Peavey Raptor Plus - Modding Project

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Rollo
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Peavey Raptor Plus - Modding Project

Post by Rollo » Fri Mar 04, 2011 5:25 am

Hi, I'm new to this forum but I've been a long time Peavey fan of Transtube amps. I have also been building/modding electric guitars as a hobby for as long as I can remember and decided (after a long break from guitars) that it's time for a new project to get me picking strings again. I wanted to work on a cheap guitar because I wanted to try out some unorthodox ideas without having to worry about messing things up.

I bought an inexpensive Predator some years back as a gift for my niece and I remember that I was very impressed by it's tone. I have never considered Peavey guitars prior to this... just amps. So I kept an eye out for something to come up, but found a used Raptor Plus EXP instead and pulled the trigger. I have to say that for me the Raptor body shape is the most pleasing and visually balanced out of all strat-copy guitars in the market. In fact I actually like it better than the original strat, and have often wondered why Peavey relegated this superb contour for their entry level beginner guitars??

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Anyway, I'm off to a great start as the Raptor happens to have a Sunburst finish which I think really suits this body shape. After having a quick look inside it became obvious that this was a pre-CNC made guitar as the routing was poor although I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it has a solid-wood body (I expected plywood for some reason). If you look closely at the single coil magnet poles and strings you'll notice this particular guitar has alignment flaws that the new ones don't have...

Perfect! Time to order a pearloid sheet...

Rollo
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Re: Peavey Raptor Plus - Modding Project

Post by Rollo » Fri Mar 04, 2011 3:12 pm

I've done a bit of digging and discovered that the humble Raptor holds surprisingly good reviews - several say its performance lies between a Squier and a MIM Strat. That's mighty strong potential for modding!

At this price point, I suppose no one would really care about its origins as the series would've been likely made in large numbers from Korea or China. It would still be nice know what year this was manufactured but my serial number search hit a dead end.

12040642 on the neck plate if anybody can help?

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GennyFan
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Re: Peavey Raptor Plus - Modding Project

Post by GennyFan » Fri Mar 04, 2011 4:21 pm

I was renting a teaching studio at store that was a Peavey dealer when those first came out, so that would narrow down your guitar's birthday to sometime between 2003 and 2006.

At the time, I remember being impressed by the 3 per side Korean Predator Plus guitars. Those not only sound good, they play great too. The Raptors didn't have quite as good of a factory set-up as the Predator Plus, but I've since played a few with aftermarket setups that brought them up to the same level as the Korean Predator Plus.

Both the import Raptors and Predators are great values as starter guitars or as stunt guitars to play while riding skateboard, etc.

Personally I wouldn't spend a lot of time modding a Raptor since most aftermarket parts are sized for F*nder guitars. However, it's definitely worth a good set up.

As you've noticed, the stock pickups sound very good. If I was tweaking one, I'd probably start out by polishing the frets with steel wool and then upgrade the dinky lil' alpha pots to full size CTS. The box type blade switch would probably get changed to a Switchcraft too.

ps. I don't think the "poor" routing means it was pre-CNC, it just means it was made in a country where human labor happens to be cheaper than having a machine do it... I.e., China, India, or Vietnam. Since Peavey never made guitars in India (so far), that leaves China and Vietnam.

pps. Even though the Predator Plus guitars were made in Korea, I remember reading an article a few years ago (sorry, can't remember where) that said a majority of the labor in Korean lot-job type guitar factories came from poor Muslim countries, like Pakistan and Bangladesh. Part of the reason the Korean Predators were so nice is that they had excellent fret jobs, which is one of the more labor intensive aspects of guitar making.

Rollo
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Re: Peavey Raptor Plus - Modding Project

Post by Rollo » Mon Mar 07, 2011 2:53 am

Thanks for the production dating info, GennyFan. I'm surprised that these were only made fairly recently. My guitar must've been left near a window most of it's life because the neck finish and the plastics have yellowed quite a bit (in a nice way). I thought the series was older than that... but no matter.

Yes I agree, the neck is impressive not just for a guitar at this price range. I went one step further than just polishing the frets. I'm real picky when it comes to necks and frets (no pun intended :D ) and this area is something I need to get right before I decide to go any further with a project guitar. Over time I have come to expect warped necks on cheap guitars, and I enjoy the challenge of restoring bad ones.

Not much to do on this one. There is a very, very slight "S" wave however on the rosewood surface (due to incorrect truss rod tension by the previous owner who probably didn't even know there is such a thing :) ), but not enough to warrant re-surfacing the wood and a re-fretting job. I took the neck off the body and slackened the truss rod a bit until it's as straight as it could be without string pull - and did a pass with my fret file. The frets end up flat on top like a BMX table-top jump (rough-cut frets on the left side of the top pic), then I file the squared edges off slightly, then carefully sand with 600 grit sand paper until it's rounded again and finish off with metal polish. I like my frets slightly low and flat-ish, so I would sometimes do this with tall fretted necks even when there's nothing wrong. Came out real sweet, the fret heights are dead-straight-level even though the fretboard isn't micro-exact.

