Yamaha RGX 110 mk2 - Upgrade project

[G37-R34DY]

I am a great fan of 80's Yamaha RGXs, and I have fun collecting and upgrading them. Since they are so cheap, it's quite fun and painless.

This project is an RGX110 mk2 (the difference with the first version is the position of the jack: front of the body on the first runs, then on the side).
This guitar was bought for less than 100EUR and was in awful shape. Despite looking good, it was set up so bad that it was barely playable. So, already having some 110s in better shape, I decided to work on this a bit.

The project is ongoing: Sperzel Locking tuners, Graphtec saddles, volume handle are already in.CTS pot and Switchcraft jack, graphite nut will get in in a few days. Then I'll drop in a JB or Super Distortion. If the guitar will turn out right, I will have it refinished.

If anybody is interested, here are some work in progress pics.

https://www.amazon.it/clouddrive/sha...hare_link_copy

[asix]

nice project.

[lefty]

Cool work there. I used to jam a lot with a guy who was also a major
Yamaha enthusiast. Being he was a luthier I expect those are pretty
decent guitars!

[toejam]

Very cool! Old RGX and RGZ models are nice.

[G37-R34DY]

The first series are extremely good guitars, even if they are (and were) cheap. Of course the electrics and the hardware is cheap, but the neck is extremely comfortable (for me) the body has a very good access to upper frets, and the whole instrument has a very good way of resonating. It's very loud unplugged.
THe higher end models are even better, but there's something in the 110-112 that fascinates me. Maybe the black painted neck against colored bodies. I don't know. I just know that I can get one of these for less than a cable and have fun modding them

[Dak]

Thought I might resurrect this thread since I just discovered the rgx's myself. Picked up a 610m at the pawn shop for $60. It's the single hum maple fretboard model. It's rough with quiet a bit of fret wear, missing string locks and one micro tuner but it plays really nice. I've never owned an Ibanez but a friend at work I showed it to said the neck feels a lot like the early wizard necks. Funny he scoffed at how rough it was like I wasted my money when he saw it but then just kept on noodling around on it cause the neck felt so good. Anyway right now I put some Floyd string locks I drilled out for the larger bolts it uses on the locknut. Had to use some nuts as spacers for now since the bolts I got at Lowe's are too long. I pulled the pickup out when I changed strings and discovered it has a Tom Anderson H3 in it. I'll probably just fix the little things since I like the pearl white it is. Just wish it was less scratched up. Main reason I bought it was I wanted to try the 24.750 scale since I don't own one in that scale.

[Carbuff]

Ive got an 80s rgx something. Its a superstrat, H H, with some terrible non locking fake floyd that just makes the guitar useless for the most part. It actually plays nice and sounds great. The board looks so dark, like ebony and its a really thick slab. I had a red one identical to it one back in the day. Looks like this one, but yellow(beige)

[Dak]

Ive got an 80s rgx something. Its a superstrat, H H, with some terrible non locking fake floyd that just makes the guitar useless for the most part. It actually plays nice and sounds great. The board looks so dark, like ebony and its a really thick slab. I had a red one identical to it one back in the day. Looks like this one, but yellow(beige)

Actually the bridge might be like the ones pictured here http://www.fretsonthenet.com/Gibson_...aha/yamaha.htm and is double locking. It's just like mine the saddle lock downs are missing. I have no clue where to get them. On mine there is a screw hole for that saddle contraption. I wonder if one can just put an allen head screw in there to lock them down.

[Carbuff]

This appears to be the bridge on mine, except mine is chrome. I think this is single locking only, unless theres something missing, oh and the nut lock blocks are missing and not any kind of standard replacement size either. Is there another bridge that will replace it directly? I believe the posts are not floyd friendly spaced. Wait, is this a rockin' magic II trem missing the lockplates? Or saddle contraptions as you call them?

[Dak]

This appears to be the bridge on mine, except mine is chrome. I think this is single locking only, unless theres something missing, oh and the nut lock blocks are missing and not any kind of standard replacement size either. Is there another bridge that will replace it directly? I believe the posts are not floyd friendly spaced. Wait, is this a rockin' magic II trem missing the lockplates? Or saddle contraptions as you call them?

That one may be single locking only. My bad. Mine has the Rockin Magic Pro and the strings feed through from in under the back on the saddles. Maybe one of the floyds that is straight on one side like this might work
http://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_and_...lo_System.html
On mine the bolts for the locking nut is a M5-.80. They're llarger than the Floyd Rose. Frets on the net sells the screws and lock plates.

[Carbuff]

Wow, Dave's really expanded his list of merchandise. I see he has the lock plates and screws for the nut. And the bar for the trem too. Cool. I might have one of those cheap floyd copies with the one straight side laying around. Ill have to check. I always thought this guitar was short scale but I came across the specs for it and it says 25.5. Was there a short scale version? Maybe I should actually dig it out and look at it seeing as its been locked away for like 10 years. LOL.

[Dak]

Wow, Dave's really expanded his list of merchandise. I see he has the lock plates and screws for the nut. And the bar for the trem too. Cool. I might have one of those cheap floyd copies with the one straight side laying around. Ill have to check. I always thought this guitar was short scale but I came across the specs for it and it says 25.5. Was there a short scale version? Maybe I should actually dig it out and look at it seeing as its been locked away for like 10 years. LOL.

Yeah I'll eventually get the right plates and a bar. Here is an article from Axebition.com about the late '80's rgx's. I haven't clicked through all the models but quite a few of them are 24.75 scale. I can verify the 610m is. I'm kinda bummed. I lost an auction for a 620s on ebay this morning. Had the wining bid till 10 seconds to go and someone swooped in and got it. It too was rough but auction ended at $66. 24 frets, HH pickups and supposedly 24.75 scale. It'd have been like a poor mans fusion.
http://www.axebition.com/blog/late-8...aha-rgx-design

[Carbuff]

Here is a pic of my actual guitar. Was a bit hard to find. Not all my cases are marked. LOL.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rykQ258xS_wp61tlIhg25s6xw0bkYWqg/view?usp=sharing

This is my exact bridge.

[Carbuff]

I see no way to screw these blocks on it like in this pic. Trem looks identical other than that. Note that the little wheels on the sadles were modification by Dave and not stock.



After looking at it more, maybe they are not the same trems.

I thought this one was the same.

[Dak]

I see no way to screw these blocks on it like in this pic. Trem looks identical other than that. Note that the little wheels on the sadles were modification by Dave and not stock.

Yep those don't look threaded. I can't remember where but I thought I read that there was a single locking version. That must be the one you have.