Opinions needed on guitar mod/experiments

[Sabicas]

I've been thinking about getting a cheap guitar for guilt-free experiments and am soliciting opinions and ideas.

These get great reviews (also sold as Grote for slightly more $, same factory):

Amazon.com

I've read that this factory will make modifications at a price so I'm considering requesting this model with:

1) No f-holes. This is mainly for the look of it, but feedback resistance is a bonus. Any opinions on how this will affect the amplified tone?
2) No holes drilled for vol/tone pots. I'd just have the pickup wired straight to the output jack, for starters.

Hopefully they'll agree that's a very easy custom request and it'll remain cheap.

From there, I could go in several directions.
1) I could mount mini pots and jack to the pickguard (would require a small hole under the pickguard for wires) or
2) I could create a little breakout box to house the pots and mount them on the tailpiece similar to the Dearmond "monkey on a string". It could have it's own output jack and connect to the pickup from the guitar output jack with a patch cable.
3) any other ideas?

I'd also consider adding a bridge pickup, but that narrows my control pot placement to option #1 due to the selector switch.

Thoughts? Warnings?

[mr. beaumont]

Is the idea of having no controls on the top just about look, or another reason?

I think the guitar looks pretty darn cool as is!

[Sabicas]

Is the idea of having no controls on the top just about look, or another reason?

I think the guitar looks pretty darn cool as is!

It's more about the looks, but it's also about being able to quickly make more mods without having to fish everything through the pickup-hole. If I want to add a phase switch (assuming two pickups), I won't have to dig everything out to add a simple toggle. I've often wondered why no one ever has their controls mounted in an exterior encasement on the floor or hanging from their belt.

EDIT: I also think that if I did decide to mount the controls on the body, I'd probably do it along the bottom bought like a Harmony Rocket or even better, like the oval Hofner control plate.

Harmony Rocket H59 Red 1962 | Reverb

Hofner 500/1 Vintage 58 Reissue Limited Edition Violin Bass

[unknownguitarplayer]

I don't know about the mods, but I took the $208 plunge and it's a surprisingly decent guitar. Fit and finish is better than many (much) more expensive name guitars I've purchased over the years.

[icr]

I did something similar. I got a $300 Korean guitar and stripped it of hardware to modify it.
I did keep the tuners, frets and tailpiece. Just about everything else got replaced. I made it into a L5 style guitar.

[AllanAllen]

Fishing through the f holes is going to add what, 15 minutes to your project? You’ll be fine, you aren’t running a service shop.

[Jimmy blue note]

Grote are great utilitarian guitars for the money and certainly really great platforms for learning about working on guitars, mods or the many ways you can upgrade any guitar into a real winner. I had some people ask me to teach them about the skill set for being a guitar tech. I had them get a Grote and just about every part and system can be easily switched out and brought to a really tight spec.
Perfect lab platform.

[Sabicas]

Fishing through the f holes is going to add what, 15 minutes to your project? You’ll be fine, you aren’t running a service shop.

item #1 in my original post: No f-holes.

[Jimmy blue note]

George Barnes made something similar, if I get your description

Sounds nice.

[Sabicas]

George Barnes made something similar, if I get your description

Sounds nice.

I like the look of that. Why isn’t the lack of f-holes more popular?

[Mick Wright]

I'd not heard any mention of George Barnes for many years, until last week, when (on a tip off from Jimmybluenote ) I bought the wonderful Ruby Braff & George Barnes Quartet Salutes Rodgers and Hart. It's a revelation and full of great surprises. Thank you!

There's a short account of George Barnes' unusual Guild guitars, here:

Happy Birthday George Barnes


all the best
Mick W

[burchyk]

I do electronics mods to my guitars, including the ones that need "fishing through the f-hole".

If I'm undecided or don't want to disturb the original soldering, I just pull the whole wiring harness and pickups out. Put them away, install a set of Burstbuckers I've got lying around, solder them to some pots and an 1/4 socket, and leave enough wire to be able to pull the pots out. Did that quite a few times already, it takes 15 minutes to make changes, obviously don't struggle nearly as much as Mick Taylor did with his 59' RI 335.

My own view on getting a cheaper no-name guitar is that it is not a great investment, hard to sell, and if you do then likely not getting your money back unlike something like a used Gibson/Fender. I'd rather have a guitar that I really like and want to play.

[Sabicas]

I do electronics mods to my guitars, including the ones that need "fishing through the f-hole".

If I'm undecided or don't want to disturb the original soldering, I just pull the whole wiring harness and pickups out. Put them away, install a set of Burstbuckers I've got lying around, solder them to some pots and an 1/4 socket, and leave enough wire to be able to pull the pots out. Did that quite a few times already, it takes 15 minutes to make changes, obviously don't struggle nearly as much as Mick Taylor did with his 59' RI 335.

My own view on getting a cheaper no-name guitar is that it is not a great investment, hard to sell, and if you do then likely not getting your money back unlike something like a used Gibson/Fender. I'd rather have a guitar that I really like and want to play.

I understand your point of view and share it, for the most part. I have a LOT of instruments from around the world, including many guitars of various price ranges. I have a 1930's Gibson archtop, a handmade Jerry Jones Baritone Deluxe, etc. I won't modify the ones that have resell value. That's the problem with nice guitars.....they are what they are unless you want to kill their resell value.

I played a nice D'Angelico (factory made, but still $1500 used) recently and loved it, other than the color. However, I've played some real cheapies that are comparable to that guitar. I bought a very low-budget hollowbody from a rummage sale that appears to be a Glen Burton Chicago in everything but brand name (it's branded with the eye of Rah). After an easy setup, it plays as well as anything I've ever had in my hands. The frets needed zero work. The pots sucked but the humbuckers are actually pretty good. CNC has evened the playing field to a large extent.

The Grote factory is willing to make the basic mods that I want but can't do myself, like the lack of F-holes. I can get a custom color and, while I have yet to see what that price will be, I assume it won't be too much more than $300. That's a lot of fun on the cheap.