What did you do to your Newark St. guitar?

Nuuska

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2016
Messages
7,668
Reaction score
6,028
Location
Finland
Guild Total
9
hello

I looked at those pretty knobs, while I have one Songbird with Grovers - knob pricing was fine - posted to Finland 18€ - twice as much as the knobs . . . sad . . . If I had six guitars - 36 knobs - then yes.
 

GSFV

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2018
Messages
196
Reaction score
57
Has anybody routed the holes in a NS guitar to fit full-size humbuckers? I’ve thought about doing it, but am too afraid to do it to my only guild, and haven’t been able to justify a new guitar.

Similar question, anyone know a place that sells (or makes) custom pickup rings? In case I wanted to put the LB’s back in? I figure if nothing else I could always put the LB’s back in with converter pickup rings...right?
 

GAD

Reverential Morlock
Über-Morlock
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
22,585
Reaction score
17,803
Location
NJ (The nice part)
Guild Total
112
Has anybody routed the holes in a NS guitar to fit full-size humbuckers? I’ve thought about doing it, but am too afraid to do it to my only guild, and haven’t been able to justify a new guitar.

Similar question, anyone know a place that sells (or makes) custom pickup rings? In case I wanted to put the LB’s back in? I figure if nothing else I could always put the LB’s back in with converter pickup rings...right?


What problem are you trying to solve? I would get the pickups rewound or buy a matching one to balance them out before I attacked the wood.
 

GSFV

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2018
Messages
196
Reaction score
57
I don’t dislike the sound at all. I love it! And I love playing it so much I’d love to have another one but that sounds different. You know? Same playing experience, different sound.

I love single coils in the neck. Thinking maybe a p90? Humbucker sized p90? But the routing is unique so I can’t change anything. Again, I wouldn’t change this one. I’d get a second, and then have a completely different sound, but same experience.

Sounds like maybe rewinding the pickups like you suggested is better. I don’t know anything about that option. I’ll have to research it.
 

dbirchett

Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2006
Messages
938
Reaction score
90
Putting Dogeared P90s with a slight spacer will cover the holes properly. And would look fantastic!
 

Default

Super Moderator
Platinum Supporting
Joined
Jul 30, 2007
Messages
13,596
Reaction score
3,008
Location
Philly, or thereabouts
Guild Total
11
Or throw a set of reissue HB-1s on it. Check the bracing around the pickup cutouts. The NS CE100-D and the Aristocrat have the braces routed into. It may be that putting in different pups might compromise the top bracing.
 

Guildadelphia

Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2015
Messages
310
Reaction score
10
The only things that have been done to my NS X175B: had a very good luthier rework the stock nut (the nut was too high and was not flush with the neck binding / he filled the nut sides with a mixture of super glue and bone dust and then buffed it smooth....perfectly flush, smooth and undetectable) and did a great job of balancing the pickups. Otherwise he said the guitar needed nothing else....perfect fretwork, even the bridge saddles came properly radiused to the 9.5" fretboard. I did swap out the stiff
stock Guildsby spring for a Reverend Softspring (feels great/best $10.00 you can spend) and I used clear nail polish on the bridge to prevent the dreaded tunamatic retainer wire rattle. IMO, nothing wrong with the stock fullsize Alpha pots. PU toggle switch feels just ok, but is quiet and hasn't failed me yet. If you really feel compelled to "upgrade" the pots, Philadelphia Luthier Supply stocks full size CTS pots in metric size with the proper split shaft course splines. My incredible Japanese made Gretsch 6116PTV Power Tenny is more refined cosmetically and in construction but the NS X175B comes frighteningly close in playability and feel. Not much more to say.
 

chazmo

Super Moderator
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
25,466
Reaction score
7,126
Location
Central Massachusetts
My NS S-100 is case candy, since I never play electric. I don't think GAD modded it at all (I got it from him). I'm sure the OP was asking about mods done by people who actually use their instruments though. :)
 

Guildadelphia

Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2015
Messages
310
Reaction score
10
I’m not familiar with this problem, or solution. Can you elaborate?

This is a very common problem with ABR 1 style Tunamatic bridges that use a retainer wire to hold the saddles in place. The saddles tend to buzz and rattle on these bridges. An easy fix is to apply clear nail polish to the retainer wire and around the saddle intonation screw heads (just make sure you set the intonation first). Has always worked for me.
 
Top