Double-ish Mustang Project(s) - The Best vs. The Rest

[Silence Kid]

*Sigh.* I should not have started posting here again; and I DEFINITEly should not have started my first post in months with a sentence along the lines of 'I've been trying to not buy new gear.'

Am in a Mustang mindset of late; I once had a love-hate relationship but really gelling nowadays with my Daphne blue bundle of mostly '66 parts ('66 body, neck and vibrato, vintage bridge, new pickups/wiring.) So with this new familiarity I was semi bothered by some cracks developing in the back of the (fifteen year old refin) body:

It's my thread, so it can be story time: An alleged 'friend' (in retrospect - a drunk semi-charlatan preying upon young boys) refinished this body for me, and told me he'd spread/syringed these cracks (sorry for the innuendo.) Obviously the warrantee on that work is now void (got that impression when he cheated me out of a different guitar and screwed over a different one of my projects.) I wouldn't be nearly so bitter now fifteen years later, if it hadn't become evident he had no clue how to handle the above cracks. At least the rest of the guitar looks/sounds pretty awesome; his other original refin errors now just seem like 'relicing.'

I'm one nitro refinish in (my G&L,) so obviously newly equipped to judge. Figure I'm up for making an attempt at least at refinishing the back of this one - but I wanted a spare body to use in the meantime - Like a Squier, or a butchered MIJ, or...

Someone's other refinished '66 body, this one a respray over original Dakota paint. Debating if I should just wet-sand the refin (needed,) or try to sand down to the factory finish.

Anyway at about this point I realized I had a shoebox full of 99% of what I'd need to make a new Mustang: '64 vibrato, MIJ bridge, Duncan pickups, vintage pick guard...

Wound up low-balling/getting this:

So to be continued - I'll have two Mustangs: A 'best' and a 'the rest.' Really just need tuners, switches, and a switch plate to make it happen. Also curious about how feasible those cracks on my daphne body are to repair, or at least ensure they won't spread.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Double-ish Mustang Project(s) - The Best vs. The Rest

To add a bit of interest, here are some things to argue about:

Pickup Choices

-Duncan Jaguar Hot set
-Duncan Jaguar Vintage set
-Rose Mariposas (mid & bridge - vintage singles)
-Rose Buff Beauties (installed at present - hotter singles)

Pickguard Choice

-Cheap MIC 'aged' pearl (on guitar above)
-Parchment with rough-edges/handmade by drunken ex-friend
-Vintage '70s pickguard pulled off a guitar that was passed around at a prison for about thirty years (I am seriously leery about touching this pickguard and a corner is understandably missing - the pearloid all but eliminated. And yet, it is intriguing to think this thing is still covered in the grease and dirt of rough men who may have almost been as disgusting as me. The rest of the guitar was Comp. Orange with the stripe - and looked fabulous.)

So I'm thinking:

Red Mustang - 'The Good One'
-'66 Dakota body - just buffed first, we'll see about sanding down to the original finish later
-'66 Mustang Neck
-Vintage prison pickguard - MAYBE, if I can stand the thought of touching it on a regular basis
-Rose Buff Beauties (hot singles)
-'64 Vibrato (better chrome - but I don't know if it will stay in tune as well as my '66 , so we'll see)
-Vintage Bridge

Blue Mus-Co - 'The Other One'
-'66 Daphne body with cracks - after some attempt at repair
-Bronco neck
-Chinese pickguard
-Duncan Jaguar Hots (I seem to prefer higher output in Mustangs so...)
-'66 Vibrato (worse chrome)
-MIJ Bridge (after stiffening the intonation screws)

 

[RorySquier]

Re: Double-ish Mustang Project(s) - The Best vs. The Rest

That really aged pick guard looks pretty cool. I can't wait to see it all put together.



;>)/

 

[allbutromeo]

Re: Double-ish Mustang Project(s) - The Best vs. The Rest

If you're interested, I have an original mid-70's black pickguard. It came off of my 1976 Mustang.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Double-ish Mustang Project(s) - The Best vs. The Rest

Sounds fun.

How about going with Duo-Sonic II (i.e. series) wiring, instead of typical Mustang (i.e. parallel) wiring?

