Hot rod'n/mod'n my axe...

I'm thinking of hot rodding my ESP viper 301 instead of shelling out the mucho denarro for a high end guitar...
I have some ideas...a tone-pros bridge,graphtech trem nut and an emg81-85 set...and thats all I can think of.The end result I'm looking for is a screaming crunch/lead machine with incredible sustain and tuning stability.Any suggestions?What mods would you do?I was also contemplating how much it would be to have everything installed and set up by a good guitar tech...would it be better if I just did it myself?All input appreciated!

Later! \m/

I'd do the mods myself if I were you, I know just how I want a guitar set up, so that way you can get it exactly how you want. Pickups arent hard to replace, just a few solder points that need re-doing, so that shouldnt be a problem.
For tuning stability I'd either get a fixed bridge, or block the tremelo arm. This will also increase the sustain, of course at the expense of losing the whang bar (which let's face it, doesnt get much use unless you're hank marvin)
EMG's are good pickups, but so are dimarzio superdistortions and duncan invaders. I'd try to find out as much as possible about them before shelling out.
If you dont go for the EMG pickups, you could also fit a preamp inside the guitar to give some seriously high output which would be good for driving an amp.
Good luck!

I got myself an EMG 89, I think it's pretty similar to an 85 only it's splittable.
I know it's an active humbucker. The coil tap on mine is operated by pulling out or pushing in an ordinary looking tone knob. I use a little two way switch to turn the pickup on and off

I RECOMMEND SUCH A FEATURE TO ANYONE MODIFIYING THEIR GUITAR, I'M CHUFFED WITH IT.

If I set the pick up selector exclusively to that pick up the on off switch can completely kill the sound producing this cool stuttering effect. If the pick up selector is selected so that my EMG 89 and my middle pick up are selected the kill switch makes a nice kind of tone and volume fluctuation, harsher and louder on the one hand, warmer and quieter on the other. This latter effect is more manageable I find, I particularly like it with out of phase unison bends that wail and burn.
Some of Rage Against the Machine's Tommy Morello's sounds come from using an on/off switch.

Coil taps are very nice, very very nice.

They allow me to switch to a single coil tone on my rhythm part, but get a noise free humbucker tone for the lead playing.

Also, you might look into a piezo bridge, they're cool as hell too.

I guess I'll do it myself...It will save me 90+ dollars for installation and setup.
My bridge is the Tune-o-matic type with a tailpiece...and the tonepros bridge seems to be regarded as the most stable.I think the guitar would look a little wierd with the "two single coils put together" humbucker look,so the EMG seems the best option.I'm not sure about tuners...The sperzel locking tuners dont come in black(from where ive looked).Grover,Gotoh,sperzel,schaller?Whats the best?
I'm done.

Later! \m/

Don't think about what it looks like, just go with the pickups you like the best.

Hell, my best guitar is hot pink, with two bright yellow single coils and a bright green humbucker.

I sudderd in disgust as I read yout post sambob..uughhhh..
ehh...I'll stick with my basic dark colors as far as the pickups go...Honestly I wouldnt take a guitar like that out of the house for fear of getting beatdown...I'd keep it out of sight like porno.Well,as long as it plays great right?

Later! \m/

I suppose if I had unlimited funds I'd only buy colors I liked. But really, they're just pickups, if someone can't see past the way your guitar looks, and hear how you play..you probably suck. I've always thought how you sound was a lot more improtant than how you look.

not necessarily. If I saw somebody with the guitar you described, I'd definitely be expecting to hear Queen's "I want to ride my bicycle" in his repetoire. j/k, but you should seriously think about repainting that beast from hell.

(posted by sambob)"But really, they're just pickups, if someone can't see past the way your guitar looks, and hear how you play..you probably suck."

I think "But really, they're just pickups, if someone can't see past the way your guitar looks, and hear how you play..they probably suck." is more like it.

I'm a musician so if you busted out that hot pink axe,I would laugh it up,but it wouldnt detract from my appreciation of your talent/skill/ability...

Not everyone would care to look past it though.

Later! \m/

It would be more trouble than its worth to refinish that one. Besides, I like the pink.

Originally posted by sambob
Don't think about what it looks like, just go with the pickups you like the best.

Hell, my best guitar is hot pink, with two bright yellow single coils and a bright green humbucker.

I gotta admire a player who follows their own advice!

I would expect anything but mediocrity from a player wielding such an eye-straining axe. Either hot sh!t, or steaming turd!