Several of the parts added functionality while also giving the guitar a completely new look.
Sometimes a guitar doesn’t need new pickups or an expensive trip to a repair shop to feel completely different. Swapping out the hardware can dramatically change the look of an instrument, and in some cases, it can improve its functionality as well.
That’s exactly what I wanted to test with this Firebird. After seeing the original hardware develop some rust and wear, I decided to completely overhaul the guitar using Guyker hardware. The project included locking tuners, a new bridge and tailpiece, pickup covers and rings, knobs, screws and other hardware.
What Is Guyker?
Guyker specializes in guitar and bass hardware and electronics, offering everything from tuners and bridges to pickup covers, pickup rings, knobs, switches and pickups. Guyker reached out to me about featuring one of its products, but I decided to take the opportunity to overhaul an entire guitar instead.
The goal was simple: replace as much of the visible hardware as possible and see whether the Guyker parts could actually improve the guitar beyond just making it look different.
The Firebird Before the Upgrade
The guitar I chose for this project is a Dionan Firebird with three Gibson ’57 pickups. It’s a great-looking guitar, but the hardware had started showing its age. There was rust developing around the bridge and pickup rings, and several of the original components looked fairly inexpensive compared with the rest of the guitar.
Rather than replacing one or two pieces, I decided to go all in with an aged bronze theme. The goal was to give the black Firebird more of a custom, almost Steampunk-inspired appearance while also adding a few functional upgrades.
Guyker Locking Tuners
The first major upgrade was replacing the stock tuning machines with Guyker aged bronze locking tuners. The original tuners were similar to standard Grover-style machines, while the Guyker tuners added a locking mechanism that secures the string in place.
The fit on the Firebird was excellent, and the brushed bronze finish immediately gave the headstock a much more distinctive appearance.
Locking tuners also make string changes easier and can help improve tuning stability by reducing the amount of string that needs to be wrapped around the tuning post.
Tuners: https://bit.ly/3yOQn1N
Pickup Covers and Rings
Next, I replaced the original pickup rings and covers. The stock pickup rings were plastic, while the Guyker replacements are metal and have a much more substantial appearance.
For the neck and bridge positions, I went with Guyker’s owl pickup covers. Since this is a Firebird, the bird-themed design seemed like a perfect fit. The middle pickup received a simpler brushed bronze cover to keep the overall look from becoming too busy.
Replacing the pickup covers does require removing the existing covers from the pickups. In this case, the Gibson ’57 pickups had soldered covers, so I carefully removed the solder before installing the new covers and resoldering them into place.
Pickup Rings: https://bit.ly/4e0z3FS
Guyker Tune-O-Matic Bridge
The original bridge had developed some noticeable rust, so replacing it was an obvious part of the overhaul. The Guyker Tune-O-Matic-style bridge features an aged bronze finish along with locking hardware to keep the bridge securely in place.
Before installing it, I matched the saddle positions to the existing bridge. This gave me a good starting point for the intonation and meant I didn’t have to completely redo the guitar’s setup after the installation.
The replacement bridge fit the existing posts, allowing me to reuse the original mounting hardware rather than removing the posts from the body.
Bridge GM003: https://bit.ly/3AIDnLL
TP6-Style Tailpiece
I also replaced the original stop bar with a TP6-style tailpiece. This style of tailpiece provides additional fine-tuning capability and is a nice functional upgrade for a guitar where tuning stability is important.
Combined with the locking tuners, this gave the Firebird two meaningful hardware upgrades rather than simply changing its appearance.
Bridge TP6: https://bit.ly/4cOg00z
New Knobs and Additional Hardware
The original control knobs were inexpensive plastic parts, so I replaced them with Guyker aged bronze alloy knobs. They have a much more substantial feel and also lock into place.
To complete the look, I replaced several of the visible screws with bronze hardware, swapped the gold pickup selector for a standard black switch, changed the strap buttons and replaced the gold input plate with a black one. I also added bronze screws to the rear cavity cover.
Knobs: https://bit.ly/4g8gd1A
The Finished Firebird
Once everything was installed (Top Image) and the guitar was restrung, the difference was dramatic. The black and aged bronze combination gave the Firebird a completely different personality, and the metal pickup rings and covers looked considerably more substantial than the original plastic components.
It ended up looking less like a stock production guitar and more like a custom shop one-off.
How Did the Guyker Hardware Perform?
I didn’t want to judge the hardware based purely on appearance, so I played the guitar for several days after completing the modifications. After about five days, the guitar was holding its tuning well, the action felt good and the new hardware was performing without any issues.
The locking tuners worked as expected, and the bridge remained secure. The TP6-style tailpiece also provided the additional fine-tuning capability I was looking for.
For this particular project, the Guyker hardware wasn’t just a cosmetic upgrade. Several of the parts added functionality while also giving the guitar a completely new look.
How Much Did the Upgrade Cost?
The total investment in Guyker hardware for the project was approximately $120. That’s a relatively small amount of money compared with buying another guitar or having extensive custom work performed on an existing instrument.
For anyone who already likes their guitar but wants to refresh its appearance, upgrading the hardware can be a surprisingly effective way to make an instrument feel new again.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Wide selection of guitar hardware
- Excellent visual upgrade
- Aged bronze finish looks great
- Locking tuners add functionality
- Locking bridge helps keep hardware secure
- Good fit on this Firebird
- Very affordable compared with a full custom overhaul
Cons
- Some parts may require additional installation work
- Not every guitar will be a direct fit for every component
- Installation can require soldering and basic guitar setup knowledge
Final Verdict
After completing the Firebird overhaul, I’m impressed with what Guyker offers for the money. The parts gave this guitar a completely different appearance, while the locking tuners, bridge and TP6-style tailpiece also provided meaningful functional upgrades.
The biggest surprise was just how much difference approximately $120 worth of hardware could make. If you have a guitar that’s starting to look tired, or you simply want to give an existing instrument a completely different personality, replacing the hardware is one of the easiest ways to transform it.
For this Firebird, the aged bronze Guyker hardware was a perfect match. The finished guitar looks unique, the hardware has performed well, and the entire project cost a fraction of what you’d spend commissioning a full custom build.
Guyker gets a strong recommendation from Music for Miles for guitarists looking for affordable hardware upgrades and customization options.
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