Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: gwEm on May 29, 2011, 05:51:48 PM
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my young lady was shopping on Regent Street, so I went over to Denmark Street to pass some time. Tried a heritage '58 V reissue from 1983 which was really nice, but somewhat pricey at £3.8k.. i also tried a renecked 70s les paul deluxe, which i really liked the look of, since it has quite a plain maple top with a non-blingy looking sunburst, bags of sustain and a bit of a bargain at £1250 i reckon. anyway, i resisted both of them but couldn't resist this! it was a hell of a lot cheaper, and i had a right laugh playing it in the store! i probably paid slightly over the odds for it at £500, since shes lead a hard life, but shes still very playable.
so its a 1978 Fender Musicmaster, rosewood board (heavily worn!!) the shop had just refretted it - i bet they were utterly shot before. nicely worn body in my favourite colour, single neck pickup, 24" scale
its all pretty original - original neck, tuners, pickguard and electronics. though as i say the fingerboard is heavily worn, which you can't see on the picture. i should have seen it in the shop - but the bridge is at a weird angle. i whipped it off this afternoon, and its been fitted in about three different positions. i figured i'd just leave it where it is for now. the saddles screws were on there last legs, so i swapped two of the saddle for compensating tele saddles that i had knocking around - i don't think the brass suits the tone of the guitar, but it sounds alot better anyway, since the intonation was pretty bad, partly since the screws were a bit seized up and hard to adjust. i've also changed it from modern to vintage wiring.
so yeah, it is what is - a beat up musicmaster. its a fun play. the neck pickup isn't ideal for riffing, though its bright enough to just about get away with it. i wonder about cutting in a bridge pickup. but i might just leave it for now - its great for practising leads.
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very nice :)
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Not quite my cup of tea, but I can see the attraction of an old Fender as a bit of a novelty purchase with some genuine vintage mojo.
But what the hell were they doing with that bridge? Why would it ever need to be moved? :?
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But what the hell were they doing with that bridge? Why would it ever need to be moved? :?
well indeed.. i couldn't look at it any longer so i pulled it off and put it in a position parallel to the scratchplate. i also changed that last saddle for a compensated one. its actually improved the sound - possibly because they'd put a plastic washer(!) under the bridge too, which i've now removed. the sound is raw, good sustain, i think because of only one pickup.
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must be the month for those guitars - one of my mates just got one and is transforming it into something gigworthy. he's adding a bridge pickup and making it into somewhat of a Jaguar.
I reckon a humbucker or P90 at the bridge would go a long way towards making that a useful guitar.
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Nice guitar. My first Fender was a Musicmaster back in 1972. I've been thinking about getting one for Nashville tuning, because of the short scale. I'm sure you'll like it. You will probably find the body is routed for 2 pickups. I was going to put a bridge HB in mine years ago, but ended up trading it for a Strat.
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Musicmasters and duosonics had the same body routing - 2 x single coil - this could be fun for you gwEm if you want to add a second pickup/new pickguard.
As it happens I have a 1983 Gibson heritage flying v 58 reissue in red
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Well, it is a bit weird but I think it is very "you" :D
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the 50s and 60s ones were routed for two pickups, but they only did musicmasters in the 70s, and they were only routed for the neck.
nevertheless i am toying with adding something in the bridge...
the tones not bad in fact, im finding can solo endlessly with it.
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Congrats. Not a piece I'm gassing on, but if you're a collectioneur, it should be a nice addition to your collection.
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Congrats. Not a piece I'm gassing on, but if you're a collectioneur, it should be a nice addition to your collection.
this is definately a players guitar rather than a collectors :D i intend to throw down with it!
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Jane's brother has one of these. It looks pretty cool but last time I saw it it was strung with steel acoustic strings :? Also, the nut had been cracked on the bottom E so it only has 5 strings. :? :?
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couldn't resist any longer and just ordered two Irish Tours, one with a baseplate.
next i'm going to go and buy a router(!)
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how do you guys reckon i should cut in the bridge pickup??
like this:
(http://www.guitarsandeffects.com/images/1redmahagonyDUO-SONIC.jpg)
or this?
(http://guitarselect.com/DUO-SONICWHITE/DSC01702.JPG)
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also, trying to figure out how far from the bridge i should cut it..
duosonic bridge pickups are meant to sound even more thin and cr@ppy than normal, the neck pickup is already unexpectedly bright
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I prefer the look of the slanted one.
For shites and giggles put a left handed pickup in there so the stagger is wrong for a right handed guitar!
