a big brass block upgrade on your Floyd, or enjoy spending the time setting a new guitar up to have the proper string/spring tension balance on a floating bridge, doing fretwork, etc?

I had to do some surgery on my scalloped Warmoth today to put a DiMarzio PAF Pro in the neck, like it was supposed to have when I bought it, but ended up having an Evolution Bridge, which is too hot for a neck and doesn't have that warmer, less gainy feel a neck pickup is supposed to have. Even though I wish I had better lighting in here where I had to do the work, it was relaxing to see how the wiring was run, where wires were soldered to, and removing it all to put in a new pickup, potentiometer, and knob.

 

[shar-vell Dan]

Only when i have to which seems to be everytime i get a new guitar.

 

[JohnnyGtar]

I got back into guitar surgery recently. Lotsa fun.

 

[PDC]

I absolutely live for Guitar Surgery Days. Love swapping pickups, setups, action/intonation. My dream job in retirement would be to work for free / fun at a place like Performance Guitars or GMW Guitar Works where I could learn and improve my skill-set.

 

[RaceU4her]

Not in the least

 

[Matt300ZXT]

Not in the least

I used to feel that way somewhat. But, I'm pretty sure doing a pickup swap on body mount pickups would make me rethink liking to work on my guitars lol

 

[VonBonfire]

It ceased being therapeutic for me when my tech snipped my dimarzios off.

 

[Robostyle]

Yes! Love it. Have done a fair bit and i think getting to play it afterwards is the best part

 

[headlessdeadguy]

I used to love it. Now it’s just a pain in the back leaning over the bench for hours.

Used to find it very therapeutic. Mentally I still do.

 

[DanTravis62]

Depends on whether it's a modification that I WANT done or that HAS to be done.

 

[Matt300ZXT]

It ceased being therapeutic for me when my tech snipped my dimarzios off.

That bastard should be run out of town!

 

[Dan Gleesak]

I reckon I spend more time building amps and guitars than I do playing them these days

 

[RaceU4her]

I used to feel that way somewhat. But, I'm pretty sure doing a pickup swap on body mount pickups would make me rethink liking to work on my guitars lol

ive done pickups and basic set ups, its def not something i get any kind of thrill out of though, i cant even stand changing strings that takes all of 5 minutes lol. maybe if i had a proper bench and room like my buddy has it would be different

 

[sandman]

I like it until the inevitable happens. No matter how simple of a job it is I always run into some problem and then get frustrated. Maybe I have bad luck. Maybe i’m stupid. Maybe both

 

[DISTORT6]

String changes and cleaning/conditioning the fretboard are very relaxing to me.

 

[BeZo]

Do it for money for a little while. You'll change your tune. It's nice to set up and do your own guitars. Not everyone takes care of their guitars as well as we do. Best case scenario is a wire came loose, but there were times where I genuinely questioned what liquid I was cleaning off a guitar.

 

[ZEEGLER]

I would be perfectly happy working on guitars all day, every day. Set-ups, pickup swaps, complete rewires, fret jobs, whatever. Whenever I buy a guitar, I initially do a complete set-up with new strings, and then after I play it for a while to diagnose any issues, I'll decide whether it needs new pickups, new nut, pots, etc.. It is my goal to make every guitar perfect, at least functionally if not cosmetically.

Take my latest acquisition for example. I bought a Yamaha AES420. It's essentially brand new, but the previous owner had a set of HB sized P90s put in. I've already decided that I don't like the P90s, so I put a set of SD High Voltage pickups in. I don't like those either, so I'm going to order a set of Seth Lovers. I already ordered a new bridge to replace the lightning bridge, and I'll be making a bone or Tusq nut for it. The guitar would have been perfectly serviceable as-is, but I can't leave well enough alone. And that's why I have 28 guitars, and probably half of them are in project status.

 

[Findthetone1]

It can be if I'm not in a rush. That's when it all goes to shit.

 

[rsm]

no. I find it tedious...up there with being stuck in standstill traffic

 

[phillybhatesme]

The most I've ever really done have been string changes and the occasional cleaning as someone above mentioned. But I recently changed string gauges on a FR equipped guitar as well as another string gauge change on a strat style bridge and it was extremely rewarding to fiddle with it until the bridges sat flush with the body when everything was tuned up.

Never done a pickup swap, but I need to. I've been jealous of my friend's Fishman's and I shouldn't have to buy another guitar just to have that sound lol.
I have another guitar here that could needs its switch fixed. The neck pickup doesn't work. In before, "why are you using the neck pickup?"
And I have quite a few volume pots that are essentially on/off switches, not tapers. I wouldn't mind eventually replacing those. My biggest hesitance is not being confident with soldering. I'ma blame it on that lol.