I would just completely ignore those cracks, myself. The guitar looks good to me, and cracks happen...and don't really hurt anything on a solid-body instrument. My '76 Musicmaster Bass has some, and it has been one of my most gigged basses, seeing *literally* hundreds of uses onstage with 100 percent reliability.

I have just planned out a Mustang project myself. It will be based on one of the new American Performer bodies in the "Penny" color. I didn't care at all about it until I saw it in person. It is really stunning. I will be custom ordering a Jaguar neck for it, rather than buying the whole guitar. That will allow me to build it to look like a vintage clone (veneer board, lacquer finish, heel-adjust truss rod). I'll probably go with a Mustang vibrato, but Duo-Sonic II wiring (I don't really care for pickups in parallel).

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Double-ish Mustang Project(s) - The Best vs. The Rest

Sounds fun.

How about going with Duo-Sonic II (i.e. series) wiring, instead of typical Mustang (i.e. parallel) wiring?

That's a pretty awesome idea. I've never tried series between two pickups - but I actually really like the 'both pickups parallel/in-phase' tone on Mustangs; probably my favorite position on the guitar. Might as well make the new one different though!

I would just completely ignore those cracks, myself. The guitar looks good to me, and cracks happen...and don't really hurt anything on a solid-body instrument. My '76 Musicmaster Bass has some, and it has been one of my most gigged basses, seeing *literally* hundreds of uses onstage with 100 percent reliability.

It seems not uncommon on Mustangs anyway, to have those cracks where the body seams join. More and more I wonder if I should just assemble a totally new Mustang and leave the Daphne one alone, since (other than the cracks) nothing bothers me about it - part of my soul just needs at least one Mustang without cracks to feel like a whole human.

I have just planned out a Mustang project myself. It will be based on one of the new American Performer bodies in the "Penny" color.

To me that color is gorgeous in pictures too, so I envy that project idea. Honestly - before I grabbed my American Special Jazzmaster and now this project, I told myself the moment I saw one, the 'Penny' American Performer Mustang would me my next guitar (or a modern G&L... or a spare F100 ; I obviously like to have two of things.)

I'm intrigued by the changes made to the vibrato, that don't totally bastardize it. I'm probably the biggest lover of the original Mustang Dynamic vibrato there is, and have gotten pretty good at making them float and keep tune, but the pivot point wearing down/poor metallurgy is a big failing. Seems the Performer improved that aspect with the thick, Jaguar-like pivot.

If you're interested, I have an original mid-70's black pickguard. It came off of my 1976 Mustang.

Nice guitar, feel free to spam pics here I've always wanted a '70s Mustang - maple/maple? I do want a relatively 'period correct' look for these though, although the Bronco neck + black pickguard isn't very accurate to begin with - suppose it would actually make sense in a weird way to have a later black guard in that case. The parchment + Dakota would be a good look now that I think about it...

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Double-ish Mustang Project(s) - The Best vs. The Rest

Another thought - if I wanted to repair the above cracks, what would be the correct method to do so? For one thing, I don’t doubt there is possibly glue in there and even if not- they are likely not threatening the stability of the guitar overall. Should I try to spread, inject some glue and clamp, sand it all level with filler if needed then do a large spot repair refinishing just the back?

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Double-ish Mustang Project(s) - The Best vs. The Rest

Again, I would not bother.

But IF (big if) I did, I would strip the guitar fully as a first step.

I would then fill the cracks with Bondo or resin, sand, and seal with a vinyl sealer or resin sealer, then refin as normal (primer, color, clear). I wouldn't bother gluing, clamping, or any of that.

Also, as a self correction, I wrote Duo-Sonic II wiring, but I meant Duo-Sonic wiring. Duo-Sonic IIs came with the same wiring as Mustangs (parallel pickups). However, you can wire them in series with the Mustang/DSII-style phase/off/phase reverse switches.

 

[allbutromeo]

Re: Double-ish Mustang Project(s) - The Best vs. The Rest

Here it is stock, 1976, ash body, Olympic White yellowed to almost Blonde. Original hardware, case, and electronics.

