Refinishing a Melody Maker Explorer, part deux.

[karpathion]

Re: Refinishing a Melody Maker Explorer, part deux.

I have been SO tempted to buy one of these MM Explorers and try a neck humbucker. Two concerns, though...(1) will you lose neck stability once you route out that bit of neck tenon and (2) is the body even deep enough for humbucker legs? Maybe short legs, but I worry about a pickup with long legs. Plus, it's in the neck position, so you'll generally have the pickup pretty low compared to the bridge pickup. Anybody willing to make some measurements to determine if it's feasible?

You have 1 5/16" for body thickness. But, if you can fit a humbucker in the bridge, it should go for the neck too. I'd just use a short legged pup, just to be safe.

As far as cutting in to that neck tenon, that's a gamble somebody is going to have to take and find out. I'm not that brave.

[toneseeker74]

Re: Refinishing a Melody Maker Explorer, part deux.

Thanks for the info on the body thickness. I know it would be safer to route for a single coil like in the pic of the SG-Z, but I really want to try a humbucker route. I found a white MM Explorer on craigslist that I'm gonna go check out this weekend if I have time. We shall see...