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.hints...
improving your BluesHawk...
Maintaining an original BluesHawkBefore you start to re-wire your BluesHawk, fit a Floyd-Rose whammy or re-model the headstock in the form of a grinning skull - you might do well to stop for a couple of seconds and think -
The choice is clearly yours - but, for what it's worth I'd stick at first to "reversible changes" - however, I side with those who don't see guitars as investments, but as musical instruments to be enjoyed now. | Worth keeping in original condition? |
Making your changes "reversible"
Basically this means don't change anything you can't put back as it was. Quite what this means in practice is difficult to tell. I have seen adverts for vintage guitars recently which stresses the presence of the "original soldering".
Who should make the changes?
It depends on your level of skill, the tools/facilities available to you, how much money you have and what value you place on your BluesHawk.
What changes might you consider?
"Reversible" changes
Altering the control circuit
Which might include basic wiring changes like using the pull-pot to take the "treble-bleed network" in and out of circuit. Bill Diggens a BluesHawk player and enthusiast from Australia has boldly gone into unknown territory and tried this treble-bleed mod. In Bill's own words, "I've had it installed for some weeks now, and I think it is well worth doing for hawkists who don't use the factory wired switch, as I didn't. The bypass gives a very raunchy powerful hi-output sound, quite unlike the other three positions. It would have made a nice fourth position on the knife switch. The Varitone sounds are still there, so you end up with 24 distinct sounds instead of a piddly 18 ;-)". His instructions are here... many thanks to Bill.
...and here's a circuit mod for the Epiphone 3 pickup NightHawk from Michael T-S
... and another mod for twin pickup Nighhawks from Lennart
Fitting locking strap buttons
The 'Hawk's standard strap buttons are small, shiny and are placed in such away as to shed the strap all too easily - this is a job that is cheap and easy to do - and it could save your beloved 'Hawk from a nasty fall.
Changing the machine-heads/tuners
It is widely agreed that the tuners fitted as standard are of poor quality - you will need to make a decision about just how reversible you want the tuner upgrade to be. It is possible to find tuners which have the same shaft diameter and fixing screw layout as the original tuners - more details here. However, it will probably be easier to track down tuners which have a differing screw layout, and even easier, if you are prepared to open out the shaft hole on the guitar (this is of course an irreversible change)
Re-finishing the frets
My BluesHawk came with acceptably finished frets. Both the dressing and finish were OK. However, this is not everyone's experience - and a fret refinish is one of the most straightforward improvements you can make which can only increase both the playability and the value of your guitar.
Changing the pickups
Swapping pickups for conventional P90s or more heavily modified/hot pickups from makers like Seymour-Duncan is in principle, a simple change to make. You will need to make some well considered decisions about what to do with the dummy coil circuitry - you will certainly not want to leave it in circuit if you install humbuckers.
Irreversible changes
Pretty much anything else - including changes to the main wooden structure of the body, fitting larger footprint pickups, replacing the bridge and changing fingerboard radius - YOU DECIDE!
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