And here it is now, changed to a tortoise pickguard and Creamery Sonic 60's pickups

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Double-ish Mustang Project(s) - The Best vs. The Rest

Excellent - that's a vibrant pickguard, Spitfire/vintage? (Or maybe I'm just showing I'm not - aka pretending not to be - one of those weird tort connoisseurs/fetishists ) My 'dream' Mustang is still a ~'69 comp. orange with matching headstock, that has eluded me; but it's amazing how they managed to thoroughly ' '80s ' the aesthetic with just a change of the plastic color and paint, vs. the comps in particular. Look forward to copping a bit of that late-seventies Fullerton poly on the neck I'm waiting for.

Thinking more about my wiring; I mentioned I actually do use the both/parallel mode (primarily even,) but what I do not really use is out-of-phase. Before I ask outright how to do it/whether it is not possible, I may put my brain to work trying to figure out if I can use the stock switches to give me a 'series' setting rather than the 'both-apart/toward OOP.' Or alternately - if one pickup switch alone can give me neck/both/bridge, with the other switch in control of parallel/series/OOP?

Also contemplating whether my own vintage pickguard should be filed to open the pickup slots (due to shrinkage) or if I'd rather thin down the (modern) covers themselves to make them fit; weird but I just don't like the idea of hacking into an ancient pickguard and awakening some ancient trapped ghost of a rapist. Still not sure I'll use it anyway.

As a final note - I probably will not attempt a repair of the cracks on the Daphne; not because they don't bug me, but because as I read up on this there's no guarantee they will not reappear, even after another refin. Guess I'll deal with it. Still waiting for mail patiently, but mostly will be ready for the large chunks upon arrival.

 

[allbutromeo]

Re: Double-ish Mustang Project(s) - The Best vs. The Rest

I got it from www.guitarpartsfactory.us
the color is Brown Tortoise

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Double-ish Mustang Project(s) - The Best vs. The Rest

So updates (and a set-back!) Got a bunch of boxes today, but waiting on the body (tomorrow ~ETA.) Got sweaty over a soldering iron in my work room with no AC; or maybe the sweat was just from me watching Sabrina the Teenage Witch in the background. Either way I told my wife I was 'working.'

I put on my hazmat suit before I worked on this, figuring at least part of the DNA sludge on this is technically 'evidence.' In an apparent show of kin-ship with me, the spirits of guitar-slinging, chain-gang murderers who died listening to Kurt Cobain allowed me to insert my pickups in their pickguard; plastic on the covers for irony:

In either case it has a face; actually, the home-made mint parchment pickguard from 2006 is now shrunk too much to use, and yet the miraculous prison guard is fine. In all honesty, I may still wind up filing the slots on the parchment down and using it ultimately.

Look at the world's cheapest cap while it screams: "IGNORE ME!!!" I mentioned in another thread, the best sort of wiring is 'temporary' wiring; on a test run this all works, happily. Also, to whoever buys my Jaguar pickups twenty years from now and realizes they still have all the leads - you are welcome. But for now, you can see I truly made this of leftovers, that I plan on replacing little by little.

So the rosewood is beautiful and chocolatey; I know people are supposed to have thought Fender Japan beat these necks, but side-by-side with my MIJ Jaguar neck (which is an apt comparo given same side-dots, finish comp., veneer board, construction, scale etc.) Fullerton nailed it. Smoother rosewood, better side-dot installation; the only real 'negative' is a sharper area with less gradual transition on the heel.

Shape-wise, this is basically a soft-V which is sort of disappointing; I really like the flat-ish, thin shape of my '66 neck. The nice thing is (a lot like my VM Jazz bass) the shape does get flatter (a small bit) as you go up the neck. This suits my playing a bit better, where I'm more likely to thumb-over the low frets, and keep my thumb more toward the middle of the neck on the high frets.

The big disappointment (my fault, I skimped on the research) is the replacement F-tuners I bought won't fit; too wide, and I don't want to bastardize this neck even if it isn't the holy grail. Will have to keep an eye out for a vintage set, and get rid of these.

Anyone know if these are a retrofit to vintage?
http://www.kluson.com/revolution.html

Also: might need to work on that D nut slot w/ superglue...

