horax
Joined: Mar 23, 2011
Posts: 518
colorado springs
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Posted on Apr 19 2021 08:07 PM
Hey everybody.
I've changed guitars through the years and ended up with a Gibson les Paul and a PRS Silver Sky. I didn't realize I ended up without a Jazzy or a Jag.
I have some amazon credit and I'm ordering a Squier Bullet Mustang with the plan of modding it and making it as awesome as possible. roll the fret board edges, dress the frets, change just about everything on it...yada yada.
What could I do to make this a surf guitar without routing? I would love to put a mustang tremolo on it, but don't want to route the body if at all possible.
Caveat: is it hard? I don't have a lot of tools or woodworking experience.
I'm looking for ideas for pickups, configuration, anything you can think of.
It's the imperial blue verison:
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SandBug
Joined: Feb 22, 2016
Posts: 439
California
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Posted on Apr 19 2021 09:39 PM
A few years ago i made one of those into a surf machine. The body is unusually shallow, so a mustang vibrato route or most any other typical vibrato system that requires routing will most likely leave very little wood between the cavity and the outer wall of the back of the guitar. The one i worked on is only 35mm thick (1 and 3/8in.) Here's the thread... https://surfguitar101.com/forums/topic/31912/
Last edited: Apr 19, 2021 21:47:10
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edwardsand
Joined: Jun 29, 2018
Posts: 660
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Posted on Apr 19 2021 09:52 PM
Yep, the bullet Mustang body is way thin and it would be a challenge to add a Mustang or Jag type vibrato. As I recall, it's got a swimming pool rout, so you can do whatever you want in terms of pickups, but then you need to get a new pickguard.
Check out the thread Sandbug linked to - lots of great advice there, including Vibrato system options
My preference would be a used Vintage Modified or Classic Vibe Mustang, but it looks like they've gotten more expensive recently. I did a VM project a while ago, and was very happy with the results - the vibrato works very well and I put in some pickups that work great for surf and other things I like.
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Redfeather
Joined: Jul 30, 2016
Posts: 853
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Posted on Apr 19 2021 10:21 PM
I think you should abandon that plan and build one from parts. Why use a thin basswood body with no vibrato when that's not what you want?
Get a real Mustang body in nice wood from someone and a neck to go with it and build a high quality Stang of your own specs.
The Bullet tuners are crap. The only things you'd be using are the body and neck and it's just not a great deal.
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DaveMudgett
Joined: Mar 17, 2019
Posts: 146
Central PA
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Posted on Apr 19 2021 11:34 PM
I grew up with a '65 Mustang as my main guitar, and I agree that those Bullets just don't cut it, IMO. Humbuckers on a Mustang? No thanks for me. And as stated, no trem and they are too thin to do much with.
Like an idiot, I sold my old Mustang 25 years ago. It was out-classed by virtually every other guitar I had accumulated over the years, but it was nice to just have it around. I just never would pay the freight for another vintage one.
But about 18 months ago, I picked up a Squier Vintage Modified Mustang in the same white with red tortoise guard for a couple hundred bucks. OK, it's not my '65, but it's not bad. Pickups are OK for now, neck is fine except for some sharp fret ends have popped out as the green wood has dried, which I'll get on one of these days. Vibrato is just fine - maybe better than my original, which was a bit of a PITA to keep in tune. Tuners kinda' suck, but that's an easy fix to drop in some decent reissue Klusons. Supply chains are screwed up right now and a lot of stuff like this is way overpriced. But I think this will ease in time, and decent prices do show up on stuff if one is patient. I mean, there's nothing that special about a Squier vintage modified guitar. Good bang for the buck if they're not stupid priced. But not worth overpaying for. My opinion.
There is a Classic Vibe Mustang out now - street price $429. I dunno. I guess I'm a cheapskate on guitars like this.
— The Delverados - surf, punk, trash, twang - Facebook
Chicken Tractor Deluxe - hardcore Americana - Facebook and Website
The Telegrassers - semi-electric bluegrass/Americana - Facebook
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ldk
Joined: Nov 08, 2017
Posts: 356
San Francisco Bay Area
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Posted on Apr 20 2021 12:58 PM
You could put a Bigsby B5 on it with a roller bridge. You'd have to drill some holes for the roller bridge or shim it with a strip of wood--the tension of the strings would keep it in place.
If possible, split the coils of the humbuckers to get the option of single coils.
If the cost of all this is not too much for you, I'd say go for it. It would be a fun project. The guitar looks nice and a Bigsby on it would make it look nicer still.
— If I'd stop buying old guitars to fix, I might actually learn to play.
Bringing instruments back to life since 2013.
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Squid
Joined: Aug 22, 2010
Posts: 1011
Portland, Oregon with Insanitizers
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Posted on Apr 20 2021 02:05 PM
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ldk
Joined: Nov 08, 2017
Posts: 356
San Francisco Bay Area
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Posted on Apr 20 2021 03:28 PM
Squid wrote:
Bigsby vibratos are heavy and bulky, and the one I have is capable of only one semi-tone. It is fun to use but keeping the guitar in tune requires frequent oiling of the Bigsby joints.
I've had a different experience. I've had a Bigsby on 3 guitars. A B5 weighs about 10 ounces. I don't find them bulky, but YMMV. I can get at least a whole tone on all strings but the high E, for which I get 3/4 of a tone. For me, keeping in tune is no more difficult than with any other vibrato.
— If I'd stop buying old guitars to fix, I might actually learn to play.
Bringing instruments back to life since 2013.
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Squid
Joined: Aug 22, 2010
Posts: 1011
Portland, Oregon with Insanitizers
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Posted on Apr 20 2021 05:24 PM
"D'Addario strings are usually a bad choice for Bigsby use because the core is hexagonal...that can make for going out-of-tune happen often when using a Bigsby vibrato..." I don't know the core on the strings with my Bigsby B5. I suppose vibrato arm maximum varies with string gauge. I use 10-46.
— Insanitizers! http://www.insanitizers.com
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edwardsand
Joined: Jun 29, 2018
Posts: 660
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Posted on Apr 20 2021 07:09 PM
I guess one issue is that Horax has Amazon credit and so is kind of stuck with ordering something there, which limits options. But there is this:
https://www.amazon.com/ISMF-200-VW-Solid-Body-Electric/dp/B0107B9KSO/ref=sr_1_19?dchild=1&keywords=guitar+jaguar+neck&qid=1618963413&sr=8-19
Which is pretty much the same as the Harley Benton model that's like a Mustang with a Jag vibrato. It would be a total modding platform - replace things one by one depending on what needs to be improved in your opinion. And even cheaper than the Bullet Mustang.
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edwardsand
Joined: Jun 29, 2018
Posts: 660
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Posted on Apr 20 2021 07:10 PM
And I must admit at one point I bought a Bullet Mustang body for a project (it was a cool sparkly purplish-blue color), but given how thin the body was, I decided not to use it. I ended up selling it for a bit more than I paid for it, so no big deal.
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