Guitar Project!

So for years I have wanted to refinish this guitar I got for free from a family member. So I think that I'm actually gonna do it now.
So here's my disclaimers, or as it seems to be in the blogosphere, flame-war fodder.
First, I was a working musician in the 80's and 90's so I remember all too well that big hair and those big hair guitars. I was never really into either - thank GOD or Seattle. Long hair but not big and Les Pauls not shredders.
I would have lived my life happily only playing Les Pauls (God rest Lester's soul) if it weren't for 3 things: GOOD Les Pauls cost a lot of money, good woods in a super strat type body actually have some interesting tone possibilities, and I CAN'T help loving the Floyd Rose.
First. Don't even bother flaming me about your bargain basement Paul from Guitarget or your Epiphone. There are Les Pauls and there are Les Pauls. And if you talk to people who know and play them regularly the grade you get from Guitarget and the grade you get from the higher-end dealers are not the same. Epiphones are not even in the ballpark.
Second. As much as I really really really want to distance myself from the big hair movement there were a few super strat type guitars that used good wood and good p/u selection that actually got some good tone.
Third. I can't help it. When a Floyd is played as an expressive tool and not a metaphor for perceived masculinity there are some very almost saxophone things that can be done with a guitar. And I will NEVER put a Floyd on an LP. I know they are coming from the factory like that now but I'm still not entirely sure that wasn't what drove poor Mr. Polsfuss to his grave all-too-soon.
So outside of the one brief and glorious time in my life when I actually owned a '56 Les Paul Gold Top (NOT a reissue but an ACTUAL 56!) - which ended so sadly I can not even type about it - I have had strats and super strats. And, sadly, I might never have another Les Paul because the chances of me spending $3,000 on a work of art is pretty slim with 3 kids needing to go to college. Again, if you want to comment and say I can spend less see my point the first above.
So, back to the project at hand.
I have this super strat that I got from a family member. It's a Yamaha RGZ 621. It's incredibly difficult to find info about it. But it's alder body (Not mahogany as some have suggested - although that would be AWESOME!) has a pretty balanced tone and it has the Floyd that I swear I can't help liking! I guess that's proof that I'm just as goofy as the next guitarist.
The only problem with it is that I would like some more mature pickups in it and ... well ... it's pink. The pickups in it as well as the color make everything I play devolve into "Talk Dirty To Me" or "Here I Go Again". I know. Let's all pause for a collective shudder for our past listening mistakes.
So far the process has been interesting so I thought to myself, "Self! This is a good way to get you kick started into blogging again!" So I'm gonna write about it.
Read along if you are interested!