Fix or flog

Shark_Eyes

So i've got this 80's Kay Les Paul copy that I bought on a whim and although I actually really like it, it does have a number of fundamental problems and so I'm stuck with a dilemma; Do I flog it for pittance and save up for a better quality LP type, or spend a bit of cash on this one and keep it, as it does look pretty unusual.

Interestingly, I just opened up the control cavity and a fair bit of sawdust fell out, presumably I'm the first person in there since it was made.

Issues:

• High E comes very close to the edge of the board, I think this is due to the bridge being in the wrong place by about 1mm as the low E runs parallel to the top of the fretboard and the nut looks evenly cut.
  
• Barely any fret left - seriously, about 0.1mm and completely flat across the top, making chords sound unclean, however it's really easy to play in every other way.
  
• Large scratch / dent across the fretboard from the 5th to the 7th fret right in the middle, like someone dropped a running drill on it. You can't feel it but you can see it.
  
• Pickups are ok, not bad not good, just middle of the road, buzzes like anything given half an excuse.
  

Good stuff:

• Neck is flat as anything
  
• Seems to hold its tuning quite well even though the tuning pegs are the type you only ever see on cheap 70's/80's guitars and one has been put in wonky.
  
• Really like the maple neck with black blocks
  
• Not overly heavy
  
• Well finished
  

I guess the next step is to figure out what I'll be able to do myself and what I'll need to get a professional to do, I'm only a hop skip and a jump from Feline so I could drop it in there no problem.

Any advice on the above issues, or is it a fools errand to throw money and time at a guitar that was a bit crap to start with?

Pictures first though:

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq61/Bigflashphotography/IMG_0064.jpg

The string alignment:

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq61/Bigflashphotography/IMG_0067.jpg

The fretboard scrape:

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq61/Bigflashphotography/IMG_0065.jpg

WezV

I wouldn't bother spending money on a refret - but if you ever fancied learning to do it yourself this will be a good contender

as its a bolt on neck you may be able to pull it back in line.  take it off, have a look.   if you cant get it in line that way the quick cheap fix would be to re slot the saddles closer to the bass side.  the proper fix would be to plug and redrill the neck holes for proper alignment

 

if you can;t feel the scratch don't worry about it

 

I would check the pickups in there as well - are they original?  worth checking if someone ever did a dimarzio upgrade - you get lucky occasionally

Shark_Eyes

Thanks @WezV I was wondering if adjusting the neck would sort the strings out, would you recommend a shim? I'm not adverse to the idea of plugging and re-drilling.

Is the fretwire going to be tough to pull out of a glossed maple board?

I did wonder about the pickups, I'll change the strings later and see if there's anything to indicate they might be non-original. The screws around the surround are threaded, suggesting that they've been used a few times, at least for adjustment.

Cheers!

WezV

if you did go for a DIY refret i would refinish the board too, it will take care of that scratch.   but i would expect those frets to come out in the usual way without too much damage to the maple or lacquer, just need a bit of heat first

 

i can't say the neck would need a shim without having it in my hands, but if there is any play in the neck pocket and screw holes  you may find you can get it into a better position just by loosening the screws, pulling the neck into position and retightening.  

Shark_Eyes

Ok, that makes sense, Thanks again @WezV I'll give it all a go this evening and see what progress I can make.

impmann

I was going to suggest giving the neck a yank to pull it across into better alignment. You may be surprised...

underdog

Use it to fix all the problems yourself, what you learn will save you a fortune in the long run.

steamabacus

Yes, I'd say use it as a no-risk guinea pig for learning some setup and modding skills. The string alignment is likely to just need a sharp tug to pull it back in line and a tightening the neck screws - quite common on bolt-ons. The frets don't look TOO beyond the pale from that photo - I've definitely seen worse. Electrics are cheap to sort out - soldering is a skill pretty much anyone can learn.

Dive in and learn some skills, empower yourself and save yourself money on setups, etc in the future. There's a whole forum here to get advice from so what have you got to lose?

