Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: badgermark on September 04, 2008, 05:44:18 PM
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So the parcelforce man dropped off my 'new' guitar today, a 70's Japanese mustang copy. My first vintage guitar! And first shortscale too, not as hard to play as i though, pretty comfy actually.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/unsubtle57/Photo28.jpg)
Tis a heavy beast, the metal parts are pretty pitted but not corroded per se, anything i can do to buff them up?
Pickups are really weak, gonna swap them out for a lace sensor and a strat p90 for now, maybe BKPs later.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/unsubtle57/mustang/DSCN1933.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/unsubtle57/mustang/DSCN1929.jpg)
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*turns eyes away in disgust*
Sorry.
Congrats with your... uh... guitar.
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It's beaaaaautiful. congrats.
Any details of who it's made by, what it's made of etc.?
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If you didn't like it thanks for spending the time to reply. Next time don't bother.
It's made by Citar, solid alder body and it's heavy as hell! About as heavy as my heaviest telecaster. Apparently made in the old Ibanez factory, found a few brochures online and it's sturdy as all heck.
Me likee, needs new strings and to be set up though, wussy 10s don't cut it on a shortscale, 12s or nothing!
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I love mustangs - Very quirky - cool guitars.
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They're cute little guitars, I've never really wanted to buy one but I would if I was a vintage collector.
Shame about the weight, but I suppose that might add some "weight" to the tone to compensate for the short scale. :)
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that is really really sweet actually.. :)
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That is a nice shape.The bridge looks interesting but I cant quite see it in the pics.The sliding switches presumably turn the pickups on or off.
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That looks really cool, to tell the truth.
It'd look a little nice with "proper" mustang Vol/Tone knobs imho, though.
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*turns eyes away in disgust*
Sorry.
Congrats with your... uh... guitar.
I concur
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It needs proper mustang knobs indeed, the strat ones are horrible. The switches have three positions, can have the pickups on by themselves, in phase together and out of phase together.
The weight is a GOOD thing. I like heavy guitars, and it feels much less like a toy now.
The bridge arrangement is almost like a vibrato tune-o-matic, the picture is actually restrung incorrectly, the strings go in away from the neck and loop under giving a sharper break angle over the bridge. Need a new bar too.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/unsubtle57/mustang/DSCN1926.jpg)
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*turns eyes away in disgust*
Sorry.
Congrats with your... uh... guitar.
I concur
Don't be a tw@t. If you have nothing nice to say then shoo.
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Its ugly but i like it!!
Could you give quick review compared to say a strat or tele? Or does it need more time?
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That bridge looks interesting! I'm not a fan of that particular shape but I do like the amount of buttons these things have, always fascinated me!
For a 70's Guitar those Pups look quite modern, are they replacements?
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I can't see the pics :(
However, I have a Firebird copy made in the Ibanez factory in the 70's. I LOOOOVE IT! Although I need to refret it.... but just can't be arsed..... Wez - fancy a commission?
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*turns eyes away in disgust*
Sorry.
Congrats with your... uh... guitar.
I concur
Don't be a tw@t. If you have nothing nice to say then shoo.
Haha, that's what i was thinking...
Nice guitar man, i don't know much about them at all but it looks cool.
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I don't like this switches... And I would put P90 on it :twisted:
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Nice looking guitar :D
Never even thought of a mustang before, but that looks really cute.
I'm not sure about the switches either, but only from a "using it" perspective, I actually think they look OK. I have to agree the knobs do look a bit weird though - but only after they were pointed out.
I must say I'm with you on the guitar weight thing - heavy is good, light guitars are fer gurls... :wink:
(Discretely hides Danelectro made of hardboard behind sofa so that previous statement is not turned against him...)
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Congrats man!
I quite like it, it's different and certainly unique. How does it sound?
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japanese copies, especially the older ones, are awesome. never actually tried a mustang (my method of keeping down GAS- limit what you try! :lol: )... looks very nice, though. :)
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Not my style, but a cool looking fiddle nonetheless!
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I must say I'm with you on the guitar weight thing - heavy is good, light guitars are fer gurls... :wink:
Fine. Just call me Philippa. But only for the purposes of this thread. :P
(Having just spent the last week studying the Warmoth site trying to find a nice lightweight Strat body)
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If your a fan of unconventional guitars have a look at http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/ (http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/)
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Sounds good, the pickups are super weak though, my tiny terror has to be cranked up past 4 on the volume just to compete with my BKP guitars at 1... The sound though is slightly less harsh than a tele or strat, a little rounder, not much twang. Shall be getting a rewind from Tim in a few months time i hope. Feels pretty good strapped on, it's not back breaking, but the weight is good for this particular guitar, a lot less girly like than it might be.