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Double-ish Mustang Project(s) - The Best vs. The Rest

Only crappy pics, till I'm 'final' on it, but update:

-Am at present filing the F-tuners down to fit the neck; it's a chore, but not impossible
-Need to get neck screws that fit (mine are too long/will be through the fretboard)
-Everything else is done; might swap the guard for parchment/mint (I now have one of each, thanks to the seller) and at that point mess with the wiring more to try crazier options, but for now it's standard:

You might notice I mostly dropped the 'double' aspect, it seems everyone else is confident the Mustang body won't fall apart or anything, and I pretty much want to keep it as-is (even if technically I could 'finish' the red one now by pirating the neck...)

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Double-ish Mustang Project(s) - The Best vs. The Rest

Non-pic update; for those of you waiting with bated breath for pics, they will be posted once two conditions are met: 1 - It is not nighttime and 2 -Daphne one gets finished Red one 100% complete, with the '66 neck; Bronco neck on the blue now, as it is a better color match (Daphne one has a lighter guard and the whitish poly neck goes better with the light blue,) but mostly because the Bronco neck had a gap when fit to the red- but not when mounted to the blue (could have re-drilled but figured better to have the nicer neck on the nicer body anyway.)

I (re-)made the decision to pile the best stuff all on the Dakota - thus it got the vintage bridge and some other little bits. The '66 neck for some reason sits lower in the neck pocket than it did on the Daphne body, so needed a shim which I never needed before (On that note - since the MIJ bridge I'm using on the Daphne one now likes a bit more string angle thanks to difference in post-height; the 'taller' Bronco neck will help facilitate that which justifies my switch once again.)

I don't consider myself a magician with Mustang vibratos - I just never give up on them I counted on needing to remove and tweak it, but it wasn't the worse one I've used straight-off; it put the low E out of tune ~15 cents. I googled my own setup guide from this forum, disassembled the vibrato and found the need to sharpen only one pivot with fine grit; I ran the point of my triangle file barely through each post, polished, added a bit of lithium grease, adjusted it to float for more up-bend - it now stays in tune within the range of the pedal and headstock tuner I had on-hand, which is pretty much good enough for me.

So after the shim and vibrato adjustment, it works/plays great (except the arm adjustment screw is frozen, so the arm falls out - grr. PB Blaster is in effect, will try again tomorrow.) Can't say I have a good idea of how the Jaguar pickups sound in it, just happy they work; need to turn them up when I get the chance. Back to the Daphne - I have three tuners on it, and one ferrule. I've engineered a bit of 'dumb' into the project, by not wanting to drill for the reproduction tuners on the Bronco neck; the is doable, but tedious, as filing the tuners/ferrules is a chore.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Double-ish Mustang Project(s) - The Best vs. The Rest

Whatever, let’s just bring this thread that much closer to closure with some pics.

As for the Daphne/Bronco neck, I’m still busy trying to prove my idiocy to the forum filing ferrules; tuners done. Would not post pics if it wouldn’t annoy people:

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Double-ish Mustang Project(s) - The Best vs. The Rest

You no longer need to worry about seeing this thread float around any more; Please select your character:

Brief run-down: I mentioned I had to use a shim with the '66 neck on the Dakota; well, the Bronco neck was so elevated above the Daphne body it would have needed a reverse shim :-/ Had resigned myself to doing a project without removing paint, but... Remembered someone refinished the pocket with several gigantic layers of paint:

Now the neck is placed perfectly, and still no need for a shim on the Daphne Setups are identical. Still need to deal with that crappy nut on the Daphne - it's way too far spaced, and the D is on the fretboard; nut probably wasn't even meant for this neck at all.

Daphne is lighter, and that neck feels like a goddamn club; so solid. You know how you can sometimes 'wiggle'-vibrato using the neck? Not on this guitar. It also sounds a bit brighter/louder than the Dakota, even with old strings; could be the frets are sharper, or the zinc bridge saddles, or the gigantic neck/lighter body. The Dakota sounds a bit more subdued overall, less snap. I almost hate saying it - maybe it's my degree of familiarity with the Daphne body, but everything just falls at hand much better for me on that guitar; weird considering they're the same damn body and the Daphne still has the screwed up nut: