Let the RG8 Mods begin...

[odibrom]

I've been doing pickguards for my Ibanez UV for a year now, Get the design in vector format and take it to a a Laser Cut/etching shop near by. They'll do it on their own supply of plexiglass (not necessarily pickguard material, but what is?) and the final result is pretty damn cheap (about 1/2 the price on guitar stores), although they are not beveled (so that's on me).

PERLE Guitars had a template to print out to check sizes that had the complete vector design of the pickguard. (Bad file management on their part, but they never replied to my emails). That file also featured the vector RG8 pickguard version, but I never tested it. All editable with Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw or any other vector drawing software.

On a side note, just checked out that people are selling Universe pickguards at €140+... I payed less than €15 for each of my attempts... people are going crazy... maybe I should venture into this... huuummm...

 

[guitar_player4_2_0]

Dude I swore I saw a PDF of this pickguard design you used somewhere on here but I can't find it, do you still have that file? I think it was yours, I remember it had a neck pup route in it but you said you had them omit it, was that you?

https://www.wdmusic.com/wd-custom-pickguard-for-ibanez-8-string-tam10-details.html

I’m not sure if I’ve ever had a PDF but it’s basically just that with most of the stuff omitted. I would say contacting them is your best bet.

 

[CanserDYI]

I think I'm gonna suuuuper clean mine up, slap a tortoise pickguard on it, no volume pot, no tone pot, no switch, no neck pup, I'm literally just doing an on off switch wired directly to the pup and output jack. Anyone know if not having a volume pot in the circuit will work funny?

 

[guitar_player4_2_0]

I think I'm gonna suuuuper clean mine up, slap a tortoise pickguard on it, no volume pot, no tone pot, no switch, no neck pup, I'm literally just doing an on off switch wired directly to the pup and output jack. Anyone know if not having a volume pot in the circuit will work funny?

Yes and no, depends on the pickup. A passive pickup will work fine, but you might notice a little more high end than if you were running a pot. Riggs, the old player for Rob Zombie, had a signature Fernandez Vertigo with only a Killswitch.

I’m not sure about an active. Normally you need a 25k pot for those, so maybe you’d need a 25k Killswitch?

 

[CanserDYI]

Yes and no, depends on the pickup. A passive pickup will work fine, but you might notice a little more high end than if you were running a pot. Riggs, the old player for Rob Zombie, had a signature Fernandez Vertigo with only a Killswitch.

I’m not sure about an active. Normally you need a 25k pot for those, so maybe you’d need a 25k Killswitch?

I think I'm going passive, I was going to do a fishman, but I always regret it when I choose active so I think this will be a pegasus from SD.

 

[odibrom]

I think I'm going passive, I was going to do a fishman, but I always regret it when I choose active so I think this will be a pegasus from SD.

It's easier to drill a hole in the pickguard / guitar's top than to cover it, so... do it without the pot, hear, then add a dummy pot in the cavity, hear it again, then choose.

 

[CanserDYI]

Okay so I talked to Wdmusic and they are making me a pickguard based on the TAM-10 one, but quick question, I plan on putting an open coil humbucker in it just like Tosins old one, does anyone know if open coil humbuckers will fit in the soapbar route without modification to the body? Also, should I mount the pup to the pickguard or direct mount it? It looks like TAM-10 is secured to the pickguard. Thoughts?

 

[odibrom]

I think that if one is using a pickguard, open coil pickups should be mounted on it.

 

[CanserDYI]

@odibrom @guitar_player4_2_0 what was the biggest guage you were able to fit in the ferrule and the first tuner? .085 is what I'm hoping to fit in, any luck?

 

[guitar_player4_2_0]

@odibrom @guitar_player4_2_0 what was the biggest guage you were able to fit in the ferrule and the first tuner? .085 is what I'm hoping to fit in, any luck?

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...Et83iWq4ZSvTvgnVqVRoCeHkQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Currently I have those on mine. I’m in drop E and the low E is a little loose for my tastes but the rest are balanced really well. Not sure if they all do but mine has a bass ferrule for the 8th string so you should be good to go there. An 80 fits easily but an 85 might be a little tight. If it doesn’t fit just run a slightly bigger drill bit through the post. I’ve done this on a few 7s before, just be sure to not leave any burrs.