Fernando the switches aren't that bad, useable and I've not once hit them with my pick, and i play it low on a strap. Needs a rewire, proper mustang knobs and a rewind of the pickups, but I is happy!
Question is do i replace the rusted screws and tuners for clean new ones? The mojo might fly away, but might look tidier, the output jack's nut is particularly rustic looking...
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(Having just spent the last week studying the Warmoth site trying to find a nice lightweight Strat body)
Any help needed just tell me, Warmoth site is almost my "home page" :lol:
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(Having just spent the last week studying the Warmoth site trying to find a nice lightweight Strat body)
Any help needed just tell me, Warmoth site is almost my "home page" :lol:
Thanks Fernando :) . Just trying to find a nice Strat body in the Showcase (custom orders are too expensive). The problem is I want swamp ash, but I like solid colours - and it seems a pity to hide the grain of swamp ash under a solid colour. And I can't decide on trem or hardtail (they don't have many painted hardtail bodies anyway).
So... I keep changing my mind! :roll: :lol:
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Don't be a tw@t. If you have nothing nice to say then shoo.
Nothing nice to say? I called it a guitar. I love guitars. How is that not nice?
(yeah I'm kidding, I know I was a tw@t. But a tw@t with good intentions)
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i like the look of this a lot but new knobs are definately in order, i would also be tempted by standard single coils if they would fit.
on the screws, its a judgement call. If you are gigging and have the sort of sweat that eats through metal in minutes i would change them all to stainless. If not you could relace them with nickel ones and start the wear process all over again or just live with them as they are... not like the value is going to be too affected on this guitar
Although I need to refret it.... but just can't be arsed..... Wez - fancy a commission?
some nice chunky buggers?
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They are standard single coils, just like a strat's only with the black plastic covers. Tim is going to rewind them when i have a little extra cash, they sound good just very quiet. Got some backups for now, can't wait for a trilogy based set in this bad boy.
Going to stick some 12s on it, set up the bridge and give the pickups a swap tomorrow, maybe it will be playable. Right now it wont stay in tune and there are rattles behind the nut. Guessing it has been widened for bigger strings than the 10s on there now.
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Thanks Fernando :) . Just trying to find a nice Strat body in the Showcase (custom orders are too expensive). The problem is I want swamp ash, but I like solid colours - and it seems a pity to hide the grain of swamp ash under a solid colour. And I can't decide on trem or hardtail (they don't have many painted hardtail bodies anyway).
So... I keep changing my mind! :roll: :lol:
That's a big fight between the forum guys from Warmoth with them: Top routed in exotic woods, more hardtail...
Their answer: It doesn't sell enough to be increased the production... Well, this is a good argument, but I dunno if they put some nice bodies with top route and hardtail if it would not sell the same way...
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Nice! I think some nice looking vintage style single coils would really set it off.
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Thanks Fernando :) . Just trying to find a nice Strat body in the Showcase (custom orders are too expensive). The problem is I want swamp ash, but I like solid colours - and it seems a pity to hide the grain of swamp ash under a solid colour. And I can't decide on trem or hardtail (they don't have many painted hardtail bodies anyway).
So... I keep changing my mind! :roll: :lol:
That's a big fight between the forum guys from Warmoth with them: Top routed in exotic woods, more hardtail...
Their answer: It doesn't sell enough to be increased the production... Well, this is a good argument, but I dunno if they put some nice bodies with top route and hardtail if it would not sell the same way...
Well, I can understand the hardtail argument, most people prefer a Strat with a trem... but of the ones I've been watching, the only one which sold this week was a hardtail! :lol:
I'll just have to wait until something turns up. There's still some nice stuff on there. How often does the showcase get updated?
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There is no correct "frequency", but usually on mondays there is new stuff, or one in each two weeks... But usually is just a few new parts :?
I would say to you, if you're dead right on hardtail, better do a custom order... the same for top-routed... they appear very few times, less than once in a month, usually...
