Customizing a Jackson DR-7....

[logan]

Yup Im back again....
Iv finally found a purpose for my stripped down and battered DR-7
Im not so knowledgeable on the DR-7s history, but needless to say it leaves a lot to be desired in comparison to *real* jacksons.
I now require the item as a workhorse, so aim merely to bring it up as close to spec as is possible rather than fork out for what would realistically be have to be a SLAT 37 or COW spec wise -

So having stripped the axe down, I have started by shimming down the neck heel so that the fretboard sits flush rather than the 9mm gap it previously had - leaving for a lower string to body profile.
I the masked off and polished out a 2cm stripe on the back of the neck and oiled in with old Jamaican lemon oil to allow for a faster thumb in the centre but skill keeping grip on the edges of the neck for wielding the best when needed.

The next step was to prep the body -
after much deliberation, i figured i would try "dry mounting" a floyd - Iv seen it done a few times by a guy i know in Norfolk who works out on the black metal scene but nowhere else.
You essentially remove the block and mount the base plate and retaining plate straight to the body - no bends, but immense tone and tension.
For an added measure i intend to add two extra screws to where the bridge posts would be, and possibly fit a gain boost where the tremlo arm bush would normally sit, but thats another story....

Ok so for the body, i have drilled out a lot of holes and filled with hard wood and cement so as to obtain the best area for mounting the bridge as there is no cradle, unlike a khaller.
I have also blanked off the pesky pot holes so as to place them a bit more sensibly and remove the tone - it is a metal guitar now....

I have invested in EMG 707s, having had much joy with them on my RG7321 (got an Ebay bargain stateside! )
Also invested in EMG wiring loom

Has anyone had experience with the EMG PA-2? I have an AB and if im honest im not that impressed for the space it takes up (and battery it drains) - although i believe that it is possibly due to running a Boss MT-2 in line which kills it out.... either way any experiences welcomed!

For a paint scheme im going with desert cammo for personal reasons - so I have invested in the necessary kit for a quick alright job for now rather than the trouble of booking in with the paint shop.

I have also cut in the OFR 7 neck nut into the neck with relative ease, (remembering that the bottom edge of the clamp should be in the SAME place as the lower edge of the nut previously in place...)

Also if anyone has had experience of "Dry mounting" floyds please let me know - iv really not got the knowledge on this one as yet!

Also any ideas etc welcomed as always! I aim to create what I can in 28 days!
Wish me luck....




Body all filled ready for prepping and sanding and the neck masked for skimming



9mm off the heel for a tighter fit, and as this is my workhorse il tetragun the neck in place for tighter sustain



The stripe on the neck - something i never used to like, and asthetically hate, but as its a workhorse it seems silly not to go the hole hog whilst its in bits....

[logan]

The box of goodies so far, including a fairly good quality Lic FR7 and the paints, filler, paper, lacquer, etc



Drying off the cement and filler layers



The neck all masked for prepping and spraying -
skim with white filler,
grey primer
2 layers light brown
mask off
2 layers dark brown (detail)
3 layers varnish
That is the plan....

I have now ordered vinyl (in red) for the headstock, as i have neither time nor skills to etch out the logo myself...

Im intending to wet and dry between the coats and especially once lacquered like i did with the v and the kelly, but im conscious of the vinyl, and ideas how many coats i should realistically go for if im using fairly thick car lacquer? :/ a rough guess is all im after! im guessing 3 is enough? Im aware we use 9 on bikes.... but only 2-5 on most cars....

Will keep you all posted anyhows... and as usual im repping the Logan Custom SHop Truss Cover and FSR made neck plates on this one ! (and the kill switch cover...)

[groverj3]

Interesting, keep us updated!

[logan]

Right! What I think I failed to mention is that I intend to complete this project from unpacking from storage as a body and neck to fully fledged shred tek mammoth in 28 days....
So its day three in the Rob Fox house....

I have now ordered :-
EMG 707s X2 (used)
EMG Loom
Aircraft Kill Switch Cover in Carbon Fiber (as per usual...)
DiMarzio 3" Clipstrap in black
18V V EMG conversion
Copper foil tape (running out!)
Batteries
Sand paper
SOTM 3way toggle switch
Headstock Vinyl.... white or red - haven't yet decided but running out of time!
Gotoh 18v bat box

I have also been a busy critter (baring in mind im pulling 10 hour days at my day job at the moment!)
UI have filled and sanded in the body, masked up the headstock,
sanded in the body and the headstock, then cleaned fully
Applied first coat primer to headstock and body - now waiting for it all to harden off so I can reskim the bad bits with filler and re primer!

