To Mod or not to Mod...Striped Series Frankie

[nobozos]

Thanks for your responses on my previous NGD post. I thought this question deserved it's own thread. Opinions welcome. Now that I have the guitar, I can't help but let my mind wander about modding it. I'm probably going to leave it as stock, but I've still looked at it and thought what I would do to mod it. I guess my question is, if you have one, or wish you had one, what if anything would you do to it? I will run through my list of possible mods, and you guys tell me which ones, if any, you would do.

-Cigarette burns on the headstock
-1971 quarter on the top
-reflectors on the back
-Eye bolts and brass strap clasps
-Replace EVH branded Floyd with OFR Aged Floyd Rose
-Replace Wolfgang humbucker with Frankenstein humbucker
-Tape on the front for "Pick Holder"

Let me know what you think.

[Dave not David]

Do them all. I can't imagine it would lower the value of the guitar, on the chance you get rid of it, because of the nature of the guitar itself.

[Brett]

I mean I would change the humbucker. I’m not a fan of the Wolfgang over the Frankenstein. I have both in my guitars and quite prefer the Frank.

[evhintexas]

I hear a lot of people going on about the Pariah Pasadena Pickup set...I may get that and put in one of the two Frankys I ordered. I will be doing the quarter and cig burns for sure. I personally don't care about the Floyd of the pickup tape...
Reflectors, I can take em or leave them...
I been thinking about how to get EVH of the headstock.

[nobozos]

I go back and forth on it. The only mod I'm seriously considering at this point is the eye bolts and strap clasps. As far as the other stuff goes, I kind of don't see the point. The guitar is too different from the original Frankie to bother trying to make it a replica. I've never cared for the quarter on the body or the reflectors anyway, and the only reason I could think of to do those would be to get as close to the original as possible. No matter how many of the other mods I would do, the neck would be wrong and the stripes wouldn't be accurate enough.

I think if I were going to go to the trouble of going full on cigarette burns, reflectors and quarter, I would probably just start from scratch with a bare body and make a legit "Replica" guitar with a Musikraft Frankie neck and painstakingly accurate stripes.

For me, it might be worthwhile to investigate the Frankie pickup, and possibly the aged OFR. Other than that, I think it's probably good.

The other part of me says, just leave it alone and appreciate it for what it is.

[nobozos]

I been thinking about how to get EVH of the headstock.

You might want to consider ordering a Musikraft Frankie neck and replacing the original with it, just so you have the original unmolested in case you ever want to put it back on.

[TJ_Kong]

Try some WD-40 and 0000 Steel wool for the decal. Not telling you what to do but the Floyd upgrade would be the first mod I’d do as that has most to do with it performance/playability. Also, to be accurate make sure you have a “D” series 1971 quarter

[LAD-1972]

You might want to consider ordering a Musikraft Frankie neck and replacing the original with it, just so you have the original unmolested in case you ever want to put it back on.

The Stratosphere usually has a supply of EVH necks (and other parts) which should be a direct replacement given the spoke truss wheel. Of course now they hardly have anything

https://stratosphereparts.com/brands/EVH.html

[evhintexas]

I go back and forth on it. The only mod I'm seriously considering at this point is the eye bolts and strap clasps. As far as the other stuff goes, I kind of don't see the point. The guitar is too different from the original Frankie to bother trying to make it a replica. I've never cared for the quarter on the body or the reflectors anyway, and the only reason I could think of to do those would be to get as close to the original as possible. No matter how many of the other mods I would do, the neck would be wrong and the stripes wouldn't be accurate enough.

I think if I were going to go to the trouble of going full on cigarette burns, reflectors and quarter, I would probably just start from scratch with a bare body and make a legit "Replica" guitar with a Musikraft Frankie neck and painstakingly accurate stripes.

For me, it might be worthwhile to investigate the Frankie pickup, and possibly the aged OFR. Other than that, I think it's probably good.

The other part of me says, just leave it alone and appreciate it for what it is.

The main reason for not doing it myself is time. I might as well put a foldout cot in my office...consequently, I never play very much anymore...playing guitar has turned into guitar studying. All I do anymore is read about cool guitar stuff...I keep buying stuff and never even getting it in the mix....

[MF5150]

If you don’t see yourself selling the thing ever, I would do all those mods.


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[PrideofPasadena]

I go back and forth on it. The only mod I'm seriously considering at this point is the eye bolts and strap clasps. As far as the other stuff goes, I kind of don't see the point. The guitar is too different from the original Frankie to bother trying to make it a replica. I've never cared for the quarter on the body or the reflectors anyway, and the only reason I could think of to do those would be to get as close to the original as possible. No matter how many of the other mods I would do, the neck would be wrong and the stripes wouldn't be accurate enough.

I think if I were going to go to the trouble of going full on cigarette burns, reflectors and quarter, I would probably just start from scratch with a bare body and make a legit "Replica" guitar with a Musikraft Frankie neck and painstakingly accurate stripes.

For me, it might be worthwhile to investigate the Frankie pickup, and possibly the aged OFR. Other than that, I think it's probably good.

The other part of me says, just leave it alone and appreciate it for what it is.

That's what I was thinking. It's so different going all out doesn't seem the way too go. The clasps, eye bolts, tape and humbucker is all I'd do with it.

Either way I wish I had one. LOL.

[turnbuckle]

I go back and forth on it. The only mod I'm seriously considering at this point is the eye bolts and strap clasps. As far as the other stuff goes, I kind of don't see the point. The guitar is too different from the original Frankie to bother trying to make it a replica. I've never cared for the quarter on the body or the reflectors anyway, and the only reason I could think of to do those would be to get as close to the original as possible. No matter how many of the other mods I would do, the neck would be wrong and the stripes wouldn't be accurate enough.

I think if I were going to go to the trouble of going full on cigarette burns, reflectors and quarter, I would probably just start from scratch with a bare body and make a legit "Replica" guitar with a Musikraft Frankie neck and painstakingly accurate stripes.

For me, it might be worthwhile to investigate the Frankie pickup, and possibly the aged OFR. Other than that, I think it's probably good.

The other part of me says, just leave it alone and appreciate it for what it is.

Seriously dude?

How are you gonna feel when your wife, who gifted you with it, walks in on you, burning it with cigarettes, and screwing reflectors and quarters on it.

What the hell does any of that crap mean anyway, huh?

[VH1986]

So, the option is leave her be or mod the bitch. Grab a coin. Designate the sides. Toss the coin. If it's the side you truly want then you will go with it. If you are disappointed in the side that lands, then go with the other side because that's what you really wanted.

[nobozos]

Seriously dude?

How are you gonna feel when your wife, who gifted you with it, walks in on you, burning it with cigarettes, and screwing reflectors and quarters on it.

What the hell does any of that crap mean anyway, huh?

Yeah, the quarter and cigarette burns were never really serious options for me anyway, but I did want to list out all the potential mods for the sake of everyone else. The only ones I was really potentially considering was the eye bolts, and potentially putting a Frankenstein Humbucker in it. At the end of the day, I'll probably just leave it the way that it is.

You are right though, If she saw me doing the quarter and cigarette burns, she wouldn't get that it's an "EVH" thing. I agree that those mods are pointless, unless you are just trying to make the most accurate replica possible.

[evh5150vanhalen]

I sanded the headstock to remove the logo, but I also sanded the back of the neck with 2,000 grit to make it much smoother. I also plan on getting the relic’d floyd ect.