how to turn a cheapy guitar into a great guitar?

[Nubus]

Originally Posted by McLean

On my electric, I put an overdrive chip into it on the last tone pot. After that, I knew someone with a plasma troch and made an metal pickguad for it. Sanded it down and stained it blue. Than put a piece of metal in the head stock for extra sustain (it does work for at least one second longer). I turned this old junky strat copy into something pretty interesting.

This kind of opens up all sorts of possibilities. If you collect random guitar stuff you can combine them into Frankensteins.

[drewsifer]

1. New tuning heads.
2. heavier strings (if the guitar is buzzing and youve already tried tweaking the truss rod.
3. pickups make a HUGE difference.
4. new electronics.

[lukedavo]

Well, if effort is no problem, I can suggest going to a luthier. See if he will let you use the glue warmer (not sure the actual name, but its a device the warms up epoxy and glue so that somehting initially fixed can be moved or removed). If so, it might be a good idea to buy a blank fretboard, hammer in and shave the frets to your personal preference, and shape the fretboard to your guitar neck. Re-glue, let sit for a day or so, sand, finish, stain. WA-LA you will have beutifully fresh feeling, fully customized fretboard. Which may or may not improve the sound of your guitar, but hey if the guitar sounds bad, there's no where to go but up.

[Nubus]

I'd keep it one hundred percent stock, put it in a sealed case with a humidifier set optimally, bury it deep within the earth for a thousand years and sell it.