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I prefer the look of the slanted one.
For shitees and giggles put a left handed pickup in there so the stagger is wrong for a right handed guitar!
i'm going for flat poled ;)
i sort of agree the slanted one looks better - but i wonder which would sound better
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next i'm going to go and buy a router(!)
Routers are great, just don't use it freehand!
Not sure on the pickups - slanted looks better, but straight is more quirky. I don't think it'll make a massive difference soundwise, but they both look a decent distance from the bridge so they won't sound too thin.
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Very nice,
Enjoy
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I could only see one pic at work. Now I can see both, I'd pick straight for looks.
But your hand will be over it most of the time anyway! :lol:
I think the slant on the strat bridge is to give a bit more body to the bass strings, but like Philly says, it looks a reasonable distance back anyway. If you're going to put it at "strat" distance I'd probably go for slanted just to be safe.
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not feeling so brave as yesterday.. might leave this one to Feline.
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not feeling so brave as yesterday.. might leave this one to Feline.
Did you buy the router?
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not feeling so brave as yesterday.. might leave this one to Feline.
Did you buy the router?
no. apart from the obvious chance of a fu_k up, it was looking kind of expensive. i guess a small router would be the best for this kind of job. i was looking at using a Dremel router attachment like Feline himself uses. it would be ideal for the channels, and also the pickguard. but i think i'd need a second larger router for the switch cavity.. plus of course getting a few routing bits.
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I've bought a few power tools over the years, used them once and regretted buying them, but I love my old Black & Decker router!
Over the years I've made loads of hardboard templates for routing pickup cavities, battery compartments, jack sockets etc. I even used the router to reshape the cutaways of an old Fender Bronco body, a bit like your Musicmaster. Never had an outright disaster with it (touch wood!)
I'd be much more nervous about attempting, say, a fret job than routing big holes in a body!
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I like the pickups on the red one... suitd better the guitar!
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the guitar is safely with Jonathan while he cuts in the extra pickup and looks at some other issues we found on the neck due to the not-so-good refret.
meanwhile bits have come from allparts and bkp in record time! :)
on this forum i've previously said I felt 24" scale to be too cramped. this has always been based on playing Jaguars, guitars which I've never got on with. so i'm now going to take back my 'too cramped' comments, this musicmaster feels fine.
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i guess a small router would be the best for this kind of job. i was looking at using a Dremel router attachment like Feline himself uses. it would be ideal for the channels, and also the pickguard. but i think i'd need a second larger router for the switch cavity.. plus of course getting a few routing bits.
I wouldn't use a Dremel for any of this
Usually a Bosch or Elu router with a 1/2" bearing guided bit
The routers aren't too expensive these days - although my Elu 177 cost me £350+ back in 1990
the guitar is safely with Jonathan while he cuts in the extra pickup and looks at some other issues we found on the neck due to the not-so-good refret.
The fretwork was a bit shoddy and the frets seem loose in the slots (I always use glue and carefully adjust the tang to match the slot as much as possible.
The fact that we were able to lift a fret out with a fingernail worried me.
Makes me glad that I am a bit obsessive compulsive in my approach to fretting as I wold be embarrassed to let one go out like this one (I accept that sometimes frets come loose through changes in the wood but this was a bit too much for that)
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The fact that we were able to lift a fret out with a fingernail worried me.
That's very worrying!
Roughly how much would it cost for a full refret? I have a new (relic) Allparts Strat neck which was meant to have medium jumbo frets, but they're ridiculously weeny, I know I won't get on with them. I was thinking of getting them ripped out and replaced straight away (or whenever I get round to assembling the guitar...)
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The fact that we were able to lift a fret out with a fingernail worried me.
That's very worrying!
yes.. but I have full confidence in Jonathan to do the biz
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disappointingly, Jonathan's found more problems with the guitar (no truss rod adjuster(!)). so its going back to Angel Music tomorrow for getting a refund (which I hope they won't be dicks about, but no reason to suppose that as yet).
i actually have fairly heavy GAS now for an operational 24" DuoSonic ;)
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Oh, that's bad man. Hope they take it back or give a refund.
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Fingers crossed!
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:? too bad! Hope it ends right!
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got my money back with little fuss. good guys.
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got my money back with little fuss. good guys.
Thank goodness for that :D
I wasn't sure how much of a battle you'd have.
Shame the guitar didn't work out though...
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There is this going at the moment
http://www.peachguitars.com/guitars/pre-owned-guitars/vintage-fender-duo-sonic-2-1965.htm
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That's good news. At least some decent folks in the guitarmarket.
