When you get a new (or "new" used) guitar what do you mod or change?

Strings/cleaning/set-up is the norm. There are guitars that I've bought with the intention of being a mod platform. Usually though, I'd rather spend the money up front for what I really want.
 
Typically I clean off whatever crud there is, change strings (especially since I can't use nickel strings anymore, due to my nickel allergy), and do a setup. I only mod other things if parts (such as pots and pickup selectors) are bad or broken, or if after tons of work with setting up pickup height, I find them to still not be satisfactory soundwise, and I like the guitar enough to hang onto it. I prefer to avoid mods if I can. I got sick of blowing time swapping out parts and pickups, just to have no real improvement occur. It's a lot easier to get something that's decent from the get-go, and then tweak it until it's just right.
 
I got sick of blowing time swapping out parts and pickups, just to have no real improvement occur. It's a lot easier to get something that's decent from the get-go, and then tweak it until it's just right.

You know now that you bring it up you've got me thinking about all of the mods I've done. Lots of them have been cosmetic and that's OK but as far as tone goes it's been quite a crap shoot and although I don't think I made things any worse I'm not all that sure that I made things a whole lot better either. I'm starting to wonder if it wouldn't have been easier to just to learn to like what I've got rather than spending a lot of time and money chasing what might have been unrealistic expectations.
 
when i was gigging regularly i would do strings, straplocks (dunlop) and setup. now that i'm relegated to "homebody musician" it's strings and set up. though i have nothing against it, i'm not a modder - i don't buy guitars for what they could be, i buy guitars for what they are.
 
Set it up, add dunlop buttons.

Honestly, I've modded guitars that looking back I wish I hadn't.

Course I just build what I want in the first place now.
 
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I don't think I've even changed the strings on my most recent acquisition, and that was a while ago. :shrug:
 
when i was gigging regularly i would do strings, straplocks (dunlop) and setup. now that i'm relegated to "homebody musician" it's strings and set up. though i have nothing against it, i'm not a modder - i don't buy guitars for what they could be, i buy guitars for what they are.

I tend to buy projects I guess. I see a guitar that has been abused and is currently down on its luck and I bring it back to being a real player again.

On the other side. I have purchased pieces and never tweaked them. My Brian May red Special, My Frampton etc. Those were perfect when I got them
 
Take everything off, good cleaning (probably the last one it will get)...
Put it all back together, repair what it needs.

I go through a few custom sets of strings (sometimes 4 or 5 in a few days) to find what it likes, then I pro setup with the determined strings. I'm talking fret leveling, nut slots, bridge....intonation... Every functional thing within reason.
Then I play the heck out of it for a few weeks, tweek setup and whatever and we're good.....
 
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