Image

I know what you're saying about not over investing beyond the value of the guitar. I'm aware of that, but this is a past time hobby for me. The guitar is almost secondary to the tinkering so it's value (or lack of it) doesn't matter for me.

Another thing I'm impressed about this Raptor is the tremolo. I'm a medium to heavy tremolo player and this thing is surprisingly good at staying in tune, and it only has a plastic nut, haha! Beats some of the expensive guitars I've played.

Next thing is the pots and a new pickup layout that I had always wanted to try.

I am also curious about this "relic" fad. I'd like to know what the fuss is all about and the plan was to have a go at relic-ing this guitar... but now I'm not so sure. I'm beginning to like it more and more.

Anyone have any experience in DIY relic-ing?

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e-merlin
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Re: Peavey Raptor Plus - Modding Project

Post by e-merlin » Mon Mar 07, 2011 12:33 pm

That's a nice looking guitar.

Just for history's sake, it should be mentioned that Peavey was the first guitar brand to use CNC machining starting with their T-series guitars. Maybe the routing on your guitar was done with a dull bit or something?
"Tone is in the fingers, chops are in the woodshed." e-merlin

http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uplo ... 20x480.png

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GennyFan
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Re: Peavey Raptor Plus - Modding Project

Post by GennyFan » Mon Mar 07, 2011 3:20 pm

e-merlin wrote:That's a nice looking guitar.

Just for history's sake, it should be mentioned that Peavey was the first guitar brand to use CNC machining starting with their T-series guitars. Maybe the routing on your guitar was done with a dull bit or something?
+1. Nice fret work too!

Could you post a pic or two of the routing so we can see what led you to believe it wasn't CNC?

Rollo
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Re: Peavey Raptor Plus - Modding Project

Post by Rollo » Tue Mar 08, 2011 2:07 am

Cheers guys!

I'm afraid I didn't take a pic of the original cavities and have since modified the areas with my own routing. My new routing has no paint but you can still pick-out the irregularities of the original cavity from the photo below.

When I say the routing was 'poor' I didn't mean it was detrimental to the guitar. I just meant it didn't look like it was a programmed cut. The original cavities seemed hand crafted with a template and a plunge router... which as far as I'm concerned is perfectly fine.

Image

BTW, the new router cuts you see will allow me to 'slant' my single coil pups and re-locate my volume pot further forward. I could've routed a single large cavity but I didn't want to risk taking off too much wood in case it begins to affect tone and sustain. The dark grain you can see behind the tremolo (first pic top of thread) led me to believe that this body was solid but laminated from several pieces of basswood off-cuts. Another pleasant surprise, as far as I can tell after doing my own routing, is that this is a one-piece basswood body. Impressive!

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Re: Peavey Raptor Plus - Modding Project

Post by GennyFan » Wed Mar 09, 2011 4:22 pm

Thanks for the pics Rollo, looking good! Please keep us posted on your progress!

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Re: Peavey Raptor Plus - Modding Project

Post by Rollo » Thu Mar 10, 2011 8:04 pm

Here's the new internals on my newly cut pearloid sheet. Threw out mini-pots and replaced them with a CTS 250k audio taper for volume, and a CTS 250k linear taper pot for tone (AllParts USA). The original pots were 500k but I wanted this guitar primarily for the mellow single-coil sound so the 'hotness' of the humbucker output isn't as important.

I also changed the original .022uf capacitor to a big .047uf Orange Drop from AllParts but only wired it for the single-coils. I excluded the humbucker from the master tone circuit altogether.

Image

I left the cheap 'box type' lever switch for now because I'm still not sure what switching combinations sound useful for me. No need to go to a 5 position if I'm never going to use all of them. I'll go for a 3 or 4 or 5 position OakGrigsby switch once I've decided.

I have also incorporated a statocaster jack plate on the pickguard. One of my pet-hates is an output jack coming out of the bottom-edge of the guitar. I sometimes play sitting on the couch and the lead plug always digs into the sofa cushions... arrgh!! I didn't want to add anymore screws so I've located the jack plate in such a way where it utilizes one of the existing pickguard screws and one of the switch screws.

Image

The experimental layout has 'slanted' single-coil pups and a knob/switch layout that better suits my way of playing (I hope) with the tremolo lever in my right hand most of the time. I'm still not sure if I like the look of the slanted singles but on the plus side, it sounds distinctive and my picking never crosses over the magnet poles. I'll see how it goes...

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Re: Peavey Raptor Plus - Modding Project

Post by Rollo » Sat Mar 26, 2011 2:29 am

After several days of playing and fiddling with the new controls, I found the tone knob below the humbucker keeps getting in the way of my fingers (although I was pretty sure it wouldn't). I also found that rolling off some treble seems to be too slow and the amount I find pleasing is the same for both single coils. So I decided to replace the tone pot with a switch instead (the only one I had laying around was a 2throw 4pole so in it went). I soldered a mini variable resistor and set it to about 100k. In case I change pick-ups later I can always adjust the tone resistance to suit. Nice thing about it is that when the tone switch is 'off' the tone circuit is completely detached so all pick-ups are as nice and bright as they can be.