Also mocked up my floyd dry mount -
Im going with 5 screws rather than just 3 as its fuggin rock solid - suprised me somewhat as to how solid it all felt bolted together - and with the new heel profile it feels a totally different beast!

Just waiting for parts to dry and the rest to arrive!
So if youve just sold any of the above to some poor gizza in England.....

.. Heres the pics!

[logan]

After sanding in and a clean...

[logan]

[logan]

Wahoo! 707s = Good Xmas in my books

[VitaminG]

what's with the weird depressions where the bridge rout used to be? I can see the old control holes through your primer - are you doing anything to ensure you can't see them in the finished guitar? Will the new EMGs fit into the existing pickup routs (otherwise, you'll be routing your freshly painted body)?

[Metal Spawn]

I love guitar restorations, so I'll be sure to follow this thread... Best of luck!

[wearevenom2]

a post like this gets me excited i love to refinish guitars they are just like cars you need to make them a one of a kind. I am also curious as to the points VitaminG brought up keep the pictures coming

[logan]

Right Im back (and covered in dust again...)
Having sprayed in the first coat of primer as a base I was able to block back and refill the body - so fingers crossed well not be having too many dimples and dents showing through! Ideally i would have liked a bit more time and a V shaped body - this one was a write off from back in the day! (thus the failed floyd routes marking all the front and back...)
I have ironically only masked out the control holes because at the time of filling i hadnt bought the pickups or decided what I was going to run, so figured I would prob use the neck pick up to house 2 x 9v batteries and then just run a bridge 817 with a volume
I am genuinely well appreciative of your support guys - its been a while since iv gone down this route, I normally use either a local paint shop or a local airbrush artist for all my custom stuff but with this one i simply needed a work horse, and not being funny but who the fuck plays metal on a sparkly red candy finish?!?!?!?!? Aaaaaaaagh! dont get me started... so yes the idea came about more through neccesity than planning, but so far so good.....

I have now:-
ordered a 3" DiMarzio strap,
Floyd rose stainless steel neck nuts.... (as standard!)
Dunlop heavycore 7s string wise... not yet tried them and thought that the 6 string pack sounded pretty tight in drop d so hoping for good things here! (failing that il be hunting down them optima gold string I had on the kelly as they were just nuts!)
Also bagged a little allen key holder, just so tired of loosing allen keys - If the gods really had part in designing the floyd rose, why dont i have allen key fingers? or finger shaped bolts? damn it....

So I have now got the first 4 coats of base coat on.... (bout 600ml) was irritatingly difficult in a lock up rather than a spray booth, and also hindered by aerosol over compressor power - it went on ok but then bubbled in patches and ran far more than it should have, but then i have my suspicions as to how cheap primer should really be........ either way - tomorrow im sanding back the base coat with wet and dry before masking in the dessert dpm pattern and applying the dark detailed coat -

After this, its 4 coats lacquer and a long damn wait whilst it hardens off in my airing cupboard for a week.... I still go with the car products because i dont airbrush - (cant airbrush more like!) and thats where my experience lies! and likely my love of doing up guitars rather than playing them - I have ADHD so the thought of hanging a guitar on the wall and leaving it there - just to look at - not touch - kills me inside. I understand the concept of it, and it all makes perfect sense but I am not a collector, id just end up getting long of it and swapping out the pickups bridge and neck... Just like cars!
Plus, I believe that in order for your instrument to achieve its full potential in your hands (thus allowing you to reach yours) your instrument needs to be tweaked to your style, and sadly, the more extreme the style the more extreme the tweaks... but essentially, im just viewing Jacksons words through my own perspective, I simply intend to tweak this one a bit further to get what im after - and to me it is still a Jackson... Just!

Pics below! (sorry for the random shots of me Il try and duck neck time...)

[logan]

Pictures really arent great with the flickering overhead neon light but il get some better ones in the daylight tomorrow as it actually looks pretty cool now... starting to resemble what I saw when I hit that "place Bid" button on ebay about a year ago! lol

As an afterthought, I dont believe I have ever heard a negative comment about Kerry Kings custom artwork from the 90s..... So if thats not inspiration enough!

[logan]

Oh as an afterthought - has anyone had experience with the er "Gotoh SG503-MG COSMO" Machine heads? (Im fairly sure the cosmo means they are black but thats about all i know -
Importantly, are they as good as sperzels, will the fit my reverse headstock, and will they fit the same dimension holes as the stock Jax items?
Any help appreciated!
Unless i locate the seventh Jackson one - then i might just leave it as is!

Incidentally - would anyone sell one of the following items rather than 6? we 7 stringers are out on a limb here having to buy 2x6 of floyd components :/
After stainless steel string block bolts and stainless steel saddle pins - either 1 or 7 please!