(hope I'm not hi-jacking your thread Badger :lol:)
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Yeah, we should stop the hijack in a minute! :wink:
I'm not dead set on a hardtail, I definitely prefer hardtails but I also think I "should" have one Strat with a tremolo... but I can't decide! There are things in the showcase I like, but some of them are much more expensive than others (but still cheaper than custom, I think) :lol: . I'm going to try to sell some stuff this week then see what I can afford.
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It's cool guys, now git off my lawn! Make your own thread dammit!
I like hardtails, but i like the option of a little whammy. this mustang should hopefully be set up to rock slightly, no more than a semi tone i hope.
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It's cool guys, now git off my lawn! Make your own thread dammit!
Sorry 'bout that! :lol: We went the PM route in the end, didn't justify a thread really.
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Lets play a game, I call it Name That Wood!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/unsubtle57/mustang/DSCN1942.jpg)
Oh and after examining the stock pickups they are just the wire wrapped round the slugs, no base plate connected at all, very bizzare! Sod it, I'll order a few trilogies when i get permission.
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I'll name it Geoff.
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Mahogany
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I was thinking mahogany, but I didn't feel confident in my expertise in this area... however, if PhilKing thinks it's mahogany - then so do I!! :lol:
(That doesn't rule out 38th being correct as well, of course!)
Is there a prize for the winner?
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No just me being happy I have the guitar of my dreams... I talked to wez about him building me a mahogany mustang before the summer, luckily i backed out and got this baby! It needs some bare knuckles though, lets see what tim recommends for single coils in a slab of mahogany!
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i dont think its mahogany but i couldnt be sure without looking at it in real life. It doesnt look like it has the open pores of mahogany, to me the darker sections look like the medullary rays you see in woods like oak, beech and alder but not mahogany. I dont think its either of those 3 either though. If it was alder it would be a particularly dark piece.
wood can be really hard to identify sometimes, much easier if you have a leaf of the tree it came from ;)
and what the hell do you mean 'luckily i backed out'.... cheeky bugger !!! ;)
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Nice looking guitar!
I had a 70s Music Master that looked very similar to that in colour.
Mine had a pair of Slowhands in it, with a baseplate on the bridge 1, and it sounded great.
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and what the hell do you mean 'luckily i backed out'.... cheeky bugger !!! ;)
i didn't mean it like that you touchy sod! I know your build would have been amazing, just glad i got this that all works without me bodging the finishing or waiting 6 months! Plus this has more mojo, so until you learn to catch those mojo arrows in your shed I'm glad i went vintage! Basically i kept changing the spec in my mind, i hate choice. For this I'm stuck with single coils and the colour, and i'm happy as a pig in poop.
Plus this shortscale neck is mighty comfy, i now have one of each scale! 25.5, 24.7 and 24" all living in harmony. This also might be my heaviest guitar, i'll plant a shaving of it in my front grass and send you a leaf sample when i gets a mustang tree Wez.
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Ah, now that Wez doesn't think it's mahogany... can I change my mind? (told you I wasn't confident in my own opinions on this :lol:)
.... On reflection, after all, I think that 38th is right, it's George
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Plus this shortscale neck is mighty comfy, i now have one of each scale! 25.5, 24.7 and 24" all living in harmony. This also might be my heaviest guitar, i'll plant a shaving of it in my front grass and send you a leaf sample when i gets a mustang tree Wez.
I seem to remember only 25.5" being big enough for your Scot hands a year ago ;)
I think some Slowhands may sound good in there :roll:
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I know! I love the big necks, but when i tried this it was so very good. I'm a convert :)
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hey, i got mojo too!!! tbh it looks a great guitar so i am glad you found what you needed
it could be mahogany. how smooth is it? does it have lots of little pores?
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In that shot it looks just like some old Honduras mahogany from my Junior, it doesn't look like oak or beech. It is hard to say from a small section but Wez has probably wroked with more of the different types of wood than I have.
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I'll check the pores again when i BKP it up, for now it's sitting there until i can afford a good set up on it, the nut is plastic and too wide on some strings and too tight on others.
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It looks like mahogany to me too - the grain patterns and that pinkish colour. But I can't claim any expertise.
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i'm probably just seeing stuff thats not there... but i wouldnt ID it as mahogany just because of the colour.. i dont think its oak or beech either i just mentioned them as woods with lots of medullary flecking, which is what i think i can see when i look at that picture but dont mind being wrong.
if the dark bits are actually pores rather than flecks its most likely mahogany or some far eastern variant of it.