Image



I also couldn't find a solution to plug-up the original jack hole, so I left it in. It's wired-up so I can use either jack point.

Image

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Re: Peavey Raptor Plus - Modding Project

Post by Rollo » Wed Mar 30, 2011 5:05 am

Raptor TONE BLOCK Shootout!

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Ok, here's my favorite part... finding the tone. Resonance is key, and in a floating tremolo set-up the tone block material really does play a key role. Unfortunately, the stock Raptor tremolo is not the same as a Strat tremolo so none of the available aftermarket tone blocks will fit its base plate and its threaded arm hole placement. The lower-right-most block is the stock zinc Raptor block and the other two I had to make.

ZINC - the original block is surprisingly heavier than I expected with quite a strong ping to it when tapped, 116 grams. Perhaps it's cold forged rather than plain cast.

STEEL - premium cold-rolled bright steel, seems to have the dullest ping out of all three blocks, 210 grams.

BRASS - special alloy and machined off a solid cast billet, has a nice ping and is the heaviest, 242 grams.

Most modders dismiss zinc blocks as inferior but every now and then they can come out on top. Fender USA Strats have steel blocks renowned for it's vintage sound. Brass blocks seems to be the modern choice for boosting warm tones and sustain. I have no idea how a guitar like the humble RaptorPlus would respond to any of these precedents. Only one way to find out... placing your bets gentlemen?

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Re: Peavey Raptor Plus - Modding Project

Post by tomringg » Wed Mar 30, 2011 8:39 am

Rollo wrote: I know what you're saying about not over investing beyond the value of the guitar. I'm aware of that, but this is a past time hobby for me. The guitar is almost secondary to the tinkering so it's value (or lack of it) doesn't matter for me.
My mantra as well. :lol: I like buying pawn shop & clearance gems to tinker with. Now I need to find aspiring young players to bestow them upon. Momma is getting upset with the accumulation, but I tell her it is an innocent vice.

I like what you are doing, especially the trem block. Please keep us posted.

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Re: Peavey Raptor Plus - Modding Project

Post by tabdog » Thu Mar 31, 2011 3:46 pm

Rollo wrote:Raptor TONE BLOCK Shootout!

ZINC - the original block is surprisingly heavier than I expected with quite a
strong ping to it when tapped, 116 grams. Perhaps it's cold forged rather
than plain cast.

I have no idea how a guitar like the humble RaptorPlus would respond to any
of these precedents. Only one way to find out... placing your bets gentlemen?


Hay Rollo,

I really like what you are doing. Great thread.... And,, I think the Rapter is a
good choice for a project.

Zinc is usually a combination of zinc and something else. It can be grainy and
crumbly, or smooth and hard. Maybe it is the zinc itself and the way it was
forged or cast.

I am going with brass,,, but what do I know???

I have always been a bass player. I got a Raptor Plus EXP for my kids... (their
grown now). It was about $150 new,

Image

I thought it was a shorter scale kids guitar,(wrong) but I was always impressed
with it when I played it....... My oldest son took up bass also, so, I was always
playing the Raptor so he could learn songs on his Squire. I never gave it much
thought,

Image

It turns out, it is the same scale as a Fender Strat. (25.5 inches)

It's the body shape that makes it smaller, and the basswood makes it even lighter,

Image

I have ours setup the way I like it.... The thing plays amazingly. And, yes, I have
played American made Strats.

Except for the noise it makes at certain settings, it sounds amazing for a $150 ax.
I love those Fender tones it makes. It's cool how many different sounds come from
moving the switch.

I would love to have mine like yours, but I'm on a little slower level.

Keep us posted,,,,, I cain't wait,

Tabdog

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Re: Peavey Raptor Plus - Modding Project

Post by tabdog » Thu Mar 31, 2011 3:51 pm

tomringg wrote:
Rollo wrote: I know what you're saying about not over investing beyond the value of the guitar. I'm aware of that, but this is a past time hobby for me. The guitar is almost secondary to the tinkering so it's value (or lack of it) doesn't matter for me.
My mantra as well. :lol: I like buying pawn shop & clearance gems to tinker with. Now I need to find aspiring young players to bestow them upon. Momma is getting upset with the accumulation, but I tell her it is an innocent vice.

I like what you are doing, especially the trem block. Please keep us posted.
I'm with you.

I got a US made Fury Bass for $75 at a pawn shop recently.

It cleaned up real nice,

Image

Tabdog

eMs
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Re: Peavey Raptor Plus - Modding Project

Post by eMs » Thu Mar 31, 2011 4:05 pm

Wow, great job! I want a brass tone block for my Wolfie!!! (the original is really thin (looks like brass), but stills sounds great so I wonder if I use a bigger one will sound even better!!!)

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