My SSS Albert modifiaction.

[Norrin Radd]

I'd say do it! But of course, every AL I have is modded under the "hood".

I just yesterday put together quite a combo that I like that also required some body work. I turned my MM90 AL into an SSS (Area 67s neck middle, Injector bridge) and I put on a RW neck from my HH AL. Sounds killer!

I always believed guitars were tools and you should modify them to suit your own needs (reference: see EVH). After all, it's just a hunk of wood and metal (with some plastic bits to cover the naughty areas! ).

Good luck Spud!

 

[guitfiddle]

Looking forward to hearing how your chat with your mate went Spud. I'm interested in this (potential) project.

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I am looking forward to seeing how this project ends up!

 

[Spudmurphy]

Right - off to the workshop for that chat !!

 

[threeminutesboy]

go for it it's always interesting to mod your guitars, you can also consider a humbucker in a single coil shape

 

[beej]

Pete will be crushed!!! Hahahahahahaha. Beej, do you have some inside info here?

Glenn |B)

Haha, no inside info. Just think it's what's missing from the AL lineup!

 

[beej]

Hey Beej, how did yor routing go! Did you have any problems like chipping the finish?

Hey Spud- pretty smoothly.

I've done a few. The most ghetto was my Morse= used a dremel and a template, and it still didn't really chip. In a router, you won't have any problems. And, of course, your mods will be hidden by the pickguard so worst case you won't need to worry.

One thing to consider is whether you want to shield the bare wood (for noise reduction) once routed, since the rest of the cavity has conductive paint. You could get some of the same, or use foil.

Exciting stuff.

 

[spkirby]

Hi Spud,

Definitely mod it as you already have a SSS!

If it were me I'd stick a humbucker sized P90 in the neck for the clarity & power it gives...P90-H-H or P90-S-H would be the bomb! On the aesthetic side tort+white pups, black or pearl white+black pups are the only combos to chose from imo!

I'm contemplating letting my power blue HH go for something else if you decide against the router

 

[Spudmurphy]

Friend 1 - Pickup Maker (Shed pickups) .
Tells me about his 'buckers. How he can split them unconventionally, how he "Test drove" them in a Les Paul and how they work just great as buckers and as single coils. He can make them for me no sweat, can even watch him make them if I want.

Friend 2 - Guitar Builder.
I show him a photo of my hardtaill sss and of a HHAL, and explain that I want a HH or HHH route. He says "Yes I can do it, I can do it whenever you want - and it will be a neat route". I have known this guy for 40 years - played with him, lived out of each others pockets for a couple of years back in the day.
He says to me "Spud, you put a middle pickup in your Les Paul, I filled it in and nitro re finished it. You had me put it back in many years later!! Do you have a tinge of regret, because if a cork sniffer wants to buy it in the future, they will be turned off it. It will not have the same value. You know that's what you think of your Les Paul. Get a body if you can or get a HH. I'm not giving you this info because yer a long term mate - I have a professional obligation to tell all my customers."
I know the guys on here who will do whatever they want - I've done it. There's also guys who would not want to mess with the "integrity" of their guitars and I understand that. So I'll sleep on it, have a beer on Tuesday with my mate and we'll talk it through.

I'll report back with an update.

Anybody got an Albert Lee body for sale !!!!

 

[coldsummer]

This is a really interesting project, although I'm not sure I would be brave enough to chop into the body of one of my ALs!

 

[Spudmurphy]

This is a really interesting project, although I'm not sure I would be brave enough to chop into the body of one of my ALs!

I've slept on it over the weekend, and the "corksniffers" have won the day!

I just feel that I will ruin the value of what is a great guitar. I have other plans and it will be an interesting journey.

 

[beej]

Fair enough. Well you could always have your buddy wind you some stacked singles that sound like humbuckers

 

[coldsummer]

I've slept on it over the weekend, and the "corksniffers" have won the day!

I just feel that I will ruin the value of what is a great guitar. I have other plans and it will be an interesting journey.

So does that make me an official 'Corksniffer' now?

Errm, .........................is that a good thing?

 

[Jack FFR1846]

It's all covered by a pickguard, though.... I center routed my Sub 1 for the HSS out of a silo spec. Oh, wait, also put in the forearm countour, belly cut and repainted it.....twice.

Never mind.

 

[Sweat]

Spud,

Just catching up on things, super busy now days, man do it and do the HSS or HHH, not going to ruin value and well you do not sell them unlike some one I know

 

[fogman]

Spud,

....... well you do not sell them unlike some one I know

Who!?!? Who?!?!

 

[Stratty316]

I would be a cork sniffer then because I won't modify (route) an expensive guitar... Especially when they make a HH version. I do like the idea of putting a stacked humbucker in the bridge as its a completely reversible mod.

 

[Spudmurphy]

I would be a cork sniffer then because I won't modify (route) an expensive guitar... Especially when they make a HH version. I do like the idea of putting a stacked humbucker in the bridge as its a completely reversible mod.

Actually Stratty, that's a possible option on my part