 

[guitar_player4_2_0]

Just saw your other question. I’m 99% sure an open coil would fit no problem. Personally I would just mount it to the pickguard as that would probably be easiest. Pretty sure the mounting holes in the body wouldn’t line up perfectly. Literally the only reason I picked an 808 was because since Fishmans came out you can get them 2nd hand stupid cheap.

 

[odibrom]

@odibrom @guitar_player4_2_0 what was the biggest guage you were able to fit in the ferrule and the first tuner? .085 is what I'm hoping to fit in, any luck?

I haven't played with mine for more than a year I think and never messed much with string gauge, I think it actually has the 0.010 string set from D'Addario... I've been busy with my 7s and this one is in need for a complete wiring redo job, to which I'm still trying to find time to do...

 

[CanserDYI]

Welp I was able to pick it up today from music go round as they had to hold it until today, have it tuned EAEADGBE and did my usual lubrication of the nut and a bit of filing down some sharp fret ends and she's a good player, but man, .074 for drop E is flop city and does not want to stay in pitch. Bumping that up to an 80 tomorrow, hopefully that helps it out a bit. I absolutely adore this neck for 8 strings. Feels great and actually really similar to my Kiesel neck just wider.

 

[CanserDYI]

Cut the intonation screw in half for my low E and slapped an 80 in there, helped the tension and intonation a lot, but still not 100% preferable. Still super fun to mess with and the shorter long scale is a great compromise for me as its usable for that lower register, and doesn't destroy my hand like the 30 incher baritones I've played. Still waiting on pups and pickguard, but I snipped tone pot and stock pups don't sound too bad with a lot of EQ on my helix, but still can't wait to rip them out.

 

[CanserDYI]

Think i'm the only one keeping this thread alive now, but who cares. Just ordered a Pegasus 8 string pup and having the pickguard cut. I'm still debating the volume pot or if i'm going to do a toggle on/off, but one step closer. Anyone with experience with the Pegasus 8 pup? I have them in my 6 string schecter and absolutely ADORE it.

 

[BigViolin]

I really liked the Pegasus I had in mine, definitely a pup I would use again.

 

[CanserDYI]

Pegasus should be here today, just slapped in an .085 Daddario bass string and very happy with the tension for low E/F# at 27". Doesn't really seem muddy at all even with stock pups and feels great to play. Thank you Ibanez for putting a bass string ferrule in this guitar, very very smart.

For anyone jumping in this thread in the future, you will need to drill out the tuner for anything higher than an .082, that or unwind the string which I never like doing personally. It was very easy to drill the tuner out and file the edges for no burrs, and now I won't have to unwind string every single time I change strings.

 

[CanserDYI]

Pegasus is in. I absolutely love these pickups for other projects, this one is still awesome, just took a lot more work to get good than I usually have to do. A lot of fiddling with pickup height and pole piece height, etc. After I got that all right, it's definitely an awesome sound that I'm really happy with, but I'd be lying if I wasn't a little worried at first, as the first few chugs that came out were flub city.

 

[CanserDYI]

Sorry have blown this thread up lately, so the stock pot that I was using must have been a culprit of some sort, as I decided to rewire it with a push pull coil split, using a Pot Kiesel sent me last year that I never used, and holy SHIT, it opened this thing up into chug central, my lord it sounds better. The splits are even really convincing to me and veeeery quiet. Highly suggest using better pots when rewiring this guitar.

 

[odibrom]

Sorry have blown this thread up lately, so the stock pot that I was using must have been a culprit of some sort, as I decided to rewire it with a push pull coil split, using a Pot Kiesel sent me last year that I never used, and holy SHIT, it opened this thing up into chug central, my lord it sounds better. The splits are even really convincing to me and veeeery quiet. Highly suggest using better pots when rewiring this guitar.

Pots are generally underrated... they change how a pickup sounds AND are way cheaper than a new pickup...