Wanting to make some changes to my RR3

[Jamiesneddon]

Hi all,

New to this forum.

Having seen the new ESP Alexi limited edition in Pink I want one but cannot justify the expense especially as Alexi would still be a Jackson artist if his gear hadn't been stolen. I want to make some changes to my Jackson RR3.

I got quoted £450 by sims custom in the UK to change the finish and colour of the jackson body & logo to the same as the ESP. Also a further £25 per sharkfin inlay to change these to pink. PS I am married! Theres just something about this that I thought was kickass!

I had looked at getting a RAN custom made but they quoted me over 2000 euros and I would have to wait for a year.

My questions are :

I have EMGs in my epiphone - would I be able to swap these out to my Jackson? or would I need to buy the full kit of knobs and output jack? I don't want to have to stick gibson controls on my Jackson. I would just stick my Seymour duncan JB TB4 & Jazz SH2N Pickups into my epiphone.

Does anyone know of any firms that sell aftermarket Mother of pearl sharkfin inlays in custom colours - preferably ones that I could apply over the original inlays?

How do you get to the electrics on the RR3? Is it underneath the tone and volume pots on the front of the guitar?


Any help would be appreciatated - sorry for the length

My RR3 as it stands :
http://www.sweetwater.com/guitargall.../sJC0009818027

The Laho that I want :

http://www.espguitars.co.jp/oversea/sig/al_pink.html

[Rich#6]

you need the pots that came with the emgs if they are active. they are 25k and the ones in the rr3 are 500k. Yes under that plate is were you get to the controls on the RR3.
have you ever looked at this jackson:
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...tar?sku=528019

I don't know where to get pink inlays except maybe ebay.

[ulijdavid]

If you want to go the inexpensive route on the inlays, there are a couple of threads somewhere in the forum where guys bought vinyl inlays off of ebay. You could also find a local sign maker with a vinyl cutter and tell them what you are trying to do. The shark fins are easy to replicate and cut on a vinyl cutter and there are endless color choices.

[Jamiesneddon]

Hi Rich,

Thanks for the reply. That is a cool guitar also - but it is more expensive than the ESP ltd in the UK.

Sorry for being dense but if I use the emg pots can I still use my Jackson tone/volume knobs?

[Rich#6]

you might have to bend the tops in.

[Jamiesneddon]

Is it risky?

[DonP]

Personally, I'd say if your RR3 is as nice as it is, I'd try to find a beater RR and go from there. Sell your RR3 and by a cheaper RR to start with. This way you won't be killing an expensive guitar. You can use the left over cash from the sale of the RR3 to fund the project.

[Jamiesneddon]

The guitar I have wasn't all that expensive. Got it off ebay for £100 - about $146 which is why I am thinking that it will be cheaper to renovate than buy a whole new guitar.

I think I got a bit of a steal

[MartinBarre]

The guitar I have wasn't all that expensive. Got it off ebay for £100 - about $146 which is why I am thinking that it will be cheaper to renovate than buy a whole new guitar.

I think I got a bit of a steal

I'll say you did!


If I were you, and wanted this colour really badly, I'd do it myself. It'll cost a LOT less than £450.

[Jamiesneddon]

Hi Martin,

Good to see a fellow Scotsman here. Little tip is to check ebay on Xmas day - usually stuff going cheap when everyone is distracted with pressies etc.

How difficult is it to refinish a guitar?

[MartinBarre]

Hi Martin,

Good to see a fellow Scotsman here. Little tip is to check ebay on Xmas day - usually stuff going cheap when everyone is distracted with pressies etc.

How difficult is it to refinish a guitar?

HI mate, I assumed you were a Scot wi' a name like Sneddon.

Finishing a guitar isn't all that hard - it'll depend on how good you want it to look. If you want something that'll look good under normal conditions, it shouldn't be too hard. If you want a professional type job then it'll be a lot harder.
I'm no expert, you'll have to research it a lot, there's threads on here about it.

I have an old strat copy which someone had already stripped the old paint off - I just sanded it down, sprayed it pink with Halford's car paint, sprayed it with clear lacquer also from Halfords, then used various grades of wet/dry paper top get a nice smooth finish. Replaced the crappy old pickups with Fender USA strat ones and all done!
Here it is - it looks fine, although I personally wouldn't have wanted to do it to something like your RR3 as I'd have had to take a lot more care over it and been too worried I'd fuck it up!




Also put new decals on the headstock, with my daughter's name (Freya) rather than pretending it was a Fender.




On a guitar you got for a hundred quid I think it's worth painting yourself rather than blow a fortune on some guy doing it for you.
Oh, to answer your other question, the electrics for the RR3 are indeed under the plate with the volume and tone controls.
If you're serious about moving the pickups, you'd have to move the entire wiring with the EMGs, jack included. Then rewire the Epiphone from scratch (you could reuse the pots and jack from the JB/Jazz guitar though). I imagine you'd need to buy nothing more than some wire and a couple of 500K pots for the Epiphone.

[Jamiesneddon]

Hi Martin,

You made a good job of your guitar. I think I might just get the pickups done by a tech - sounds like too much hassle never mind having to reset the floyd as I'll have to take all the strings off.

[MartinBarre]

Don't worry about the trem. Even taking it off and completely replacing it isn't a hard job. I presume this is the first floating trem guitar you've had?
Some tips: change the strings one at a time when you do it; if you need to take all the strings off for some reason, put something (I use a clothes peg) under the back of the trem or it'll fall into the trem cavity once you remove the string tension.
Floating trems are nothing to fear!

[Jamiesneddon]

Hi Martin,

My first guitar was a Kramer striker with a Floyd rose. Ive always taken it to a local tech in Dunfermline to change the strings though hence why I bought the Les paul. I bought the Jackson because I have always loved the shark fins and I fancied another pointy guitar - I'm weird

I would have to take all the strings off to change the pickups though wouldnt I?

PS for any Americans reading this thread - what does the gear reviewer from Guitar world magazine mean when he talks about "dimed"?

[MartinBarre]

Hi Martin,

My first guitar was a Kramer striker with a Floyd rose. Ive always taken it to a local tech in Dunfermline to change the strings

You must have plenty cash spare if you can afford to pay some guy to change strings for you. No offence Jamie, but that's fucking ridiculous.
Changing strings on a guitar with a floating trem is no harder than on a fixed bridge guitar. Like I say, change them one at a time, or do them all at once if you need to but hold the trem in place with a peg or similar.
To change the pickups you'd need the strings off yes, but that's where the peg comes in.
Trust me - it's not as hard as people assume.