[logan]

Oh, as for the EMG sizings the general consensus is no - i dont know for sure until Jan 13th when they arrive - but, having done some rather shrewd maths, from what i can ascertain, the 707s will be the same size vertically as the emg 81 is, so thus using ratios it should be the same as the duncan designed pups that blessed her before i got involved... My only thought at this point is that I generally prefer to have pick up rings, and that I am waiting on the pick ups before i get - I also remember having nightmares with EMGs in the past (on six strings, especially 80s BC richs) where the corners of the pups are squarer than the stock items and wont fit due to the corners of the pick up route (or shoulders) forcing in. Either way, I generally prefer to mock everything up before hand, but sadly I dont have the oppertunity thus having to do everything a bit arse about face so to speak, as a plan B of course, the routing is irrelevant if i do use pup rings anyhow, so i guess thats the consellation prize!

[5150mod]

The EMG will need routing to fit,3.5"x1.5"

[5150mod]

I'm modding a DR-7 at the moment and have fitted a 81-7 (same dimensions as a707) and you will need to fill in the wings (ears) of the pickup route as they are wider than 3.5" then route a rectangle 3.5"x1.5".

The depth of the 707 is .880"(22.35mm),so with you lowing your neck break angle you will have to deepen your pickup routes to suit.

Use superglue in your dips and dents,as superglue won't drop later( it's the only thing I've used that won't dip over time)

[Animus]

Gotoh's are the best tuners imo, especially the Delta series. They are very smooth and don't slip at all like most other tuners do. Cosmo means there cosmo black, sort of a chromey black.

[logan]

Hi all,
sorry iv been a bit long there -
Indeed, the EMGS have arrived and I have routed accordingly, althouth I still await my PU mounting rings (easiest and quickest option I have for fitting with a tidy finish here -
Thankfully the routing wasnt too difficult, as for the PU height, i see exactly what you mean about the depths being a bit much, however the pick up recesses in the DR7 appear to be addequate in the bridge position (or close to) and easily enough in the neck, though they were both at angles so I have re cut 2mm lower in both but i think i may lower them still!

As for the body, I have finished my detailing and wearing so it looks a bit more interesting, added the first vinyl layer (or marker) to the headstock and also finished detailing the body....

I have decided to use an irregular switch set up as im sure you have noticed, but more on that later...

I have drilled out the recesses for this when i did the PU cavities, and also smoothed in the control cavity back as best can to allow for the 18V batt box to fit with ease

Well heres the pics of the last weeks efforts, somewhat hampered by mental storms and work, but no one said it would be easy!

I hoping to get an "exploded [arts" pic in too before i actually construct the beast with all the parts listed for reference

As for machine heads, im sticking with the originals for now as i managed to locate my spare set that arent totally munched on the cogs, but definately seeing what you mean about the sperzels... have some on my V and althoughy i wasnt sold at first, comparing them to the others iv come across with that pizza cutter wheel on the back that shreds your fingers, sperzels dispite the same set up just seem to be an easier option!

well heres the progress!

[logan]

Readu for detailing and below the iheadstock with the marker applied ready for lacquer





The Parts haul so far....



I found a really effective way of adding shade and detail to the finish was to use graphite pencil over the sanded finish, then smooth it in with a cloth, made for a stained and grained look, generally making it look less like wood was the idea!
Didnt go too overkill mind as I wanted to keep it looking interesting and worn looking, but not looking like its ready for retirement!



The headstock on its final lacquer coat with the marker still just visible - once shes dry and polished il get the propper vinly on and probably go with one final lacquer coat just to seal it on and keep it tidy before i buff the crap out of i all!



the last clear coat looked really quite tidy, certainly a lot better on than the first base coat anyways.... also found that by roughing the finish with slightly haresher paper (P400) it allows for a better graining finish like wear marks when you spay the second coat over and sand back -

All in all im pretty happy so far, its a bit of an odd one for me but i think its all still a going the right direction!

I used no more nails semi acryllic glue to seal in the control holes, but i the end decided to sand them back so they are slightly visible (only the main three, the mini switch hole and the strap holes, screw holes and string ferrule holes have all been flushed in) as a bit of a feature! So a big thanks on the glue tip! and also a thanks for the 707 dims as it allowed me to mark them up prior to their arrival! Had they not arrived quite so quickly my intention was to crack on with it regardless today!

I am glad i did go with the heavy duty primer so as to allow me to use it as a base to score through the finish to expose as a feature, but in hindsight i could have resprayed first, scored then filled with either liquid graphie or detailing clay which would have been considerably cheaper and easier! largely due to the primers innefectiveness to accept any paint i seem to put upon it! (again!)

well.... by next weekend i should be getting ready to assemble - so do bare with as if im not postin im likely working on it

[logan]