GK3 installation on Ibanez S540

Started by renesimons, February 26, 2013, 12:50:55 AM

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renesimons

Hello everyone. Just bought a GR55 and GK3 PU. I would like to mount it on an Ibanez S540, but due to the thinness of the body around the edge, I will need to make some sort of mod. Any ideas? I am a musician, not a handy man!! ;D. Also there isn't a real music store closer than about 250 miles. Thanx for any help.

myksara

Can you please elaborate more on the exact problem?
Is the problem with mounting the divided pick up piece
between the bridge and bridge pickup due to lack of space?
Guitars: Ibanez Prestige S5470, Ibanez Jem 7v, Ibanez JS2410, PRS SE Custom24, Cort  Ltd G16, Ibanez RG370Ahmz,
MultiFX: Roland GR55, Zoom 1on, BOSS GT00
Loopers: Digitech trio+, Line 6 JM4
MIDI:, MAudio Axiom24 keyboard, Alesis IO Dock with iPad air 2

renesimons

Well the body is very thin around the edges and thick in the center. I actually need to cut the back end of the bridge humbucking mounting ring off to make room for the actual pickup to fit between it and the leading edge of the trem...not much real estate there. The problem is creating some sort of shim I suppose to mount the rest of the GK3 unit to the back of the guitar in a manner that provides stability. I appreciate your reply and any help is appreciated. I have a freakin degree in music, but even something as simple as this mounting conundrum has me baffled!!! As I said, a handy man I am not!!

Elantric

#3
Suggest browse the "Post Your GK Guitar" area for inspiration and see if there are GK-3 mounting ideas that work for your needs.
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=359.0

and a Google search on " GK-3 on Ibanez S540" shows this:
http://d.hatena.ne.jp/syunkit/20120411





lespauled

I have an S-Series with the ZR trem.  The ZR is too close to the pickup for me to put the gk3 there.

Elantric

#5
QuoteThe ZR is too close to the pickup for me to put the gk3 there.

Example Ibanez ZR Bridge


In the pic above, see the Bridge PU and its mounting ring are very close to the ZR Bridge

Thus the reason many Ibanez users with a GK-3, remove the Bridge PU Mounting Ring, adapt the Bridge Humbucker PU to mount 1/8" inch closer to the Neck PU, and mount directly to the body in the Bridge PU Body Route, (like a EBMM Petrucci),
to provide a bit more room for the GK-3 - as seen below:



Close up of EBMM Petrucci Bridge PU Mounting:




Also examine closely AlienSporeBomb's relocated Bridge PU mounting location (he removed the Bridge PU Ring Mounting Screws, slid the whole bridge PU  closer to the Neck, and secured with clear tape) , to provide the additional clearance needed for his GK-3 on his guitar below:

renesimons

Thank you thank thank you Elantric!!!! I believe I have it about figured out. I actually did make room behind the PU simply by hack sawing the back end off of the hum-mounting ring and drilling some new holes for the screws...tight fit but works just fine. Now to mount the rest. I really appreciate your help. Have a great day.

aliensporebomb

I actually did find I could screw the ring down once "relocated" and the guitar was pretty much that way for the rest of its existence with me here.
My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.

myksara

I have acquired the Ibanez S420 Blackberry Sunburst(BBS) now and finished mounting the external GK3 on it
See the attached pics.
Due to the ZR being too close to the bridge pup ring, I cut the pup ring strip towards the bridge end with the help of a local fabrication/welding guy on his electric cutter for INR 10 here in India (1 USD is 65 INR)..pretty cheap :D
Now the GK3 divided pickup fits perfectly between the bridge pup and the ZR tremelo.
As far as the GK controller is concerned, it fits well onto the slim body of the S series with the supplied GK3 mount screwed to the bridge side strap pin with about 1 cm metal hanging out which is not a problem at all!

For  few words on this guitar- it is simply amazing with sexy looks, flat neck (but not as flat as my RG3250 prestige- I like this S neck better than the prestige..woww), 24 frets, 2 humbuckers, 1 vol, 1 tone, 5 way pickup selector and the super stable ZR floating bridge that stays in tune with a lot of whammy bar abuse once you have it set up correctly! The stock pups sound good with decent sustain(considering the slim body) but I would not care to change the pups as this guitar will be doing all that comes from the GR55 including the guitar modeling from the 55 itself! A true value for money guitar and about 1lb lighter than the GC1 strat! Happy!
Guitars: Ibanez Prestige S5470, Ibanez Jem 7v, Ibanez JS2410, PRS SE Custom24, Cort  Ltd G16, Ibanez RG370Ahmz,
MultiFX: Roland GR55, Zoom 1on, BOSS GT00
Loopers: Digitech trio+, Line 6 JM4
MIDI:, MAudio Axiom24 keyboard, Alesis IO Dock with iPad air 2

adamlee011

#9
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=16208.0;nowap I realise this is an old thread but I came across it while looking for my own thread to link someon. This may be helpful. I did an internal installation on a newer s970. Granted, I have 2 of them, and there isn't room to keep the 1/4" output, but if you don't mind using the direct out from the roland unit if you have to run straight into an amp.... Anyway, have a look. It may be helpful info for numerous setups.  https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=16208.0;nowap


aliensporebomb

#10
I like the internal install on the S guitars but am not sure I would do it on the very nice S1520 I have.  It's so nice and the action is close to perfect and though it's probably 16 years old it is very minty:



Instead I've been playing this as my GK guitar the last year and a half:



Very similar to my old red one but the back of the neck is unfinished, the analog pickups are surface mounted which means I don't need to fool with moving pickup rings.  And since all the hardware is black the GK hardware goes well with it as well.  Using double sided tape I can go from stock to GK guitar to stock again in just minutes.
My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.

adamlee011