Sassafras

underdog said:

Use it to fix all the problems yourself, what you learn will save you a fortune in the long run.

This.

The string alignment will probably be the easiest thing to fix. Slacken the screws off half a turn while strings are tuned to pitch and you can pull the neck back into alignment. 

Shark_Eyes

Wisdoms duly awarded to all, Thanks for the advice.

Working from home today so loosened the neck and it had a surprising amount of wiggle - so that's now sorted.

Think I'll swap the strings later and take a look at the pickups too, bit of research suggests that some of them came with Dimarzio pickups as standard.

Shark_Eyes

Changed the strings and found that it probably came with DiMarzio pickups as standard:

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq61/Bigflashphotography/IMG_0069.jpg

Also took the pickguard off to see if it altered the tone at all, it didn't and I'm pretty sure it didn't look as cool either.

Now I'm off to do the work that I should've done while I was fixing the guitar.

Drew_TNBD

It looks kinda fit. Keep it, and fix it up. If it was a lefty, I'd be buying it off you for pitence and fixing it up meself!

Shark_Eyes

Cheers @DrewFX I'm hoping the pickup height adjustment improves the sound somewhat.

TTony

The p'ups are probably worth more than the guitar (with the p'ups!).

Take p'ups out and sell them as 70s/80s era DiMarzios.  Ask Ash.

Sell the guitar, minus p'ups, as a "vintage", MIJ, lawsuit (etc) LP copy.  On eBay.

With the money you make, buy yourself a kit guitar and some tools, and use the modding threads here to learn how to (a) put the kit together and (b) turn it into a well-playing guitar, which should be better than the Kay would ever be ... and with the money you have left over, buy another kit and make another guitar ...

WezV

Triangle feet, so not really early dimarzio.

I still like these early dimarzios much better than the new ones but even the square foots go for under £50

Nothing better about square feet, they are just on of the only dating features you can see without breaking out the multimeter.

Tony is still right though, £80 - 100 for the pups, and the guitar may go for not far off that without them and no different with.

ICBM

I'm amazed to find myself saying this, but I actually quite like the look of that and if it was me, I'd fix it up as well as I could. It is a bit crap but it does have some character, not being a 'straight' copy. Chances are the neck is a little better than the usual fibrous mahogany substitute they usually used, and which the neck screws often strip the holes in - if you can't make the joint stable, it might be best to glue the neck in, at the correct angle of course. (I've done a few!)

Oddly, although I've seen a lot of this era of Les Paul copies and including plenty of Kays, I've never seen those weird oversized pickup surrounds before! Those, the red colour and the slightly too rounded cutaway horn give it a bit of a Hagstrom vibe, I think.

Shark_Eyes

@TTony The guitar cost me £70 so I've actually bought an investment guitar. I've got no outside space currently, as I'm London based, but I've got a 70's Hondo that I'm fixing up time permitting and then I'd like to build one from scratch, apart from the neck.

@WezV Am I missing something about these pickups? They didn't sound great, but I've adjusted the height, so I'll see what difference that makes. Just checked the DiMarzio website they're post-1977 and the guitar is probably very early 80's from what I remember of my initial research.

@ICBM I'm with you on this one, I actually really like it's odd look and it's one of the reasons I picked it up in the first place. It does look like a Hagstom now you mention it The massive surrounds are really odd, and I was thinking that they were to hide some sloppy work, but it looks quite neat.

WezV

not missing anything, its quite possible you just don't like them.   but they will appeal to someone else

samzadgan

that is a really cool looking guitar.

like others have said...keep it and fix it up. might be worth selling those pikcups though (if you dont like the sound) and getting some cream pickups from Ash.

Shark_Eyes

@WezV @samzadgan wondering if he'll do my cream P90's in a humbucker size. Think that would sound great.

samzadgan

after what he did for me on my humbucker in a p90 enclosure...im convinced he can do anything!