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got my money back with little fuss. good guys.
Thank goodness for that :D
I wasn't sure how much of a battle you'd have.
Shame the guitar didn't work out though...
Glad to hear it turned out right with little fuss
they would have had to be real numpties to have made life difficult though
No truss rod adjuster and the thread stripped on the rod too
Frets falling/lifting out of the board
Not fit for sale really (without a HUGE disclaimer upfront)
Good news G!
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I wasn't sure how much of a battle you'd have.
yeah, i was bracing myself for a long and painful discussion
There is this going at the moment
http://www.peachguitars.com/guitars/pre-owned-guitars/vintage-fender-duo-sonic-2-1965.htm
thanks for pointing it out - i like it alot (amazing colour), however the neck is the 22.5" scale version rather than the 24" so i'll not press the button on it. i'm going to look out for a 60s Duosonic now though. I'm keen to get one!
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I wasn't sure how much of a battle you'd have.
yeah, i was bracing myself for a long and painful discussion
Now it's done and dusted, I can let on what I was imagining (I knew that you and Jonathan wouldn't have done anything major to it and still thought it could go back, but there seemed just about enough leeway in what I'd read for me to imagine that the shop might be tempted to regard the guitar as being in a slightly "different" state than when they last saw it... :lol:).
Gwem: Yeah, well, I've had to bring this back, it's not fit for purpose. Or, at least, not at the price I paid...
Shop: What seems to be the trouble sir?
Gwem: Well, my tech looked at it, and and all these frets just fell out (sound of rattling on counter) :cry:
Shop: (Raised eyebrow) Really sir?
Gwem: And we drilled into the neck and couldn't find a truss-rod adjuster anywhere... :roll:
Shop: Uh-huh...
Gwem: Oh, and by the way, it doesn't show under the plate, but we had to tidy up the routing a bit...
Shop: A bit?
Gwem: Well, it easily fits five humbuckers now... :twisted:
Shop: (Pressing panic button under counter) Ah, I see sir, if you'd just like to wait a moment while I see if there's anyone here who really gives a sh1t...
I exaggerate, er, "slightly" for comedic purposes, obviously :lol:. I felt sure that you guys wouldn't have been thinking "refund" if any changes had been made that put it in a materially different state than when they sold it... but I could definitely imagine what attitude I fear many shops might have taken, at least at the outset. Like telerocker says - it's always nice to find some more folks with decency in the guitar market...
(I do suspect it's back up on the wall again though! Or is that just me being cynical? :lol:)
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(I do suspect it's back up on the wall again though! Or is that just me being cynical? :lol:)
I think you're almost certainly right!
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Now it's done and dusted, I can let on what I was imagining ...
:lol: :lol:
we went to great lengths to leave things exactly how they were when i brought it. grateful to Jonathan's phone call to let me know things weren't right. should have perhaps guessed it wasn't in good shape from the skewed bridge, but i liked the idea of the guitar, and was happy to accept some faults.. not as many was it turned out to have though, with the frets popping out and no trussrod it was completely unusable as a guitar. there was quite a bit of ballache here - taking it to jonathan and back, messing around with the saddles, orders to allparts and bkp, but i'm quite happy to get the 500 notes back. i'll use the parts at some point though.
i suspect its on the wall again too
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i suspect its on the wall again too
Actually it was taken straight to a guitar repairer.
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i suspect its on the wall again too
Actually it was taken straight to a guitar repairer.
Now that's even better to know :D
I was in shop a while back trying teles, and there was this otherwise gorgeous tele (think it was a MIM, so it was well-cheap for the guitar in my hands in my mind). I was close to going "yeah" when I decided to check the fretting of notes all the way up the neck. Somewhere round 14/15 there was a clunk. On closer inspection it was obviously lower than the others. Absolutely no way...
I thought I'd better point it out, I explained it needed fixing, and the assistant just shrugged and put right back on the wall...
Come to think of it, I remember trying a new Highway 1 strat a few years back (different shop), and the neck pickup was dead. It even looked like some physical damage was involved on closer inspection of the polepieces... same result, a shrug and back on the wall for the next herbert... sigh...
Thanks for posting that JPF :D
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I was close to going "yeah" when I decided to check the fretting of notes all the way up the neck. Somewhere round 14/15 there was a clunk.
There's no money up the dusty end!
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i guess we've all become cynical bar-stewards over the years. good to know some people are doing it right
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i suspect its on the wall again too
Actually it was taken straight to a guitar repairer.
That's really good to hear!